Legend of the Witches/Secret Rites

Synopsis

An eye-opening exploration of the occult, Malcolm Leigh’s X-rated quasi-documentary LEGEND OF THE WITCHES is an imaginative depiction of pagan rituals as they were supposedly practised at the dawn of the downer decade.
 
Part mondo movie, part counter-cultural artefact, SECRET RITES is a side-step towards documentary territory by notorious exploitation stalwart Derek Ford that purports to lift the veil on witchcraft-as-lifestyle-choice in 1970s Notting Hill.

Newly recorded audio commentary on SECRET RITES by BFI Flipside founders Vic Pratt and William Fowler 
-The Witch’s Fiddle (1924, 7 mins): a silent film version of the eerie folk tale 
-Out of Step: Witchcraft (1957, 14 mins): investigative journalist Dan Farson interviews the ‘father of Wicca’ Gerald Gardner in this rare TV documentary
-The Judgement of Albion (1968, 26 mins): bold Blakeian imagery populates this ode to resistance by the writer of Blood on Satan’s Claw
-Getting It Straight in Notting Hill Gate (1970, 25 mins): spaced-out sitars, Blue Beat 45s and the prog-rock grooves of Quintessence soundtrack this up-close flashback to Notting Hill Gate in 1970
-Image gallery: rare memorabilia and newspaper cuttings relating to the films, salvaged from the spooky ‘70s
-Newly commissioned sleeve artwork by renowned illustrator Graham Humphreys
-Illustrated booklet (***first pressing only***) with new essays by Christina Oakley Harrington, William Fowler, Vic Pratt, Mark Pilkington, Adrian Smith and Rob Young, notes on the special features and full film credits.

Series

Bfi Flipside

Language

English

Country

Great Britain

Year of production

1970-1971

Subjects

Film studies

Keywords

British cinema; witchcraft

Credits

Director

Derek Ford; Malcolm Leigh

Distribution Formats

Type

DVD

Format

BR Region B, Blu-Ray DVD

Price

£19.99

Availability

Sale

Duration/Size

85 + 47 minutes

Year

2019

Distributor

Name

BFI Video

Email

video.films@bfi.org.uk

Web

http://www.bfi.org.uk External site opens in new window

Phone

020 7957 8957

Fax

020 7957 8968

Address

21 Stephen Street
London
W1T 1LN