Legend of the Witches (1970) & Secret Rites (1971) [DVD + Blu-ray)

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Although a lesser known actress staring in Up Pompei, 1969 and The Morecambe and Wise Show, 1968, Penny’s playing to the camera with pouting looks and stylised standing often give her away. Finally, there is a collection of images from the film Legend of the Witches and of rare memorabilia and newspaper clippings related to the spooky 70s.

This is a beautiful start to the film, and the story itself has definite roots in the Wiccan creation story of ‘Our Lady of Infinite Love’, who goes by many names, including that of Dianna. Online since 2010 it is one of the fastest-growing and most respected music-related publications on the net.

Looking like a cross between James Hunt and Captain Kronos, John Goodfellow wards off the Satanists, brandishing his cross at them until they cower. Images of sea, sunrises and deer are eloquently focussed to aid the films relaxing atmosphere, and even the sacrifice of a chicken appears less harrowing than it might.

Unlike Legend of the Witches, the pace is much quicker and because the lighting is better and it is shot in colour, it is clearer for the audience to see exactly what is happening with the tying of the three coloured cords and the ritualistic kissing of the five points. The use of cord to tie up members and the sword to cut these cords, is however, significant in modern witchcraft, and other depictions of events in the performance of the mass’, seem accurate as far as I can tell. However, there is no doubt in Leigh’s real intentions for making this film (he followed this with British Sex film, Games that Lovers Play, 1971 starring Joanna Lumney).

Finally, and with much ballyhooing, Ford presents us with ‘the rarely witnessed, never photographed, ‘Egyptian rite of Ra, taken from the forbidden Book of the Dead’. Displayed here are the remains of the last witch to be executed in England and artefacts from around the world. With no connection to Witchcraft, I can only imagine this was added to the set because of the Alex Sanders connection to Notting Hill. With the new popularity of witchcraft in its modern form, it is probably impossible to be completely accurate because of the different deviations dependent on which practising witch you speak to, so it would be unfair to criticise Leigh for this. This said, like Legend of the Witches, it isn’t totally clear what the intentions of the director truly are, with some shots of nudity lingering just that little bit longer than necessary.