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

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Getting it Straight in Notting Hill Gate, 1970, is an interesting cultural insight into life in Notting Hill Gate in 1970.

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. It comes with a collection of extras that will predominantly appeal to scholars in the field of cultural history or people with an interest in cultural history and witchcraft. Passages examine standing stones, the often barbaric persecution of witches, divination and sacrifice. However, I suspect it is simply the style of the time, particularly for educational films which often resemble the ramblings of an old professor, deep in thought with no real acknowledgement of an audience. Although clearly not the music of choice by the coven, (at times you here low-level snippets of the actual ritual music) it draws in an audience, who might otherwise have dismissed the film entirely.There were television appearances, late-night talks on radio, a sympathetic biography, record albums of his rituals and this film, LEGEND OF THE WITCHES, based on his exploits.

X-rated upon its original release Legend of the Witches (1970) is a documentary which looks in detail at previously hidden magic rites and rituals. Still, I assume the staged initiation rituals that Penny undergoes are an accurate enough recreation of what a new member to a coven would experience. Having had an almost obsessive interest in witchcraft as an early teenager, it is not surprising that I was keen to watch this film. 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.We can start with the wonderful cinematography, which takes a very low-budget and makes it look like something more.