TONIGHT! HBO Premiere of PARADISE LOST 3: PURGATORY

If you have HBO, I hope you're planning on watching the premiere of the third installment in the PARADISE LOST series tonight! PURGATORY concludes the eighteen year saga of the West Memphis Three, who spent nearly two decades in prison after being convicted of the brutal murders of three eight year old boys in West Memphis, Arkansas.

I had the pleasure of seeing the film in New York last fall when it had its US premiere at the 2011 New York Film Festival (an earlier version, finished prior to the August 19th decision to release the Three from prison, was shown at the 2011 Toronto Film Festival), and the distinct honor of being able to see Jessie Misskelley, Jason Baldwin and Damien Echols receive the thunderous applause of hundreds of people who gave them a standing ovation.

As well, the filmmakers who made these documentaries and did so much to raise awareness and give hope to these three young men were given their due honors: Bruce Sinofsky and Joe Berlinger. Their work is a testament to the power of cinema and media to inform, inspire and quite literally change lives.

I will be posting my review of the film this week. But I'll be very interested to hear responses from any of you who are watching tonight (9pm, EST).

Pagan Media: Highlights of 2011

This was a terrific year for movies and TV, and of course that has in some measure impacted media that portrays or references paganism and the occult. There were also some media stories that came from within or directly impacted the pagan community. Here, in no particular order of importance, are some highlights...

Zombies just won't die. It's finally becoming clear that the proliferation of "zombie" (or, if you're a purist like me, you call them "ghouls") stories in film, TV, comics and other media goes beyond viewers' willingness to, uh, devour them. This genre (for it has become a genre) is now understood as a metaphor, one that mirrors back the panic of a pre-apocalyptic society whose odds for survival depend upon stockpiling of ammunition, antibiotics, and carefully-applied birth control. The more extreme factions of survivors might be religious zealots, or oppressors of women (see the excellent indie film STAKE LAND); or they may be a rag tag bunch of citizens thrown together fighting for dominance and compassion (see the excellent AMC series THE WALKING DEAD, now in is second season). Who are the zombies? Are they faceless, voracious consumers? (Romero explored this idea in DAWN OF THE DEAD) Or are they the weak-willed, the physically-soft, the masses who would not stand up for decency? There is a political allegory afoot here, and a sobering one, and the parallels between pagan community marginalization and survivalist in-fighting is hard to miss: will our desire for self-sufficient pagan homesteads necessitate finding ways to reconcile our differences in light of external threats? But the key point is this: the scariest thing in the zombie apocalypse is not the threat of being eaten by a ghoul, or even becoming a ghoul once bitten. The scariest thing is the downfall of an artificial society in which the illusory web of our safety, our belongings and our autonomy can be torn asunder by anyone mean or ruthless enough to reach out and do it. Rule Number One: Cardio.

Indie Pagan Cinema makes its mark. From the ambitious music-based SPIRIT OF ALBION (with songs by Damh the Bard) to the spooky, blood-soaked, folklore-laden horror flick CALL OF THE HUNTER, there've been a lot of great attempts to bring paganism into the theatres. There is also AMERICAN MYSTIC, a fascinating documentary by Alex Mar (interviewed here by Jason Pitzl-Waters) about alternative spirituality which profiles an African-American Spiritualist, a Native American Sundancer, and a Caucasian Wiccan priestess.

THE WICKER TREE becomes a reality. Beset with funding difficulties (most famously when some Christian backers, perhaps confused by the earlier working title COWBOYS FOR CHRIST, pulled their support when they learned of the film's pagan themes), this sequel to the well-loved film THE WICKER MAN is helmed by director Robin Hardy, who gave us the brilliant 1973 film (with screenwriter Anthony Shaffer), which was perhaps the most influential and controversial film portraying (a version of) modern paganism ever made. Sadly Mr. Shaffer died before he could see the sequel project come to light, but Hardy has worked hard to make the project a reality, and a third film is also in the works. After much difficulty with funding, filming is nearly complete and THE WICKER TREE should open sometime in 2012. Speed the day!

