ZooScope

Tag: HAR: Animals in Witchcraft

  • Earwig and The Witch. Goro Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli & NHK. 2020

    The making of the potion scene Earwig and the Witch tells the story of Aya, a girl adopted by a witch and a demon. With a blend of CGI animation and Russian folktales, this film gives us a child story tangled with a witchy vibe—a mix too scary for kids, according to some.  Thomas, the…

  • Hocus Pocus. Dir Kenny Ortega. Walt Disney Pictures. 1993

    Hocus Pocus. Dir Kenny Ortega. Walt Disney Pictures. 1993

    Thackery Binx is one of the central figures of Hocus Pocus, and in doing this the film considers the status of domesticated animals within society and cinema. Hocus Pocus acknowledges cats’ role as a domestic sphere defenders. Binx is specifically transformed into a cat because of the meanings we associate with them in our society,…

  • The Craft. Dir. Andrew Fleming. Columbia Pictures. 1996.

    ‘Big animals steal from little ones’ – Bonnie Harper (Neve Campbell) The Craft (1996) epitomises the intensity of teenage female friendships, and how quickly and violently these bonds can be broken. This kind of teenage sisterhood and its potential for moments of both great beauty and disaster is played out through the use of animals…

  • The Craft. Dir. Andrew Fleming. Columbia Pictures. 1996.

    The Craft is a 1996 supernatural teen horror film, in which animals feature heavily as a representation of the otherness felt by four teenage girls who possess extraordinary powers. The film presents witchcraft and magic as something that is inextricable from nature and animals, in line with Neo-Pagan traditions. This scene is particularly striking, as…