Lights, Camera, Witchcraft: A Critical History of Witches in American Film and Television

by Heather Greene

No industry has been as influential at shaping the popular notion of what it means to be a witch quite as much as Hollywood. This book traces the fascinating history of witchcraft and witches in American film and television. From Joan the Woman and The Wizard of Oz to Carrie and Charmed, author and film scholar Heather Greene explores how these films helped influence the public image of the witch and profoundly influenced how women negotiate their power in a patriarchal society. Lights, Camera, Witchcraft uncovers fascinating insights into the intersection of entertainment, critical theory, gender studies, and spirituality.

Genres: Nonfiction, Film, History, Feminism, Pop Culture, Audiobook, Horror

538 pages, ebook

Published October 8, 2021

About the author

Heather is a freelance writer, editor, and journalist. She is currently an acquisitions consultant at Llewellyn Worldwide. She has a byline at Religion News Service and her work has been featured in The Washington Post.

She was the managing editor of The Wild Hunt and has been published in Circle Magazine and consulted for Lady Liberty League.

She is a member of Religion Newswriters Association, Circle Sanctuary, and Covenant of the Goddess.

Heather holds a BA from Wesleyan University and MA from Emory University both in Film Studies.

Reviews

[Hayley (Gory B Movie) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the definitive book on witches in American films and television.

Greene covers witchcraft in film and television, beginning with the silent film era up to the 2010s. I should mention that this is the updated version of Bell, Book, and Candle. I hope Greene updates this book again when the 2020s have concluded.

This is a terrific book and one that I highly recommend to those interested in the history of film, horror movies, or witches in film and television.

[Rissa (rissasreading) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really comprehensive, informative, reflective, and intriguing book that dives into the history of witches in film and TV throughout American history. I was really enthralled in this one as a huge cinephile who loves the horror genre and animation. There is a lot of reference to both genres in this obviously so I got a lot of enjoyment as well as information out of this. My favorite aspect of this is how the witch and her depiction through cinematic history evolved with the political climate and it really shows you how art can be such a powerful force. It's also a really good read and representation of how political art is and I recommend this to everyone for that reason because there are many people who say art, and films specifically, are not political but they are.
I think I got the most enjoyment out of the very beginning of film history in the late 1800s - early 1900s and the end of the book when it talks about the 90s - 2000s era of film.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was kind of disappointing. The title caught my eye as Bell, Book and Candle one of my favorite movies. Not enough time was given to it. Too much of the book dwelt on silent movies and movies that no longer even exist. And no mention AT ALL of the TV show The Dresden Files. Why not?

[Grace Greggory Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good read. The writing moves chronologically beginning with the start of film history to the present day. It tracks the evolution of the portrayal of the witch in film and within pop culture. Scholarly, entertaining, well researched, and well presented.

[Deena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not the expert on witches in film and media, but this was what felt like a comprehensive history of the topic with in depth examples. I learned a lot of specific bits and pieces that were interesting. The overall thesis of what the witch is meant to represent wasn’t new to me and I think anyone who critically consumes media (I hope all of you) would know. Still I found it very interesting and informative and certainly a great deep dive into a topic of interest.
4.5

[Morgana Sythove · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heather's book has recently been reviewed by Ellfreya in our magazine: Wiccan Rede Online, see: Lights, Camera, Witchcraft: A Critical History of..
https://wiccanrede.org/2022/01/review...

I really enjoyed Heather's online presentation with Christina Harrington / Treadwell's too.
As Ellfreya wrote, this is definitely going to be a classic reference book.

[Fraser Sherman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really good look at the roles witches play in film and TV and how they've changed over time: the wise woman who can help the protagonist with a spell or a potion, the sexy vamp, the Halloween witch (a type Wizard of Oz's Wicked Witch became the archetype of), the Wiccan (it wasn't until the 1970s that witchcraft as religion got into the movies) and the Satanist (lfrequently mashed up with the Wiccan).
Greene argues that whatever the type, the witch is always presented as transgressive and counter to normal women, if not outright evil, which is why so many movies have her choose between magic and and normal human love (e.g., I Married a Witch; Bell, Book and Candle).
There's a lot more stuff in the book, and if the topic interested you, I highly recommend it. A few more typos than I'd have liked though.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witches have historically made their presence known in the film, whether the retelling of old stories, fairytales, fantasy, witch trials, or even the occult. From the late 1800s to today, witches have taken a commanding presence in film, but why are they so profoundly featured, feared, and adored? Lights, Camera, Witchcraft: A Critical History of Witchcraft in American Film and Television will take you on a journey throughout the decades as you explore how witches in film have created stereotypes while also single-handedly sparking debates, religion, critical theory, gender studies, and a deeper look at spirituality.
Through iconic films such as The Wizard of Oz, The Addams Family, The Witches of Eastwick, and The Craft, and even hit TV shows such as Bewitched, Charmed, and Sabrina the Teenage Witch, almost every generation has had their own iconic witch. As films evolve and adapt to the times, these films are seen crossing over into a new narrative of teen witches, children’s shows, and even a new level of horror.
Heavily researched and informative, this book is a go-to guide that will quickly become one to reference for any type of study, whether personal or academic. Heather Greene takes and elevates the history of witchcraft, lending every reader to a new insight into the film industry’s influence on society and the evolution of how witches are seen and viewed.

This review was Originally posted in the Portland Book Review https://portlandbookreview.com

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I deeply appreciate how exhaustive this study is. I understand why Greene had to limit it to American-made films, but I think there was more international interchange going on than could be accounted for with this limitation. For instance, there were certainly cycles of witch films in England and Italy that influenced subsequent cycles in the U.S. Also the history of witch hunts and the persecution of women is worth tracing up to the early days of cinema because clearly cinema is repeating cultural tropes and themes passed down through literature and cultural memory. In other words, cinematic depictions of witches are not neutral. I wanted more insight into their cultural baggage.

[Whatcha Reading Heather? · Rating 3 out of 5]

TBH the narration is not great and the author definitely had some biases towards certain films and tv shows, but otherwise I thought that overall subject matter was easily digestible and made me want to go back and rewatch a bunch of the shows and movies that were featured in this.

[Aicha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I needed this for my PhD. It saved my life.
It reviews American movies and TV shows featuring witches from the 1930s to present time, focusing on the different archetypal kinds of witches.

[Niko Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolute beautiful book 10/10 would recommend
Loved the part about the witches in movies <3

[Brittany Landers · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ehhhhh.

[Kristy Marquez · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 fascinating history