Review by Peter Syslo
SIMON, KING OF THE WITCHES (1971) is a recent release from Dark Sky Films (www.darkskyfilms.com) and this is the first time that it is available on home video. The DVD is uncut/uncensored and it is an anamorphic, widescreen video transfer. Also, the DVD has some nice special features, such as: separate interviews with Andrew Prine and Bruce Kessler; a radio spot; and a trailer for the film. Regarding the film itself, it is an occult-based horror film, meaning that the foundation rests heavily on the aspects of witchcraft and the Pagan subculture. Overall, I thought that it was a highly enjoyable film which was surprisingly easy to follow. The storyline contains a logical progression of events which leads up to questions of morality, in the end. This film really held my attention, kept me guessing a little bit, and it made me want to see the outcome of events.
SIMON, KING OF THE WITCHES is directed by Bruce Kessler and is written by Robert Phippeny. The film stars Andrew Prine, Brenda Scott, George Paulson, Norman Burton, Gerald York, and Ultra Violet.
The picture is about a man named Simon (Prine) who is arrested for vagrancy. After befriending a young man in jail, named Turk (Paulson), Simon explains that he is a warlock. Upon release, Simon and Turk plan to make some money off of a wealthy man (York) who throws lavish parties. Simon displays some of his personally-crafted magical objects and he also shows his skills in reading the cards, etc. While at the party, Simon also meets a beautiful young woman (Scott) who just happens to be the district attorney’s daughter. Things heat up when the wealthy party host challenges the authenticity of Simon’s magical skills. Simon shows everyone that he is no one to be reckoned with; he surprises himself with newly intensified powers and he displays the workings of the “what goes around, comes around” principal.
SIMON was a pretty good film. It did have me guessing for a bit because I wasn’t sure if Simon was just a huckster or if he really was a warlock, with true powers. He placed a curse on several people and he even stated that there would be repercussions for doing so – you don’t get something for nothing, everything is a trade-off. That was the lesson to be learned, from the film, and I thought that it was a nice way to unify the whole picture. It is also a tale of having power that is overwhelming and uncontrollable. Simon fell prey to his own magic by the way that he became obsessed with gaining greater power, making sure that nothing/no one stood in his way. The story was told in a very entertaining way, yet there was a lot of “meat” to it.
As you could anticipate, the film contained the spirit and look of 1970s cinema. The lavish parties were the kind that were parodied in the AUSTIN POWERS films, the magic effects represented the experimental film effects of the day (matte effects and in general, psychedelic effects), and there is some gratuitous nudity involved in some of the rituals. Getting back to the effects, they were actually pretty impressive for the time period – they mostly make use of multiple-camera, exposure effects and matte techniques. The magical “energy” (which Simon harnesses) is depicted as a giant red orb, but it is done in a way that is fitting – simple, yet fitting. There is one scene, later in the picture, where Simon enters a mirror dimension; the effects are done with great ingenuity and skill. That scene was very eye-catching and it did have practical roots within the overall story (which was a neat tie-in).
Overall, the film had many positive qualities. The set design was awesome: Simon first home (a storm drain) looked somewhat welcoming, rather than bleak; his second home (a basement) was perfect as a warlock’s abode (towards the end, he fixes it up and it looks very cool); and the lavish mansion is quite a contrast to Simon’s world and it is very believable as a swinger-type home. The cast was excellent in their roles; Prine was undeniably Simon – that is the only was to put it and he was an incredible choice for the role. The music was of the time period, sporadic but fitting. Also, there were some fair amounts of horror content, including: a few lightly-bloody kill scenes; the occult and the power of the unknown; and the darkness of human nature.
Cutting to the chase: SIMON, KING OF THE WITCHES is a very good film. Some who are Wiccan or Pagan may find fault with some of the ritualistic elements (I don’t know how much it distorts them) but I don’t see where it would ruin one’s enjoyment of the film. But, some people of the faith take it very seriously and may be turned off by some of the depictions (it’s kind of like the way that vampire purists may not like the UNDERWORLD/BLADE films). My only other criticism is that some of the story elements are a bit of a stretch to “connect” with one another and some don’t seem to be resolved. For example, Simon and Turk use a man in a ritual but you really aren’t sure what happened to the man or why he was needed in the first place. Just a little more clarification, like that, was needed in a few spots. In light of that, though, I do recommend this film because it is an interesting tale from the time period and there i s a sort of “irresistibility” about it; it did have a sense of humor and it was fun to watch. If you like 1970s horror films which are occult-tinged or if you like films centering on witchcraft, then you should check it out. I give it an 8/10.