Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Do You Believe?

 

 (amazon.com)


BURN, WITCH, BURN! -1962-Norman Taylor (Peter Wyngarde), a college professor finds out his wife Tansy (Janet Blair) has been using voodoo she learned in Jamaica to make him successful. After he makes her burn all her charms and talismans, a female student accuses him of rape and a male student threatens him with a gun. After a weird episode at their home, Tansy is convinced Norman will die, so she decides to take his place. He frantically searches for her. She almost drowns herself but Norman saves her using the occult practices he doesn't believe in. Flora Carr (Margret Jackson), a vengeful college secretary seems to be behind it, using voodoo to destroy The Taylors because she feels her husband Lindsey (Colin Gordon) was passed over in flavor of Norman. The climax is good. 

Veteran sci-fi/horror writers Charles Beaumont & Richard Matheson (both worked on TV's The Twilight Zone) collaborated on the script (based on Fritz Leiber's “Conjure Wife”) for AIP's James Nicolson who later turned it over to their British affiliate Anglo-Amalgamated. They wanted Peter Cushing to star but he was busy. 

Director Sidney Hayers (CIRCUS OF HORRORS) does a competent job of holding everything together despite a low budget and provides some good scares. In the 1980's he came to the US and directed for TV. The Universal Pictures “Inner Sanctum” entry WEIRD WOMAN (1944) is also based on Leiber's story. Known in the UK as NIGHT OF THE EAGLE, the US version has a short prologue by Paul Frees.

 (wikipedia)


Thanks for reading!


PS: There was also a band in the early 2000's called "Burn Witch Burn" lead by "Dead Milken" lead singer Rodney Linderman. Their only release is great!

 (amazon.com)




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