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8 of the Scariest Witches Ever Put On Film!

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Scariest Witches

A24’s horror film The Witch sees a wide release this weekend after playing at several film festivals last year (read Kalyn’s review), and it is being touted as one of the best horror films of all time, including a glowing recommendation by Stephen King. This could be the first film in a long time to make witches scary again after Ryan Murphy bastardized them in American Horror Story. We thought we would take a look back at some of the scariest witches ever put on film!

Winnifred Sanderson – Hocus Pocus

While Winnifred Sanderson (expertly played by Bette Midler) may not be scary to anyone over the age of 6 (if that), she is definitely terrifying to small children (I was four when the film was released in 1993 and she scared the crap out of me! Watching her suck the life out of Emily Binx would be traumatizing to any child.

Scariest Witches

Bellatrix Lestrange – The Harry Potter Series

Bellatrix Lestrange killed Sirius Black. There’s just no going back from that. She is a truly unhinged creature (a perfect role for Helena Bonham Carter, no?) who killed anyone who stood in her way. While her eventual death in the film may have lacked the catharsis that the book version had, it was still a treat to watch her bite it.

Scariest Witches

The Wicked Witch of the West – The Wizard of Oz

Was anyone not terrified of the Wicked Witch of the West when they were growing up? Sure, properties like Wicked, Once Upon a Time and Oz the Great and Powerful have diluted her scare-factor by giving her a humanizing backstory, but Margaret Hamilton’s performance is cemented as one of the greatest (and scariest) villain performances in film history.

Scariest Witches

Nancy – The Craft

Full confession: I’m a child of the 90s and I don’t like The Craft. It just never resonated with me very much. That being said, I can appreciated the fact that Nancy is a truly frightening human being, let alone a witch. Her story is a classic tale of a person going mad with power, and boy does she go mad. Don’t piss her off, or you could wake up in a bed full of snakes.

Scariest Witches

Lacy, Sonny and Megan – The Lords of Salem

Rob Zombie’s last film had a pretty mixed reception, but it’s actually one of my favorite films of his (second only to The Devil’s Rejects). A big part of why the film is so effective is the exceptional performances by horror legends Dee Wallace, Judy Geeson and Patricia Quinn as the trio of leading witches (think of them as the R-rated version of the Sanderson sisters). The movie may go a bit off the rails in its final moments, but that doesn’t stop these ladies from being nightmare-inducing.

Scariest Witches

Minnie Castevet – Rosemary’s Baby

Ruth Gordon won an Golden Globe and an Academy Award for her portrayal of the nefarious Minnie Castevet in Roman Polansky’s masterpiece Rosemary’s Baby. As the head of a coven that arranges for Rosemary to be raped by the Devil and give birth to the Antichrist, she is totally convincing.

Scariest Witches

Mother Suspiriorum – Suspiria

Of the three witches in Dario Argento’s “Three Mothers” trilogy, Mater Suspiriorum is arguably the scariest (Mater Tenebrarum doesn’t even qualify, as she was defeated by Asia Argento merely burning her cloak), of Argento’s Three Mothers. Known as the oldest and wisest of the three witches, Mater Suspiriorum was also interested in startups. She opened a dance academy as a front for her evil lair.

Scariest Witches

The Grand High Witch – The Witches

This PG-rated Roald Dahl adaptation is one of the most disturbing movies ever made, and it’s only because of the scene in which Anjelica Huston’s character peels off her face to reveal her true self as the Grand High Witch. Her goal was to wipe out all of the children in the world. Who does that?! I saw this film for the first time when I was in high school and even then it gave me the willies. If you’re a horror fan and you’ve never seen The Witches, seek this one out immediately. It’s utterly terrifying.

Which witch terrified you as a child (or currently terrifies you as an adult)? Let us know in the comments below or shoot me a Tweet!

A journalist for Bloody Disgusting since 2015, Trace writes film reviews and editorials, as well as co-hosts Bloody Disgusting's Horror Queers podcast, which looks at horror films through a queer lens. He has since become dedicated to amplifying queer voices in the horror community, while also injecting his own personal flair into film discourse. Trace lives in Denver, CO with his husband and their two dogs. Find him on Twitter @TracedThurman

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Editorials

‘The Real Ghostbusters’: 10 Must-Watch Episodes from the Classic Series Now Streaming

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must-watch "The Real Ghostbusters" Animated Series Appears on Amazon Prime Video!

No conversation about cartoons based on live-action movies is ever complete without mentioning The Real Ghostbusters.

This animated continuation is, warts and all, a notable example of turning a hit movie into a hit series. And although the new target demographic skewed a little younger, even kids-at-heart could partake in the further adventures of Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, Winston Zeddemore and Egon Spengler.

For a good part of its run, the show required fans to wait at least a week for more Ghostbustin’. That’s torture for a kiddo. Luckily, though, the entire series, or at least most of it, is now available for streaming.

So, as you revisit The Real Ghostbusters on Tubi—for now it’s just the first five seasons there—use this guide to help prioritize some must-see episodes.


The Boogieman Cometh

the real ghostbusters

“The Boogieman Cometh” (Season 1)

Season One’s “The Boogieman Cometh” is a classic episode featuring one of the show’s more iconic villains. It’s hard to forget the unique character design used for the Boogieman (whose creepy voice was provided by Ray and Slimer’s actor, Frank Welker). In this story, Egon is reunited with that bump-in-the-night entity who haunted his own childhood, all while trying to keep him away from his latest targets: the brother and sister claiming to have the Boogieman in their closet. Although the Ghostbusters do save the day here, the Boogieman eventually returns (“The Bogeyman Is Back“). That same episode also features the love-’em-or-hate-’em Junior Ghostbusters.


