Audience Member
Ok so look, it's maybe not a "good" movie in the usual sense of the term, but it's one of my all favorites. It's campy yet strangely compelling. I enjoy the portrayal of magic, in this film which is similar to the way modern occultists practice. The down-and-out sewer dwelling Magus is an oddly relatable character, at least to me, which might just mean I'm a weirdo. Regardless, I've never seen anything quite like this and I kind of wish there were more films with similar themes and atmosphere.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
01/25/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Uh, this movie has everything. 70s men in tight bellbottoms and neckerchiefs performing ritual sacrifices. Intense, direct and yet unaddressed homosexual tension. A naked woman on a table holding two skulls with a pentagram over her bush. A man tying a handkerchief around another man's erection and then threatening to cut his dick off with a knife. A stop light that menaces people and kills a guy by vibrating a plant off of a ledge. An adorable goat on a throne. Flabby asses dancing in ritual. An LSD inspired mirror universe trip sequence to make Kubrick weep. A talking tree sequence that would make Clint Eastwood sing. A framed photo of teddy Roosevelt in some stoners' bachelor pad. An inexplicable ending with a winking "ha-ha" voice over.
Holy shit, how have I gone this long without this movie in my life? I laughed, I cried (from laughing), I was riveted. Andrew Prine is goddamn amazing with his casual leans, deadpan delivery, sincerity and all-in acting. In fact this whole movie is so deeply sincere and that's what truly makes it a genuine and thoughtful good time-you'll laugh with it as much as you might laugh at it. This is everything I want in a movie about a male witch who lives in the sewers with a rent boy and dreams of a glowing pink metal bar transporting him to another universe.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
02/06/23
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Audience Member
Fun and "groovy" 70's witch flick. Not really a horror film, but with some horror trappings. Surprising darkly comedic touches throughout. Andrew Prine's performance as Simon really caries the film.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
02/24/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Simon is an odd character and an odd film and actually pretty tame considering the subject matter. It's not nearly as 'anti-establishment' as it would like to be and, somehow, it manages to avoid becoming pure camp. It you're a fan of odd 70's psychedelic cult fantasy, here you go.
Rated 2/5 Stars •
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
01/19/23
Full Review
Audience Member
I wasn't sure what I was getting into with this one, and since it turns out to more 'groovy' than 'horror' oriented I'm still a little conflicted about what my feelings are towards it. It's an interesting watch, but felt more like a 'cult' film than a true horror movie, which was what I was expecting.
But if you ever wanted a movie to give you acid trips and witchcraft in the same scene, this is definitely the film for you.
Rental?
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
02/07/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Holy ascots and skin-tight pants, dude! An oddity and arguably a unique film that serves as both an alternative take on occult cinema and a campy expedition into the darkest reaches of 1970. While this is by no means a great film, you haven't seen anything else quite like it.
Simon is a wizard who lives in a storm drain and does magical odd jobs for money. He winds up at a party and gets involved with society, winding up in conflicts between law enforcement and drug dealers, entangled in other people's romantic lives, and generally getting distracted from his main goal... becoming a god. He lays down curses, does a little sex magic, and delivers weird philosophy that could only be delivered by a reincarnated Barry Gibb lookalike on acid.
This is by no means a horror film, although there are a couple of deaths and one is somewhat bloody. There are a lot of comic elements, particularly in a scene between Simon and a coven of Wiccans led by Warhol Factory alumnus Ultra Violet, and scattered throughout just about whenever it comes to sex. There are elements of farce here, particularly in a scene in which Simon works his "magic" to relieve his sidekick of a bout of priapism. If anything, this is probably classed best as a comedy/drama set in an occult milieu. "Simon: King of the Witches" is also noteworthy for featuring some of the earliest CG effects in film, having been done when the technology was in its embryonic stage (watch for the scene when Simon steps through the mirror to catch this).
This is a flawed film in many ways; the acting isn't uniformly good. Andrew Prine as Simon can really chew up the scenery and there are moments when one would have to be pretty blind to not notice that he was blasted out of his head on whatever those crazy hippie kids were doing back in 1970. Some of the supporting cast falls pretty flat, particular the ones playing the establishment figures, maaaaan. There's even one scene during which a cameraman is clearly visible in the reflection on the side of a car as Simon and his assistant Linda pull up to the curb. Nonetheless, this one's got plenty of fun moments and there's a definite carnival atmosphere about much of it that communicates to the viewer off the screen and across the decades. Not a classic, but not junk, either. Worth checking out if you're into 70's cinema, always wanted to be a sorcerous hippie, or could use an antidote to Harry Potter. This one will stick with you for awhile despite its shortcomings.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
01/30/23
Full Review
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