Pagan podcasts make a surprising impact. Radio is not radio anymore: its internet radio. This means it is not bound to specific broadcast times or constraints, and so people can link in and listen at their leisure. Some new voices already going strong: disability rights activist Jane Hash (who with typical self-deprecating glee refers to herself as "The Gimp Avenger" on her blog) started her new show "Hashing it Out with Jane" just a few weeks ago and already has a huge fan base. The archives all linked there so give it a listen. Witchvox lists a number of pagan podcasts here, some of which record sporadically, some weekly, and some, like the "Pagans Tonight Radio Network," feature nightly shows.

Animated films take on pagan themes. Not for nothing, animation is the perfect showcase for themes of paganism, and not just because of the association with fantasy and fairy tales. Animated characters are more fluid when it comes to spirituality and the storylines tend to portray adventures that challenge heroes' weaknesses and flaws: lessons in personal transformation! Case in point: the new Pixar story of a Scottish warrior princess, BRAVE (previously called THE BEAR AND THE BOW). There is still plenty of fantasy mixed in with these pagan themes, as with THE KING OF THE ELVES; and some environmental prophecy, as with the now-cancelled NEWT. 2012 will also see new installments of MADAGASCAR and ICE AGE, both of which deal with important environmental trends. DOROTHY OF OZ will have witches aplenty, and PARANORMAN features a misunderstood boy who can communicate with the dead (it's being billed as an animated film about zombies).

Exorcism and cults inspire compelling stories. With last year's THE LAST EXORCISM we saw the beginning of a seeming obsession with the "industry" of exorcism. This year's THE RITE, based on a true story of a vatican-trained exorcist, made it clear there is a legitimate practice sought out by those in need. Soon there will be more films exploring the topic: THE DEVIL INSIDE and THE POSSESSION, and I have to assume interest in this genre is not slowing down. It's intriguing that a Catholic approach to dealing with the devil should be dominating cinematic treatments, since the Evangelical obsession with Satan is so much more widespread in the United States. As for cults, there were two wonderful indie films dealing with fringe religious groups that victimized women. HIGHER GROUND stars Vera Farmiga (who also directed) as a passionate, articulate woman who finds that her church discourages her from being a spokesperson equal to its male members. In MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE, Elizabeth Olsen stars as a young woman named Martha who is lured onto a rural farm where a charismatic "leader" (John Hawkes) runs a misogynistic "family" according to his rules. After she leaves the farm, Martha is traumatized by memories of her ordeal and has trouble trying to get her life back. As small, independent "churches" continue to flourish across the country, I imagine such stories will flourish as well.

Fairy tales are hot...and sexy. A proliferation of live-action (as opposed to animated) fairy tale movies made for young adult audiences appeared in theatres and on TV this year: GRIMM and ONCE UPON A TIME are two shows dealing with fairy tale tropes and themes. In theatres, HANNA gave us a "Red Riding Hood"-tinged tale of a girl enhanced by military experiments, raised in the woods and forced to do battle with both wicked stepmothers and big bad wolves. Catherine Hardwicke's RED RIDING HOOD both was a glossy, slightly-erotic treatment of the classic tale, complete with a celebration of young villagers that was straight out of a pagan festival. Look for more of these to come: SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN stars Kristen Stewart in the title role, MIRROR< MIRROR stars Julia Roberts and Lily Tomlin in a comedic twist on the Snow White story, and Emma Watson (our own Hermione Granger) will start in a version of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. And let's not forget HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS, starring Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arteron. This is one storytelling trend that is not slowing down any time soon.

Witches are back on TV...again. THE SECRET CIRCLE is a sexy teen series on (where else?) the CW network, and while it's cheesy, it does seem to have its followers. And of course the big news on HBO's TRUE BLOOD this season was the presence of a coven of witches led by Irish actress Fiona Shaw. Witches are also popping in and out of GRIMM and ONCE UPON A TIME. I still miss EASTWICK< which was cancelled prematurely, and hope that we'll get a more adult series about witches some time soon.

