The Evil Witch 1986 is a film that was released in the mid-1980s. It tells the story of a wicked witch who wreaks havoc on a small town. The main character, Sarah, is an ordinary girl who discovers she has magical powers and must use them to defeat the evil witch. Throughout the film, Sarah faces many challenges and obstacles, but with the help of her friends and her own strength, she is able to overcome them. The film is a classic tale of good versus evil and explores themes of bravery, friendship, and the power of believing in oneself. The Evil Witch 1986 is a nostalgic and thrilling adventure that has captivated audiences for decades.
Recently I read Sara Maitland’s book From The Forest: A Search for the Hidden Roots of Our Fairy Tales where she writes, “Forests to the [early] Northern European peoples were dangerous and generous, domestic and wild, beautiful and terrible. And the forests were the terrain out of which fairy stories, one of our earliest and most vital cultural forms, evolved. The mysterious secrets and silences, gifts and perils of the forest are both the background to and source of these tales…”
What would they make of this passage from The Nightingale and the Blindworm translated from the German by Jack Zipes , I will build my nest in the linden, so high, so high. On one hand, the forest is a site of threats, the precinct of monsters the wolf waiting for Red Riding Hood, the witch for Hansel and Gretel, the briars covering Sleeping Beauty s castle but it s also a place where abandoned children can take refuge Snow White flees to safety in the forest because it s home that is full of monsters.
The Evil Witch 1986 is a nostalgic and thrilling adventure that has captivated audiences for decades..
Fairy Tales & The Stewardship Of Nature
Fairy tales are filled with the dark forest. One of the very first fairy tales that I can recall having been read to me was that of Hansel and Gretel, whose very father takes them deep into the forest to leave them there to die. Forests run throughout all of the Northern European fairy and folk tales. These forests are places of peril and triumph for the protagonists. Maria Tatar, the German folklore and children’s literature scholar at Harvard University, wrote, “Forests are sublime and dangerous, full of mystery, magic, terror, and monstrosity; an enchanted place where anything can happen. On one hand, [the forest] is a site of threats, the precinct of monsters—the wolf waiting for Red Riding Hood, the witch for Hansel and Gretel, the briars covering Sleeping Beauty’s castle—but it’s also a place where abandoned children can take refuge: Snow White flees to safety in the forest because it’s home that is full of monsters.”
Think of all the stories that are populated with woods and forests and how these landscapes play a vital role in the tale being told. What are we losing in our language and in our stories when we are losing the words of the natural world, as well as that very world itself?
One of the first tales that comes to my mind is J.R.R. Tolkien’s series The Lord of the Rings. So much of these books serve as a warning against the modernization that destroys forests and the natural world. Like Samwise Gamgee, I long to return to and live in the agrarian Shire.
I cannot help but think of Enid Blyton’s The Faraway Tree with its Enchanted Woods where the trees are “a darker green than usual” and whisper their secrets, “Wisha-wisha-wisha.” I adored this book as a boy with its woods inhabited by the huge Faraway Tree where the branches contain everything from acorns to lemons and all manner of fairy-folk and an ever-changing magical land above the swirling clouds.
My childhood was filled with stories that inhabited the woods: from Winnie the Pooh to Robin Hood to The Wind in the Willows to Narnia to T.H. White’s works on Arthur. Even now, I’m reading the Narnia-soaked novel, The Light Between Worlds, Laura E. Weymouth sets half of the story in an enchanted Woodlands that bears a striking resemblance to Lewis’ Narnia and even has its own version of Aslan the Lion in Cervus the Stag. Even when one of the children, Evelyn, is not in the Woodland, she believes that hers is a Woodland heart and struggles to cope outside of the magical realm.
But as I am re-reading familiar fairy tales and encountering new ones from other cultures, I have begun to wonder: how will future generations connect with fairy tales that are so filled with nature when our own culture is losing daily contact with the natural world? What would they make of this passage from The Nightingale and the Blindworm (translated from the German by Jack Zipes), “I will build my nest in the linden, so high, so high. / You’ll never be able to find it, no matter how hard you try.”
Will they even know what a linden is? Or that a blindworm is another term for the legless lizard known as the slowworm and resembles a snake?
In his book The Immortal Wilderness, naturalist John Hay writes, “There are occasions when you can hear the mysterious language of the Earth: in water, or coming through the trees, emanating from the mosses, seeping through the undercurrents of the soil, but you have to be willing to wait and receive.” The less time we spend in nature, the less these places will show up in our literature (be they poetry, fairy tales, or novels). How many children in this day and age have no concept of scrambling over root and rocks, feeling the coldness of stream water against their legs, or of the sound of insects and birdsong that fills the forests? For many youth, the natural world is being replaced with the online world.