Mr. Sandman, Dream Me a Dream

ghostbusters

“Mr. Sandman, Dream Me a Dream” (Season 1)

You could say the namesake of “Mr. Sandman, Dream Me a Dream” had good intentions for putting mankind to sleep for the next few centuries—he wanted to end war and keep everyone dreaming. Sounds nice until you remember that whole free will business. But when it seems like the Ghostbusters have lost to their latest foe, the last one standing, Winston, gains a sudden ally. Janine’s dream of becoming a Ghostbuster is manifested, and she helps put this rogue spirit to bed.


When Halloween Was Forever

ghostbusters

“When Halloween Was Forever” (Season 1)

Before the show’s execs capitalized on Slimer’s popularity by making him the focus of later episodes, early stories like “When Halloween Was Forever” better utilized that gooey ghost. Here, the spirit of Halloween itself, Samhain, hopes to make the holiday a permanent thing by stopping time. And who does the embodiment of All Hallows’ Eve use in his nefarious plot? Slimer, of course. Thankfully, the lil’ green bud knows where he really belongs, and Samhain is banished (at least until Season 3’s “Halloween II 1/2“).


Night Game

ghostbusters

“Night Game” (Season 2)

Because Season Two was rather long, in comparison to other seasons, it accumulated quite a few solid episodes. One of the most beloved, though, is that ultimate good-versus-evil story, “Night Game“. Winston gets to shine here as he participates in a battle that was 500 years in the making. Except this time, the fighting is done on the baseball field. The other-dimensional settings in The Real Ghostbusters are always great, but the one here is particularly memorable.


Drool, the Dog-Faced Goblin

ghostbusters

“Drool, the Dog-Faced Goblin” (Season 2)

Not all ghosts and whatnot were bad in The Real Ghostbusters. As “Drool, the Dog-Faced Goblin” showed, some were actually benevolent. Sadly, it took a lot of convincing, and one very heroic act, for Peter and the others to see past this goblin’s grotesque appearance. The heroes find more than one shapeshifter at a sideshow carnival in the Poconos; a sinister Class-4er called the Metamorph does a swell job of menacing the Ghostbusters before they finally realize Drool’s not their culprit. The good guys indeed win here, but that victory is a bittersweet one.


The Collect Call of Cathulhu

“The Collect Call of Cathulhu” (Season 2)

While “The Collect Call of Cathulhu” does misspell “Cthulhu” in the title (probably to avoid legal issues), it is clearly the Old One in this Lovecraft-inspired episode. The story kicks off with the Necronomicon being stolen by the deity’s modern-day cult, who then raise their ancient god at Coney Island. From there, the Ghostbusters’ typical methods don’t work on the big guy, so they seek advice from an old issue of Weird Tales (or “Wierd Tales”, as it’s spelled on screen). That build-up to the finale comes with a decent amount of dread before the Ghostbusters, as well as a scholar named Alice, face off with one of the show’s most powerful entities.


Knock, Knock

“Knock, Knock” (Season 2)

A number of Real Ghostbusters episodes could be reworked into big-screen features, but perhaps “Knock, Knock” is the most hopeful. It helps that this story feels in step with the first two movies. Here, some ignorant construction workers accidentally uncover and open an ancient door in the subway. What’s behind said door is none other than those unspeakable evils that only the Ghostbusters can quell. A good deal of the imagery here is prime for adaptation.


The Grundel

“The Grundel” (Season 3)

One of the darker episodes, which was written by the prominent J. Michael Straczynski, is “The Grundel“. Here, a boy is being influenced by the titular entity, a type of ghost who ultimately turns his targets into new Grundels. The episode does have something of an after-school special quality to it, but that doesn’t take away from the eerier moments. For more Grundel lore, be sure to check out the episode “Grundelesque” from the sequel series, Extreme Ghostbusters.


Standing Room Only

“Standing Room Only” (Season 4)

It’s no secret that The Real Ghostbusters experienced multiple changes after the second season. Out of all of them, though, retooling the show so that Slimer would get more of the spotlight is maybe the most egregious. Thankfully, Season Four (the first to be called Slimer! and the Real Ghostbusters) didn’t completely obey that new directive; episodes like “Standing Room Only” felt more like the old days. The focus here was on the well-being of the city and its people, rather than on the series’ green mascot (or the Junior Ghostbusters). In the episode, Peter’s new ghost attractor isn’t to blame for the ensuing chaos; the ghost-eating Mee-Krah is what’s really imperiling everyone. And the Ghostbusters must dish out everything they have to avoid a doomsday situation.


The Halloween Door

“The Halloween Door” (Season 5)

While many fans will skip the later seasons in their rewatches, episodes like “The Halloween Door” are still worth checking out. This colorful helping of Halloween pandemonium premiered on primetime, so the animation is better than usual. And save for a random musical moment, it’s an enjoyable event. Here, a group of anti-Halloweeners tries to cancel the holiday, but they only end up making things worse by unleashing a baddie named Boogaloo.


The first five seasons of The Real Ghostbusters are available on Tubi, starting on July 15.

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