Oh, and...by the by, the West Memphis Three went free. This, friends, was the top pagan media story of 2011. The power of media to educate and inform is well known, but how often does a documentary film help free innocents from prison? This travesty of justice, informed by superstitious satanic panic and rumors of cults in a conservative Arkansas town, was chronicled by filmmakers Bruce Sinofsky and Joe Berlinger in their trio of films made for HBO, and these films helped attract the interest and support of celebrities like Eddie Vedder, Peter Jackson, Natalie Maines, Johnny Depp, Margaret Cho, Henry Rollins and many others, as well as thousands of supporters and dozens of lawyers over the last 18 years. It is sad and infuriating that it took so long to free these men; but on August 19th, 2011, justice was finally served for Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley, Jr. The three freed men were able to attend the American premiere of the third film in the series PURGATORY: PARADISE LOST 3 at the New York Film Festival. I was honored to be in attendance to witness this historic occasion, a moment many have been hoping and praying for for nearly two decades. I know there will many more news stories about this case and these remarkable men in the months to come, so stay tuned for 2012!

Kathy Dempsey: Justice at Solstice, 20 Years Later

On August 23rd, 1992, Kathleen Dempsey (known to friends and loved ones as Kathy or KD) was brutally murdered in her apartment in Lexington, Massachusetts. Neighbors in this well-to-do suburb of Boston were shocked, and her many friends in the Boston pagan community were heartbroken.

Perhaps most shocking and heartbreaking of all: Kathy, who had been stabbed fourteen times, managed to call 9-11 and ask for help. But the dispatcher on duty did not send anyone to help her. Questioned by journalists, at first this emergency responder said they could not make out Kathy's words and didn't know where to send help, despite "listening frantically" to the tape over and over again. But eventually it became obvious that Kathy's words were sufficient; the dispatcher thought the call was a hoax and failed to send anyone. The supervisor who came on duty the following morning sent an ambulance immediately, but by then, Kathy had bled to death.

It's impossible to know if earlier intervention would have saved her: but it is possible the identity of her killer, who lived in her neighborhood, might have been revealed: something which has taken nearly two decades to unravel. That lost opportunity weighed heavily on the minds and hearts of those of us who knew and loved this woman. This article in the Lexington Patch mentions that 9-11 was not in place when Kathy made her call; but the ensuing debate about enhanced 9-11 (which allows location identification) was merely a smokescreen to obscure the real issue: a very bad decision made by the dispatcher in charge. But I am sure this worker has suffered enough over the years for this oversight, and the real blame lies in the hands of the killer who took her young life.

The case proved difficult to solve: there were no signs of forced entry (perhaps not unusual for a suburban neighborhood), and there was speculation the killer was someone Kathy knew. Police investigated the crime for years, and despite a number of leads, no suspects were apprehended. Until now.

A man in prison for another murder, of a 49 year old woman in the same Lexington neighborhood, two years after Kathy's murder, recently confessed to the crime after nearly twenty years. The Boston Herald reports that Craig Conkey, 45, broke into Dempsey's home to rob it but "was startled when he found Dempsey sleeping and attacked her." Conkey was 25 when the crime was committed; Dempsey was 31. She would be 50 years old now.

Kathy was a graphic designer by trade, who worked for Musician magazine (the editors wrote a moving tribute to her in the magazine that fall). Prior to her untimely death, she had begun studying at Lesley College in the hopes of becoming an educator, focused on teaching children about nature. Kathy was an active member of the EarthSpirit Community. She was also a singer, and former member of the choral group MotherTongue. I joined the group soon after Kathy died; in an instance of sad irony, I was the soprano who replaced her.

I remember KD as a kind, funny, sweet, talented woman: always friendly, always upbeat. She loved animals, did not consider cleaning a priority, loved to dance, and seemed to think the best of everyone unless she had a reason not to. I saw her for the last time a mere three weeks before she was killed. Her smile, glimpsed in a hallway, still haunts me. I recall the Earthspirit Samhain gathering that year: the tears and wails of loss during the ritual as we named those who had passed that year. I don't know who it was but one male voice screamed out "Kathy!" after a number of other names were recited. It was a soul-shattering moment I will never forget.

