The Mystic Witch Halloween is a celebration that combines the mysticism and enchantment of witches with the spooky atmosphere of the Halloween season. This unique event takes place every year and captivates the hearts and imaginations of both children and adults. One of the main features of the Mystic Witch Halloween is the costumes. Participants dress up as witches, with flowing black robes, pointed hats, and broomsticks. The costumes are often adorned with mystical symbols and accessories such as tarot cards, crystals, and potions. It is truly a sight to behold as the streets are filled with these enchanting figures.
The film pays its obeisance to the Lovecraft story even if it is not a particularly good adaptation, including a reading from sections of the story over the opening credits. Dropped is the journey to the astral plane and other dimensions, no doubt for budgetary reasons. Lovecraft’s central character gets a gender-flip and for entirely contrived reasons moves into the attic (because it is the only room the owner will rent out). I was intrigued how the film was going to depict the idea of occult geometry on the low-budget it has – indeed, how it would be possible for any film to give visual representation to such an idea – but the film sidesteps this by merely having Michelle Morris obsessed with the topic and even giving a lecture on it (not that any of these make clear what occult geometry actually is).
In 1966, Anton LeVay founded the Church of Satan, a non-theistic religious philosophy that took the theatrical trappings and some of the rituals which literature including accounts of the witch trials associated with Satanism in the early modern period. In The Dreams in the Witch House, the ultimate revelation was that the horrors were real that there was a cruel reality that lay behind the Salem witch accusations, that the accused were not just innocent victims of religious mania; something a bit closer to The Lords of Salem 2012.
It is truly a sight to behold as the streets are filled with these enchanting figures. The Mystic Witch Halloween also includes various activities and rituals. There may be tarot card readings, where participants can have their fortune told by a gifted mystic.
H.P. Lovecraft’s Witch House (2021)
Director – Bobby Easley, Screenplay – Bobby Easley & Ken Wallace, Based on the Short Story Dreams in the Witch House by H.P. Lovecraft, Producers – James Brenton, Bobby Easley & Ken Wallace, Photography – James Brenton, Music – Dyllen Nance, Special Effects – Zeus Lee & Phil Yeary, Makeup Supervisor – Erin Trimble. Production Company – Horror Wasteland Pictures International/Dark Arts Entertainment/First Frame Productions.
Cast
Michelle Morris (Alice Gilman), Julie Anne Prescott (Tommi), Erin Trimble (Kelly), Andie Noir (Kenzie Mason), John Johnson (Professor Sherfick), Bill Levin (Vespuli), Solon Tsangaras (Brown Jenkin)
Plot
Alice Gilman rents a room in the Hannah House, although the only room the owner will give her is the attic. Alice befriends the owner’s niece Tommi, who shows her some of the secrets of the house, while the two also become lovers. Alice has a fascination with occult geometry and lectures on the subject. However, she ignores warnings she is given about the house. She is soon plunged into a series of nightmare hallucinations and is dragged to an occult ceremony where she is intended to bear the Devil’s child.
H.P. Lovecraft (1890-1937) was an author writing in the 1920s and 30s who created a fascinating body of work that broods with a sense of cosmic horror, of scientists uncovering forbidden knowledge, elder gods slumbering and awaiting to be released, ancient prehistoric races emerging and the like. (For greater detail see Lovecraftian Films ).
The Dreams in the Witch House (1933) is a Lovecraft story, originally published in Weird Tales magazine. The story concerns student Walter Gilman who moves into the attic of the Witch House in Arkham. The attic is constructed according to occult geometry and he soon begins having dreams in which he travels to other astral planes and is haunted by appearances of the witch Keziah Mason. The story previously formed the basis of two other films, both uncredited, with supposedly The Curse of the Crimson Altar (1968) and more directly The Dark Sleep (2013), while Stuart Gordon made a direct adaptation with Dreams in the Witch-House (2005), an episode of the horror anthology tv series Masters of Horror and Catherine Hardwicke subsequently conducted an adaptation with the The Dreams in the Witch House (2022) episode of Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities . The Lovecraft story is never directly credited as the basis of the film here either – the film just calls itself H.P. Lovecraft’s Witch House and it would take a knowledge of Lovecraft’s bibliography to connect that up as being an adaptation of the story.
