The Worst Witch: My Halloween Ritual

Before Harry Potter took over the world, there was a small, made-for-TV movie based on a series of children's books called The Worst Witch. It featured some well-known British actors (Diana Rigg and the fabulous Tim Curry) and a young, up-and-coming actress named Fairuza Balk. HBO started playing it throughout October in the mid-to-late 80s and it was an instant favorite of mine.

Balk plays Mildred Hubble, the kind-hearted but bumbling misfit at Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches. She sleeps in, she's clumsy, she studies the wrong material for exams, her hair is messy, and she's the butt of ridicule from Ethel Hallow, the star student.

Halloween is obviously the biggest event of the year at Miss Cackle's, and this Halloween is especially exciting because The Grand Wizard (Curry) has accepted the Academy's invitation to their events. The centerpiece of their celebration is the broomstick formation performance, which Ethel sabotages by lending Mildred her broom. On top of all of this, Miss Cackle's ne'er-do-well sister is plotting to take over the school. Can Mildred redeem her disastrous broomstick performance and save her school? Should she even give a shit considering how assy her teachers and fellow students are to her?

Anyway, I loved The Worst Witch because I was SO Mildred. (Still am, truth be told.) I slept in, had trouble in school despite being pretty bright, always had messy hair, and the perfect girls thought I was the biggest joke in the world. Boo hoo, right?

But Mildred did redeem herself and the school and became a hero AND got to hang out with The Grand Wizard. Such a 180 is the fantasy of every goofy kid.

I was thrilled to find the movie on DVD a few years ago and though my husband and son don't really see the charm in the movie, I watch it every year again. I still see myself in Mildred, especially now that I'm fumbling through adulthood. Plus, there's this:

I mean, really, how fantastic is that? The stunning VHS-ready technology and special effects? The baffling lyrics? And with the heavy use of bluescreen, it looks like something your wacky local weather man cooked up.

Comments

[Snarky Amber]

Has anybody seen my tambourine?

I think I watched this movie and Teen Witch on a continuous loop during the month of October, thanks to The Disney Channel's repetitive programming schedule.

[Darcey]

While I vaguely remember watching this when I was younger, my Fairuza Balk movie of preference at Halloween was her crowning achievement: Return to Oz. I LOVE that movie, plus it was just scary enough as a kid that it made it fun. And how could you not love Jack Pumpkinhead?

[TwoBusy]

I'm not quite sure what the best thing about that video is. The hooded, "I'm channeling Lou Reed from the early 70s" look in Tim Curry's eyes? The way his voice absolutely drips with sarcasm during his dialogue? The bat bow tie? Or the really sophisticated use of post-disco synth that underlies virtually every moment of the clip?

In the end, I guess it doesn't really matter. Spectacular all the way around.

[agentmermaid]

Hooray for The Worst Witch!
I used to watch the TV series as a nanny, in my late twenties. I would have watched it sans the kids. I wish I'd remembered to queue it up pre-Halloween. Tim Curry rules all.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0179061/

[Calvinette]

Whoa. Something just clicked in my reptile brain when the music started ... likely related to my childhood crushes on British Men Who Wear Makeup. I don't ever remember seeing this movie, and it's highly possible my parents would not have let me watch such a thing, glamorizing the occult. Still, so familiar and creepy and awesome. I must have seen this before.

[Kendra]

I loved this movie! I watched it so much I could sing that song. I think I'm going to have to buy it so I can watch them with my kids...or at least torture them with bad old movies.

[Jessi]

I loved this movie and my daughter and I are reading the books. Despite the sad lack of Tim Curry and psychedelia, they are pretty great for kids books. Also the author was like 18 when she started writing them, which either is impressive or explains EVERYTHING.

[Jill]

LOVED this movie!!!

[Marmite Breath]

This was something that I watched repeatedly with my sisters. After Scout was born, I tracked down a VHS copy because she totally needed to grow up watching this every year. She is 12 this year and loves it just as much as I did (er, do).