I recall a dream I had in late 1992: Kathy in a black skirt and red shirt, a peaceful smile on her face, her lips closed, her eyes twinkling. I have thought of her from time to time over the years, when there have been leads in her case, when a song or a work of art have reminded me of her talents, when a random prick of fear late at night made me think of the many sleepless nights I spent after her murder. But today, I feel a bit less pain thinking of her. I hope this latest development in her case brings peace and closure to her loved ones. Be at peace, Kathy.

Pixar, does she HAVE to be a princess?

Exciting news about Pixar, the excellent purveyor of animated films...their newest project will feature a FEMALE hero!

Not only that, she is SCOTTISH!

And an ARCHER!

AND A REDHEAD!

Oh...and a princess.

Sigh. Really? It's not enough for her to be a badass with a bow and arrow? She has to be a PRINCESS, too?

Brave looks to be a fun historical romp, obviously inspired to some degree by Braveheart (it was previously titled The Bear and the Bow), and will be a nice way to have some kind of Celtic culture trope out there that's not related to pirates or drinking or dancing. (But I bet there will be some dancing and possibly some subtle suggestion of drinking in this one).

There are some trailers available online, like this one, showing the fierce maiden Merida riding her warhorse through misty forests and stone circles. If nothing else, the use of landscape should be very satisfying for pagan audiences. Also, Merida is more interested in archery than in men...at least at first. Will she remain independent? Or wind up with a man? We'll find out next summer.

The characters, on the other hand...well, despite the lead character being very beautiful, the others are cartoonish and exaggerated in typical Pixar fashion, like these tough guys with their woad tattoos and subtly-shaded tartans.

Princess Merida's main challengers is a blue ball of light referred to as a will o'the wisp, and a huge black bear (a powerful animal in Celtic mythology). But she apparently unleashes these harmful forces when she defies tradition to forge her own path.

Maybe this means she is not really into the idea of being a "princess" after all? (Wow, does this mean little girls will start wearing some color other than PINK for a while? It does clash with red hair, after all). The idea that little girls should aspire to be princesses is a tired an annoying stereotyoe and we really need to get away from it. I sincerely hope this film will put a different message out there. Maybe there will be a positive new role model offered for girls: a nature-loving, athletic, independent gal who knows her way around the forest and a bow and arrow. Now we like the sound of that! We also like the sound of some of the actors whose voices will be featured: including Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson, Kevin McKidd, Craig Ferguson and Robbie Coltrane.

Oh, and did I mention there will be a WITCH? Voiced by Julie Walters (aka Ron Weasley's mum). She's old and ugly. But they do also refer to her as a "wise woman." Then again she grants a hasty wish to Merida, which ends up being more like a curse. Hmmm, careful what you wish for? Well, we wish for this movie to give us something to cheer about.

Can't wait...

BLAIR WITCH PROJECT Reunion

I received a short press release on this event:

The 2011 Monstermash Expo is hosting the BLAIR WITCH PROJECT REUNION at their horror convention at the Wyndham Indianapolis West Hotel on December 16th-18th! (***UPDATE November 12: The organizer has informed me that, due to medical emergency, the convention has been postponed until further notice.***)

Special guests will include original cast members Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard and Michael Williams, along with the producers and director Eduardo Sanchez, Gregg Hale, Robin Cowie and Daniel Myrick! This is the first reunion since the 1999 premiere and, according to the organizers, "will be the only reunion they will ever do." A once in a lifetime opportunity for Blair Witch fans worldwide! To preview the other guests at this convention, check out the Monster Mash website.

One thing occurs to me...I wonder why they did not try to hold this in or near Burkittsville?

