Celluloid Hex

Description

Witches have been a formidable presence in cinema for as long as cinema has existed. Over the decades, they have shifted shape and purpose, appearing in countless guises—from sinister covens to solitary spellcasters—each reflecting the cultural fears and fascinations of their time.

This collection of nine essays on ten films explores that legacy through a wide spectrum of titles, some celebrated, others more obscure. Each chapter considers not only the witch on screen but also the world that conjured her, revealing how these figures embody rich ideas, themes, and aesthetics across different eras.

Keri O’Shea is a lifelong horror devotee and founder of the Warped Perspective film site. Her previous work includes co-authoring a study of 21^st Century horror called Horror Out of Control and writing a book on Lucio Fulci’s A Lizard in a Woman’s Skin, called Opening The Cage. 

Printed on 170gsm silk stock with an attractive high gloss 350gsm full colour cover, 120 printed page A5 book. Limited edition print run.

“Celluloid Hex deftly illustrates how witches and witchcraft continue to compel and beguile us because they have come to represent a redress of power. They represent an uplifting of the downtrodden, and in today’s unspeakably grim world we need these kinds of stories more than ever. This is a concise and focused work, written with pristine clarity, authoritative knowledge and moments of dark humour. A love of the subject matter, and the films considered, emanates throughout.”  – James Gracey, author of Devil’s Advocates: The Company of Wolves, Dario Argento, and contributing writer to BFI, Fangoria, Little White Lies and many more.