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[Blu-ray Review] ‘Burn, Witch, Burn’
Burn, Witch, Burn, originally titled Night of the Eagle, is an atmospheric little horror entry from the early 60’s. Directed by Sidney Hayers and based on a script by Charles Beaumont, Richard Matheson and George Baxt, Burn, Witch, Burn is the story of Norman Taylor (Peter Wyngarde), a university psychology professor who doesn’t believe much about superstitions and religion. Norman is a man of logic and reason. If it can’t be explained and proven, then it must not be real. He’s a rationalist, through and through.
Unbeknownst to Norman, his wife Tansy (Janet Blair), has been practicing witchcraft for quite sometime. When Norman finds out he becomes extremely angered and demands Tansy burn all of her materials related to the art and immediately stop practicing. Tansy warns that all of their recent good fortunes, including Norman’s promotions at the university, are a direct result of her practicing and by quitting they can all go away. Norman of course doesn’t believe this, but Tansy pleads with him stating she won’t be held responsible. Despite her best efforts, Tansy is forced to burn everything.
Just like Tansy predicted, life begins a downward spiral for both Norman and Tansy. From one of his students accusing him of sexual harassment to problems at home, life truly seems to be unraveling for the Taylor family. Norman continues to fight against the notion that witchcraft and superstition could be responsible, but eventually he’s forced to face the matter head on in the chilling conclusion.
Burn, Witch, Burn is a fantastic movie that I really wish I would have watched in October. It’s the perfect movie for a dark and dreary October evening. The whole idea of practicing witchcraft in a very real environment sends shivers down my spine. Here you have a young couple in the Taylors who have worked hard to get where they are. They have a nice house, living a middle to upper class lifestyle. And poof, just like that everything can come crashing down due to some spells and sorcery. It almost feels like an episode of The Twilight Zone.
This is another very good Blu-ray release from Kino Lorber. Over the last few months Kino Lorber has really seemed to hit their stride with their Studio Classics line. As I’ve said before and will likely say every time I talk about the subject, I’m no expert when it comes to discussing the specifics on transfers. I don’t have the slightest clue as to what goes when transferring an old film print to an HD Blu-ray. I know what I like and as of late I’ve really loved the transfers on the Kino Lorber Studio Classics releases. These are typically older films that are cleaned up and re-mastered but they still maintain that film look which is important. Burn, Witch, Burn fits firmly into that category.
Kino Lorber has also started to add more special features to these releases. Burn, Witch, Burn doesn’t have a ton, but it has two really good ones. There’s an audio commentary with Richard Matheson. Anytime you can listen to one of the greatest horror and sci-fi writers to ever live talk about his work, you should do it. In addition to the commentary there is a brand new interview with star Peter Wyngarde. I don’t really know Wyngarde much aside from Burn, Witch, Burn so this is kind of cool.
Burn, Witch, Burn is a fun, genuinely creepy little horror movie. The more of these type of films we get on Blu-ray, the better. Fortunately it’s out just in time to add it to your October Halloween viewing.
Burn, Witch, Burn is now available on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.
After scaring up a strong theatrical run, Oddity director Damian McCarthy’s Hokum heads home to Digital this week.
Settle in for a spooky supernatural chiller as Hokum arrives on all Digital platforms to rent or own beginning June 2, followed by a Blu-ray/4K Ultra HD Combo and DVD release on August 11, 2026.
Adam Scott (“Severance”) stars in Hokum as reclusive novelist Ohm Bauman. When he retreats to a remote Irish inn to scatter his parents’ ashes, the staff’s tales of an ancient witch haunting the honeymoon suite take hold of his mind. Disturbing visions and a shocking disappearance draw Ohm into a nightmarish confrontation with the darkest corners of his past.
Peter Coonan (“The Alienist: Angel of Darkness”), David Wilmot (“Station Eleven”), Florence Ordesh (“Departure”), Michael Patric (“Frontier”), Will O’Connell (“Game of Thrones”), Brendan Conroy (“Bodkin”), and Austin Amelio (“The Walking Dead”) also star.
Get a peek at the upcoming physical media release below, including a few special features.
Spooky Pictures’ Roy Lee (Weapons) & Steven Schneider (Insidious) produce alongside Image Nation’s Derek Dauchy (Late Night with the Devil), Tailored Film’s Ruth Treacy, Julianne Forde, & Mairtín de Barra, and Cweature Features’ Ken Kao & Josh Rosenbaum.
I wrote in my review for Bloody Disgusting, “A quaint Irish hotel with a deeply haunted history awaits an American writer in McCarthy’s third outing, continuing his streak for folkloric tales of supernatural karma and spine-tingling terror with a dark sense of humor.”
What’s next from Damian McCarthy? He’s currently writing a haunted house movie, but recent comments suggest he may be moving into other genres beyond that upcoming project.
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