[Ron Schildt]

Believe it or not, besides DVD's, people still read for entertainment.

Just started reading the "Da Vinci Code" and saw a reference to the "Witches Hammer" which a film version from 1969 is being released on 3/16/2004.

Haven't heard or seen anything about this. Anyone have any info?

[Joshua_W]

I haven't read "The Da Vinci Code" yet, but might the "Witch's Hammer" it refers to be the Malleus Maleficarum? The Malleus Maleficarum was a medieval document used by the church to persecute witches.

Info here: http://www.malleusmaleficarum.org/mmtoc.html

Presumably, the movie deals with this subject as well.

[Ron Schildt]

Joshua - While reading the book I've been having to search the internet to figure out some of the references (especially to see pictures of some of the paintings they talk about).

You're correct that it deals with Malleus Maleficarum. When I did a search on this, I saw the DVD/VHS movie from 1969 being released in a few weeks. I assumed it dealt with the same subject also, but wondered if anyone had seen the movie before. Most sites don't have a very good description of the DVD as far as format, reviews, etc.

Looking for someone that may have seen it back when it was originally released. However, it may have been a foreign film, so maybe it was never released in the US back in the late 1960's or early 1970's.

[Dave F]

Here's some info on the film. Don't know much about the film though - I saw it on DVD Empire's upcoming list, so I thought I'd do some digging to see if it's a quality film of just some schlock. Sounds like it might be worth picking up.:

Quote:

Witches' Hammer (Kladivo na Carodejnice), adapted from a novel by Vaclav Kaplicky, was another historical drama roughly based on actual events, but Vavra became particularly fascinated with the subject matter while researching the film. Witches' Hammer is a tale about the witch trials in Czechoslovakia in the 17th century, which unfolds from the perspective of an educated priest. The priest watches as his village's most prosperous citizens are arrested by the Inquisitor, who impounds their property. The priest tries to stop the false accusations and fear-mongering, but he himself is unjustly accused. As he started the project, Vavra grew increasingly interested in the history behind the witch trials-why it happened in a country that did not practice witchcraft, how the victims were manipulated into confessing to actions they did not commit, and why they begged for swift punishment.

He sought the help of archivist Dr. Frantisek Spurny, who agreed to translate for Vavra the original 17th century accounts of about 200 witch trials, complete with authentic quotes from actual participants. From this material, Vavra and screenwriter Ester Krumbachova wrote the screenplay. It is not difficult to see the witch trials of long ago as a metaphor for recent Czechoslovakian history; in his 1995 autobiography, The Strange Life of a Director, Vavra recalls that the story reminded him of the political trials staged by the Communists during the 1950s.

Shot in moody black and white, the film was marked by striking imagery and a haunting atmosphere. Vavra considered it his best film. However, at the time, the authorities did not want the film to be shown in Prague, because of its political connotations. It was restricted to the theaters in small towns just outside of Prague. Despite these restrictions, the film was quite successful. According to Vavra, more than a million and a half viewers saw the film in its initial release.

Thanks for the link, Joshua. A few years back I spent a few weeks trying to track down a copy of that book. It's quite a surprise that the full text is just a few clicks away.

-Dave

[Gordon McMurphy]

Does anyone have this DVD? IMDb states it was shot in 2.35:1 - is the transfer 2.35:1 anamorphic? It's from Facets, so I'm wary.

[Karl F]

I've got it here at the store. Let's see...

Hm, the sleeve says that it's a full frame transfer, but the actual movie is widescreen...looks like maybe 1.78:1?

I only watched a minute or so -- transfer looks eh-to-fair.

--K

[Gordon McMurphy]

Thanks, Karl.