This could be a very interesting event. I have wondered why there was not a scholarly film conerence ever organized around this film, as I think it had enormous impact on the world of cinema. I mean, do you really think films like Cloverfield or Paranormal Activity or The Last Exorcism or the recent Norwegian arthouse hit Trollhunter

(slated for an American remake) would exist if not for The Blair Witch Project? True, the "found footage" conceit (in which the disappearances or deaths of victims are explained by video or film footage that captures the events that led to their demise) was not original to the 1999 blockbuster hit, but, really, no one had ever even heard of Cannibal Holocaust before that. The Blair Witch dudes were fans of obscure horror (their production company is called Haxan Films, after all), and they used this obsession to create something wholly new and original. They also initiated a very creative internet campaign to publicize the film before its release (it is amazing how creative people get when they don't have much money to work with; the film was made for less than $22,000 and made over $240 million.

I was invited to speak at a web-based promotional event (filmed in Los Angeles) upon the release of the second Blair Witch film (Book of Shadows), (and also did a bit of script advising for co-writer and director Joe Berlinger)and sadly that film received fairly negative press. But how could any sequel live up to the phenomenon of the original?

I think a reunion is a great idea; but there is much interesting discussion and analysis yet to take place on the film; so why not a conference? Come on, scholars and film buffs: who's with me?

A Witchy Walk Through the Neighborhood

Hallowe’en was a sensory holiday for me as a kid, and still is. The colorful costume parades, the chill air, leaves crunching underfoot, juicy apples and home-made doughnuts, the smell of burning leaves: these sensual memories mean autumn to me. I loved carrying that plastic pumpkin for trick or treating, feeling it grow heavy with treats. The sight of a tree without its leaves against a violet sky filled me with spooky dread, but also a sense of awe. When November arrived, I looked forward to that in-between feeling, of autumn clinging fast, its last golden days giving way to winter, and that first snow that was much more thrilling than a basket of candy.

And Hallowe’en was always that point when it was clear winter was really coming: you had to prepare a costume that you could layer an extra sweater under, in case it got cold. The gathering of sweets mirrored the hoarding of nuts by the crazed squirrels scrambling through the fallen leaves. Children dressed as fantastical beings in diaphanous gowns, silvery suits, clothing we’d soon forgo in favor of wooly skirts and itchy pullovers. One last decadent night of hell raising before hibernation! Hallowe’en came one week after my birthday, and it was like celebrating non-stop for a week.

But being a practicing witch means I have a very different perspective on this holiday as an adult. For modern witches, Hallowe’en is known as Samhain, a Scottish term meaning “summer’s end” that marks that halfway point between autumn equinox and winter solstice. We also call it Hallows, or sometimes All Souls Night. Growing up a Catholic, I attended church on All Saints Day, the day after Hallowe’en, But I didn’t quite understand the connection between the two, and assumed the church held their mass the day after simply because Hallowe’en was too busy and who would want to go to church when they could go door to door gathering candy?

These days, I tend to celebrate this feast of the dead in somber and often unusual ways. The coven I work with has an elaborate cycle of rituals beginning in spring and culminating at Samhain with a rite called “Harvest Home,” (based in part on the wonderful novel by Thomas Tryon) in which a young Harvest Lord is symbolically slain by his consort, as a sacrificial offering to fertilize the crops and balance the cycle of life, death and rebirth: the Eternal Return. I have been to large public rituals where guests were invited to speak of their loved ones who had passed over. And I have attended vigils that were peaceful and serene, with candles everywhere and plates of food left for the dead and denizens of the Otherworld.

Some witches celebrate this holiday as the Celtic New Year; and do rituals and rites appropriate for new beginnings. This year, Samhain occurs just after the New Moon in the sign of Scorpio, a very portentous timing. The sun has also just entered the sign of Scorpio, a sign associated with death and regeneration. It is said that at Samhain, as at Beltane (May 1st), the “veil between the worlds,” or the barrier separating the realms of the living and the dead, grows thin and permeable, and allows us to commune with our beloved dead and our ancestors. For this reason many witches and pagans create altars dedicated to their ancestors and dead loved ones, with photos and mementos, favorite foods or flowers.