With the ecological destruction that goes on, and as forests continue to shrink, the magic of “Once upon a time” will be lost on many who cannot fathom a forest or an ancient woodland. Landscapes once shaped the imaginations of those who told and, later on, those who wrote stories, tales, and fables. Their psyches and imaginations were rooted in place. What stories will future generations lose with constant deforestation?
Over 30 of Grimms’ character’s fates are decided in forests. In those very woods, characters first lose themselves and then, finally, find themselves within the shades and shadows of this verdant world of trees and streams and animals. The forest is large, immense, shadowy, mysterious, and magical. In this dark, impenetrable world, children lose their way and become disoriented. Often by helping another creature (such as freeing a fish or a bird) they are later helped in their own journey by those animals. Hearing and reading these tales, children can learn the value of stewardship towards nature. That we benefit from allowing animals to be left alone and free within their habitats.
Recently I read Sara Maitland’s book From The Forest: A Search for the Hidden Roots of Our Fairy Tales where she writes, “Forests to the [early] Northern European peoples were dangerous and generous, domestic and wild, beautiful and terrible. And the forests were the terrain out of which fairy stories, one of our earliest and most vital cultural forms, evolved. The mysterious secrets and silences, gifts and perils of the forest are both the background to and source of these tales…”
When we lose the wilderness, we lose the wildness of our souls. To enter the dark wood is to enter our own dark psyches, to enter into the dreams and secrets that are inhabited within forests. By not exploring the natural world, we can no longer wander from the well-trod paths to those areas that feel more primeval and ancient, where we might seek out our ancestors and the world they lived in. Those places where tales were told in the oral tradition, by fire, and were filled with all manner of wild beasts or spirits or bandits and secrets. The forests were rich in living history and story. Since forests with great trees that were tall and thick and tangled were all about them, our ancestors naturally wove tales about them. In The Brothers Grimm: From Enchanted Forests to the Modern World, Jack Zipes states that, “the forest loomed large metaphorically in the minds of the Brothers Grimm. The forest allows for enchantment and disenchantment, for it is a place where society’s conventions no longer hold true.”
I can only imagine the impact of telling such fairy tales by the fire while camping in a great wood at night. Of hearing the sounds of the forest at night (the hooting of owls, the howl of wolves) around them. How much more vivid would the words spoken aloud resonate deep within their imaginations and souls?
What tales will go untold, will go unwritten because of the loss of our natural world? Be that forests or grasslands or wetlands. What do our children lose when they no longer have a physical connection to the places described in their stories? How will they be able to imagine a Narnia or a Middle Earth or the Black Forest when the places that inspired these tales are no longer in existence?
But as I am re-reading familiar fairy tales and encountering new ones from other cultures, I have begun to wonder: how will future generations connect with fairy tales that are so filled with nature when our own culture is losing daily contact with the natural world? What would they make of this passage from The Nightingale and the Blindworm (translated from the German by Jack Zipes), “I will build my nest in the linden, so high, so high. / You’ll never be able to find it, no matter how hard you try.”
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Reviews for "The Evil Witch 1986: From Script to Screen"
1. Sarah - 1 star
I found "The evil witch 1986" to be extremely disappointing. The plot was weak and predictable, leaving no room for any surprises or excitement. The characters lacked depth and development, making it difficult to connect or care about them. Additionally, the special effects were poorly executed and appeared outdated. Overall, "The evil witch 1986" failed to deliver a captivating and engaging experience, leaving me unsatisfied and unimpressed.
2. John - 2 stars
I have to admit, I was quite let down by "The evil witch 1986". The storyline had potential, but it was poorly executed and lacked coherence. The pacing was incredibly slow, and there were moments where I found myself losing interest. The performances were mediocre at best, with the actors failing to bring any real emotion or depth to their characters. The film also relied heavily on cliches and tired tropes, making it even more predictable. I had high hopes for "The evil witch 1986", but unfortunately, it fell short in almost every aspect.
3. Megan - 2.5 stars
"The evil witch 1986" was a mediocre film at best. The concept had promise, but the execution was lackluster. The plot felt disjointed and messy, with various subplots and themes clashing rather than complementing each other. The dialogue was stilted and lacked authenticity, making it difficult to fully invest in the story. The pacing was also inconsistent, at times dragging on and at others rushing through important events. While there were some decent moments, overall, "The evil witch 1986" failed to leave a lasting impression or deliver a satisfying viewing experience.