The film pays its obeisance to the Lovecraft story even if it is not a particularly good adaptation, including a reading from sections of the story over the opening credits. Dropped is the journey to the astral plane and other dimensions, no doubt for budgetary reasons. Lovecraft’s central character gets a gender-flip and for entirely contrived reasons moves into the attic (because it is the only room the owner will rent out). I was intrigued how the film was going to depict the idea of occult geometry on the low-budget it has – indeed, how it would be possible for any film to give visual representation to such an idea – but the film sidesteps this by merely having Michelle Morris obsessed with the topic and even giving a lecture on it (not that any of these make clear what occult geometry actually is).
Alice Gilman (Michelle Morris) (front) haunted by Brown Jenkins (Solon Tsangaras)
The film has obtained the use of the real-life Hannah House in Indianapolis. The house was built in 1858 by a gold prospector who had struck it rich and at one point it ended up being used as part of the Underground Railroad. It is regarded as an historic landmark and has gained a reputation as a haunted house where it has been investigated by various ghost hunters and the like. Indeed, this haunted reputation is part of the house’s tourist sell today.
The main problem with the film is that it is all about the locale of a house that the filmmakers have attained use of for filming. We get various connections and nods to the H.P. Lovecraft story but not much else. There is not even really much of a story to the proceedings. We get scenes of Michelle Morris fascinated with occult geometry and the house. There is time aside for a lesbian love affair with Julie Anne Prescott, the daughter? niece? of the owner, but never any scenes where Michelle starts to uncover the house’s secrets.
Rather than any ventures to astral planes, the latter third of the film turns into a parade of dreams and hallucination scenes, filled with occult orgies with hooded figures chanting in circles and pursuing Michelle Morris through the house and woods, as well as her impregnation by The Devil. In these scenes, Bobby Easley does no more than draw on stock images of The Occult and Black Magic Film but delivers nothing out of the ordinary.
This was the fourth film for director Bobby Easley who has elsewhere made the horror films All Sinner’s Night (2014), Belly Timber (2016) and co-directed The Dead Bodies in #223 (2017), as well as the non-genre war film The Devil Dogs of Kilo Company (2015).
Other films based on the works of H.P. Lovecraft include:- The Haunted Palace (1963), Die, Monster, Die/Monster of Terror (1965), The Shuttered Room (1967) and The Dunwich Horror (1969). The big success in the modern era was Stuart Gordon’s splattery black comedy version of Re-Animator (1985), which popularised Lovecraft on film. This led to a host of B-budget Lovecraft adaptations, including Stuart Gordon’s subsequent From Beyond (1986), The Curse (1987), The Unnameable (1988), The Resurrected (1992), Necronomicon (1993), The Unnamable II: The Statement of Randolph Carter (1993), Lurking Fear (1994), Stuart Gordon’s Dagon (2001), The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath (2003), Beyond the Wall of Sleep (2006), Cool Air (2006), Chill (2007), Cthulhu (2007), The Tomb (2007), Colour from the Dark (2008), The Dunwich Horror (2009), The Color (2010), Pickman’s Muse (2010), The Whisperer in Darkness (2011), The Dark Sleep (2013), The Haunter of the Dark (2015), Herbert West: Re-Animator (2017), Color Out of Space (2019), H.P. Lovecraft’s The Deep Ones (2020), the tv series Lovecraft Country (2020), Markham (2020), The Resonator: Miskatonic U (2021) and The Lurking Fear (2023). Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown (2008) is a documentary about Lovecraft. Also of interest is The Manitou (1978), which features an appearance of the Great Old One; Cast a Deadly Spell (1991) and its sequel Witch Hunt (1994), a tv movie set in an alternate world where magic works and where the central character is a detective named H.P. Lovecraft; Juan Piquer Simon’s cheap and loosely inspired Cthulhu Mansion (1992); John Carpenter’s Lovecraft homage In the Mouth of Madness (1995); the fan parody The Last Lovecraft: Relic of Cthulhu (2009) and the parody Call Girl of Cthulhu (2014); even a trilogy of animated children’s film Howard Lovecraft and the Frozen Kingdom (2016), Howard Lovecraft and the Undersea Kingdom (2017) and Howard Lovecraft and the Kingdom of Madness (2018) in which a young Lovecraft encounters his own creations; while Batman faces Lovecraftian horrors in the animated Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham (2023). The Elder Gods turn up at the end of The Cabin in the Woods (2012), Lovecraft (Paul Titley) appears as an imaginary companion in Ghostland/Incident in a Ghostland (2018) and In Search of Lovecraft (2008) features a tv news crew discovering that Lovecraft’s works are true. Lovecraft’s key work of demonic lore The Necronomicon also makes appearances in films such as Equinox (1970), The Evil Dead II (1987) and Army of Darkness (1992), and was also borrowed as an alternate retitling for Jesus Franco’s surreal and otherwise unrelated Succubus/Necronomicon (1969) about a BDSM dancer.