Hallowe’en has become ridiculously popular, and it’s big business for retailers (a number of whom specialize in Hallowe’en year ‘round). Related holidays are receiving more notice too, such as Mexico’s Dios de la Muerte/Day of the Dead, and I know a few witches of European ancestry who decorate sugar skulls with their children. Horror movies abound on television in October. Is it that our culture is becoming more interested in occult matters generally, a sort of second occult revival? Or are we merely so susceptible to social trends and their trappings that we have no idea why we’re so obsessed with the baubles and symbols of death?

Or perhaps, in our yearning for some decadence in frightening times, we grab hold of outrageous forms of fun. We recall what used to thrill and delight us as children (horror and sugar), and even if it’s about death, it makes us feel alive, and somehow comforted. We occupy our neighborhoods with treats, and flashlights, and gaudy clothes, and glee. And know we’ll make it even more fun next year.

And the witches among you (we’re there, oh yes), we’ll also decorate our doorways with cornstalks and pumpkins, and put candle-lit skulls in our windows. We’re staving off the darkness, too.


(Samhain altar image from "Dancing Beneath the Moon" blog)

Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory at the New York Film Festival

Although it won't be shown on HBO until sometime in early 2012, and has not yet had any theatrical release, the third film in the Paradise Lost series has had two major premieres at film festivals so far. The first was in Toronto, in its original version, and more recently in New York, with the premiere of the recut version, including footage shot after the West Memphis Three were released on August 19th.

I was fortunate enough to attend the New York premiere on Columbus Day, with a crowd of hundreds in Alice Tully Hall AT New York's Lincoln Center. Filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky were in attendance and introduced the film by giving thanks to their families, crew and producers. The third film marks a superbly satisfying completion of this long ordeal, ending as it does with the release of these three unjustly-imprisoned men.

After the film screened (I will review it closer to its theatrical release date, but I will say there is a good deal of focus on the fact that new suspects are being considered in the 1993 murders), the audience gave a standing ovation to the West Memphis Three, seated in the balcony. Then Joe and Bruce came back up on stage accompanied by the NYFF director, and with Damien Echols and Jason Baldwin (Jessie Miskelley, Jr. declined to come up as he experiences anxiety in large crowds). There wasn't time for many questions as another screening was happening shortly, but four questions were asked and fielded by NYFF director Richard Pena, one of them by a former schoolmate of Damien's who asked why he had changed his name back in high school.

I felt lucky that I was called on to ask a question of my own. First I said thank you to Damien, Jason and Jessie, along the lines of "Thank you for surviving what must have been an unimaginable eighteen years, that most of here can barely imagine, and for being here so that we can all celebrate your freedom and your courage." That got some applause, then I said, "You were convicted in part because of your beliefs, Damien: your beliefs as a Wiccan and a pagan. Then you became a Buddhist. I'd like to ask both Jason and Damien, what part has your spirituality played in your ability to survive the last eighteen years?"

Jason answered first. He spoke to the difficulty of accepting the fact that he could be found guilty when he was innocent, and looked to his faith (he is a Christian) to help make him strong enough to face his despair. Damien then said, "Two things helped keep me alive while I was in prison: my wife, and my spiritual practice." He then said it was not only his practice that helped him mentally or emotionally, but physically as well. He said that he suffered physical torture of all kinds to his body, and that adequate medical and dental care were very hard to obtain in prison. He then added that one had to look out for oneself, and that his practices of reiki and energy work helped him keep his body healthy.

The crowd gave at least two standing ovations to the Three, and to the filmmakers, and this felt like such a momentous occasion that many of the details are fuzzy. I did hear one fascinating and delightful bit of gossip in the lobby, however: that Damien had gotten a huge tattoo recently, while sitting next to Johnny Depp, (who reportedly got the same tattoo, an I Ching symbol). Now if that's not the coolest thing Johnny Depp has ever done, I don't know what is.

This week, Damien was in New Zealand visiting filmmaker Peter Jackson, and rumor has it he will be given a small role in the new "Hobbit" film Jackson is directing. From the rural trailer park of his youth, to 18 years on Death Row, to being friends with the likes of Peter Jackson and Johnny Depp? How wonderful that these men finally have the chance to live large and enjoy their hard-won freedom.