Zombie Logic's Incredibly Brief Movie Reviews: Simon, King of the Witches

Last week I watched Simon, King of the Witches twice. Loved it both times. I'll probably watch it again soon when I'm at the apartment.

The 1971 movie stars Andrew Prine, and yes, he is a cousin of folk legend John Prine, as a twenty-something layabout who lives in a sewer and makes magic charms and trinkets for cynical party goers. Except Simon is a magician. A real magician who practices ceremonial magic and aspires to become a demi-god. When Simon is arrested for vagrancy, and how didn't he see that coming, he is befriended by a young male prostitute named Turk (George Paulsin). Turk introduces Simon to his world of drugs, wild parties, and hysterical Wiccan rituals featuring a goat and Andy Warhol star Ultra Violet. Death and mayhem ensue, along with romance for Simon with the district attorney's daughter (Brenda Scott).

The witchcraft and esoterica described in this movie is no mumbo jumbo, as Frank Langella's character says in The Ninth Gate. The screenwriter, Robert Phippeny, was well-versed in witchcraft, and the movie side-steps a lot of the cliches associated with the genre, while simultaneously satirizing several others rather ascerbically. 

Near the end of the movie, Simon's plan to use sex magic to attain godlike power is thwarted when he must use his power instead to seek vengeance on "the man" who has been harassing his drug dealer and counter-culture friends. Things get trippy. The demon Moloch is invoked, and we all know what happens after that. But if you'd like to know, check out Simon, King of the Witches. 

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The Brotherhood of Satan Is an Early 70's Horror Gem

At least I think this movie is horribly underrated at 4.4 on IMDB's rating scale. I've only been fortunate enough to see it once, and hell if Netflix is ever going to make it available. It's not as easy as it used to be in some respects to stumble upon largely forgotten "classics" like this one. I don't have television so I don't know, maybe they show the hell out of it every night. This movie is about a family that breaks down in a Southwestern town. 

I recall it does establish an eerie feel early on. You're like what the hell this town ain't right. 

This guy shows his pee pee dink. Old people and pee pee dinks. Scary stuff. The whole movie has a whole Race With the Devil in reverse feel. Somebody sure was into Satan in Hollywood in the late 60's and early 70's. I wonder if they still do that out there and just aren't very open about it. Anyway...

Get in your Ford station wagon with the fake wood panel finish and...

Check out the Brotherhood of Satan when it comes around. Better yet, buy a copy of The Brotherhood of Satan and send it to me, because no matter how much I pay Netflix I can't seem to get any good movies out of them. Is there any good reason they can't purchase older movies like this? They get paid and really seem to offer less and less selection all the time. If any company could stockpile a real selection of movies on demand I'd pay them a fair price. It's not the money I care about, I just really want selection.

March 26, 2013 update: I was lucky enough to find Point of Terror last week while I was working here at the Downtown office. Maybe I'll get lucky and something cool like mansion of the Living Dead of The Brotherhood of Satan will be on YouTube tonight. 

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