"Bell, Book and Candle"
I love this film. Have loved it since I was a kid. Greenwich Village
in the winter (Christmas to be specific -- it's an odd Christmas
movie, for certain). An underground culture of witches who have their
own shops, bars, and "families" but is secretive because they fear
persecution. Their powers are real, but limited -- these are no
"Bewitched" type witches who twitch their noses and fly through
the air; they can do small things, but the more powerful can
cast greater spells, although not without consequence. The Threefold
Rule (anything you do will come back to you threefold) seems understood,
but not articulated. It's a world where women hold the greatest
power, full of matriarchs. And the men -- well that's where this
movie is one the most subversively queer films of the 1950's.
The Holroyds are a witch family: Aunt Queenie, sister Gillian, and
her brother Nicky. But what happens when a witch falls in love with a
mortal? What happens when their world is threatened with exposure?
If I had the time or the energy to write this world as a fic --
What if the Holroyds had another member, come to live with them
in Greenwich Village? One who is just beginning to understand his
warlock nature? One about 17-years-old or so? Then there's this
cafe where a lot of young actors, musicians, and artists hang out.
And he gets a job there. And meets a young actor at the Actors
Studio who aspires to be the next Brando? An actor who is a mortal?
Too bad I don't have the time to do this...
in the winter (Christmas to be specific -- it's an odd Christmas
movie, for certain). An underground culture of witches who have their
own shops, bars, and "families" but is secretive because they fear
persecution. Their powers are real, but limited -- these are no
"Bewitched" type witches who twitch their noses and fly through
the air; they can do small things, but the more powerful can
cast greater spells, although not without consequence. The Threefold
Rule (anything you do will come back to you threefold) seems understood,
but not articulated. It's a world where women hold the greatest
power, full of matriarchs. And the men -- well that's where this
movie is one the most subversively queer films of the 1950's.
The Holroyds are a witch family: Aunt Queenie, sister Gillian, and
her brother Nicky. But what happens when a witch falls in love with a
mortal? What happens when their world is threatened with exposure?
If I had the time or the energy to write this world as a fic --
What if the Holroyds had another member, come to live with them
in Greenwich Village? One who is just beginning to understand his
warlock nature? One about 17-years-old or so? Then there's this
cafe where a lot of young actors, musicians, and artists hang out.
And he gets a job there. And meets a young actor at the Actors
Studio who aspires to be the next Brando? An actor who is a mortal?
Too bad I don't have the time to do this...