Walter Gilman, a student of mathematics at Miskatonic University, rents an attic room in a house that is rumored to be cursed and haunted by the spirit of a witch, Keziah Mason, who lived there in the 17th century. He experiences nocturnal visions of Mason, her familiar (a rat-like creature called Brown Jenkin), and strange creatures in otherworldly dimensions, and is offered knowledge beyond the reach of human science, but at a terrible cost.
Candlelit seances may also take place, offering a chance to connect with spirits from the other side. These activities add an air of mystery to the event and create a sense of magic and wonder. Another highlight of the Mystic Witch Halloween is the decorations. The streets and houses are adorned with carved pumpkins, cobwebs, and eerie lighting. The atmosphere is transformed into a mystical realm, transporting participants into a world of enchantment. Furthermore, the Mystic Witch Halloween often features performances by magicians, illusionists, and fire dancers. These captivating displays showcase mesmerizing tricks and illusions that further enhance the mystical ambiance of the event. Overall, the Mystic Witch Halloween is a celebration that embraces the magic and allure of witches while incorporating the spooky spirit of Halloween. It is a unique event that allows participants to immerse themselves in a world of enchantment, mystery, and thrills. Whether you believe in the supernatural or simply appreciate the beauty of the occult, the Mystic Witch Halloween is an experience that is sure to leave a lasting impression..
Reviews for "Connecting with Ancestors: A Mystic Witch's Guide to Samhain Halloween"
1. Mary - 2/5 stars - I was really excited to play "Mystic Witch Halloween" as I love Halloween-themed games. However, I was extremely disappointed with this one. The graphics were outdated and the gameplay was repetitive and boring. The storyline was weak and I felt like there wasn't much effort put into developing the characters. Overall, I found the game to be quite lackluster and not worth the time or money.
2. John - 1/5 stars - "Mystic Witch Halloween" was a total letdown for me. The controls were clunky and unresponsive, making it frustrating to play. The sound effects were annoying and repetitive, and the music was grating on my ears. Additionally, the game had several glitches and bugs that hindered my progress. I ended up quitting after just a few levels because it simply wasn't enjoyable or engaging. I would not recommend this game to anyone.
3. Sarah - 2/5 stars - As a fan of witch-themed games, I was excited to try out "Mystic Witch Halloween". Unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. The gameplay was repetitive and lacked variety. The levels became monotonous quickly, and I found myself losing interest after a short time. The graphics were also quite basic and could have been improved. Overall, I was disappointed with the overall experience and don't think it's worth playing again.
4. Mike - 2/5 stars - "Mystic Witch Halloween" is a mediocre game at best. The gameplay mechanics were confusing and hard to grasp, which made it difficult to progress. The levels were uninspiring and felt like a chore to complete. Additionally, the game lacked any sort of originality and felt like a rehashed version of other similar games. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone looking for an engaging and enjoyable gaming experience.