By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes. The Unenthusiastic Critic's 2021 Halloween Movie Marathon comes to a conclusion with Nakea's first viewing of Robert Eggers' The Witch (2015), starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Harvey Scrimshaw, Ralph Ineson, and Kate Dickie.

First, this week, we're having a long, meandering conversation about pop-culture depictions of witchcraft, and discussing which witches are The Unenthusiastic Critic's favorites, from Looney Tunes to Teen Witch, from The Wizard of Oz to The Wiz, from The Craft to Practical Magic, and lots of other witches along the way.

Then, we're sitting down for Nakea's first viewing of a new horror classic, The Witch. Eggers' critically acclaimed, soul-menacing debut feature made a huge splash at Sundance, and made a huge star out of Anya Taylor-Joy. But will it cast its spell over The Unenthusiastic Critic?

Program

00:00: Prologue: from Bell, Book and Candle (1958)
00:44: Preliminary Discussion: Which Witch?
36:59: Interlude: from Buffy the Vampire Slayer
37:18: Cultural Osmosis: Pre-Viewing Discussion
43:44: Interlude: Original Trailer
45:53 The Verdict: Post-Viewing Discussion
1:39:07: Outro and Next Week's Movie
1:40:33: Outtake

Notes and Links

—Movie Reviewed: The Witch (dir. Robert Eggers, A24, 2015).
—References and Resources: "Witch Kids of Instagram," Laurie Penny, The Baffler; Michael's Review of The Witch, unaffiliatedcritic.com; "Voices of the undead: Robert Eggers on The Witch," Anton Bitel, BFI; "The Witch director Robert Eggers talks about bringing Puritan fears to a modern world," Tasha Robinson, The Verge; "Why Using Witches as Pop Cultural Shorthand for 'Feminism' Is Problematic," Sarah Lyons, Teen Vogue; "The Resurgence of Witches in Pop Culture, Like Sabrina, and in AHS Coven and Charmed, Reflects Women in the Real World," Kelsea Stahler, Teen Vogue; "Spellbound:," Anthony Lane, The New Yorker.
—Find additional episodes, leave a comment, or make a donation to support the podcast at unaffiliatedcritic.com.
—Email us, or follow us on Twitter and Facebook. (Suggestions of movies to watch for future episodes are very welcome.)
—Saint-Saens' "Danse Macabre" by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under CC BY 3.0.

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