WITCH HUNT

US, 1994, 100 minutes, Colour.

Dennis Hopper, Penelope Ann Miller, Eric Bogosian, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Julian Sands, Debbie Mazar, John Epperson (Lypsinka).

Directed by Paul Schrader.

Witch Hunt is a film by Paul Schrader, one of his lesser-known films, made for HBO television during the 1990s, one of a slew of very interesting HBO films of the 1990s and the early 2000s. It was written by Joseph Dougherty – and is a follow-up to his HBO film of 1990, Cast a Dark Spell. Both films are set in LA, have private detectives in the vein of Philip Marlowe and Sam Spade (here with an obvious homage, Philip Lovecraft).

In both screenplays, magic is prevalent in Los Angeles – with the setting here in the 1950s and allusions to film noir of the period. Tp, with Richard Conte is from The Big Combo. Nina Simone sings I Put a Spell on You.

Dennis Hopper is the private detective. Penelope Ann Miller is the femme fatale, married to an unfaithful film producer who is murdered. The film opens with commercials of the period all talking about magic in terms of cleanliness of the house. But, there is a carbon, especially with a witch played by Sheryl Lee Ralph, who shares an office with Lovecraft.

There is an investigation, the producer is the victim of magic, shrinking and then being killed. There is beach house which serves as a bordello, managed by transvestite actor, John Epperson (Lypsinka) as well as a sinister Irish magician played by Julian Sands.

The complication comes with a Senator who is having a very public campaign against magic. His played by Eric Bogosian. However, he is gradually unmasked, and magic in the middle of a huge rally has him shrinking and then his real, black garbed self emerges, showing that he despises the public. With his investigations, and the plan for a literal witch burning, is reminiscent of Senator Joe McCarthy and his anti-Communist investigations of the period.

An oddity in itself but also for Paul Schrader.

1. The title, expectations? Los Angeles, the 1950s?
2. The city of Los Angeles, views, offices, public gatherings, politics? Mansions, the beach? Musical score?
3. The opening, the theme of magic, the television commercials and the talk of magic, the information that magic was prevalent in Los Angeles, the covenants, incantations, the rituals, bringing up Shakespeare and Dickens? The shrinking of the producer and his death? Mysterious eyes? Snakes and frogs?
4. The basic film noir, familiar material, the actress, her philandering husband, the casting couch, hiring the investigator, his style, following clues, stakeouts, his past use of magic that his refusal to use it after? Sharing the office with Hippolyta? Her being a witch, the cupboard, raising Shakespeare, accompanying Lovecraft? The revelations about the actress, the past, the sexual rendezvous, the Madame? The Irish magician and his presence and power?
5. Dennis Hopper as Lovecraft? The name? The parallels with Philip Marlowe and Sam Spade? The visit from Kim, the glamour, hiring him, the death of her husband, following Lovecraft, not wanting him to go to the beach house (and her past there)? The past with Macha, vindictive, his eyes? At the beach house, moving in and her management? The girls? The later revelations about senators and rendezvous, choosing the girls, the magic of changing their appearance and personality? Deaths?
6. Kim and Marie, Marie mysterious, the car, the death?
7. Senator Larson Crockett, personality, his campaign against magic, advertisements, speeches, the huge rally? The blackmail deal with Macha? Macha and his revenge, the senator’s collapse, his inner self emerging, haranguing the crowd, abusing the crowd? Both personalities arrested? The double standards, hypocrisy – and echoes of Senator McCarthy?
8. The campaign against Hippolyta, her being taken, at the rally, to be burnt at the stake? Match are changing the situation, Lovecraft freeing her?
9. Macha, the visions of Kim and the attempted murder in the bath?
10. Lovecraft, not exercising the magic, Hippolyta saving him?
11. Kim, back to normal, disappearing from the movie scene?
12. The play on the film noir and the private detective?