Drawing Down the Moon (1997)

Accurate for Wicca; Poor for Hollywood
The standard of the filmmaking is "competent undergraduate" rather than "professional Hollywood" and the story has too many stereotypes (of which Walter Koenig plays one) and too many unconvincing fight scenes between people who never quite click emotionally.

The protagonist (Karina Krepp) turns out to be a female Kwai Chang Caine - but doesn't win as many fights. She doesn't fall in love or demonstrate any vulnerabilities (apart from doubling-up when she gets hit) so there seems little need to empathise with her. So, from the story viewpoint then it's nothing to write home about and it lacks a great dramatisation.

BUT, if you're a Pagan, Wiccan or witch then you'll be overjoyed to see a film directed, no matter how, by someone who's done their homework. And that's really why the film is worth watching. It gives some hope that perhaps Pagans really could be understood by modern society if they only came out of the "broom closet".

In short, if you're interested in the subject matter then it's a definite YES!! If you're JUST looking for a good witch bashing film, then it's a resounding NO!

Someone has to say it ...
There are some movies that are so bad you pull them out after fifteen or twenty minutes. Then there are a few that reach such a plateau of awfulness you have to keep watching just to see how bad it can get. This movie is in the later category. I can't believe anyone would give this movie five stars, no matter how much they appreciate the sentiment...Horrible acting, horrible script, horrible film. If this is a "true" depiction of the craft, I now know why I've never joined Wicca. I would have become a "bad" witch within a week and ripped the silly hearts out of the rest of the coven :-)

Finally a Believable Portrayal!
Finally, a movie that is believable; no wands turning little Johnny into a toad here! Could you view this movie with even the most closed minded person? You bet! "Drawing Down the Moon" {book with same title, by Margot Adler, is no connection} is the first reality-based movie to show how a witch really practices. There is no hocus-pocus, only the spiritual, working here with harmony to create a better place, letting each character live their own lives while helping each other out and respecting each other's right to worship. This alone makes "Drawing Down the Moon" a movie for all to see!

With all of us still reeling over The Blair Witch Project and Book of Shadows, this is a more than welcome depiction of what a witch really is. This independent film has managed to do what all the big budget movies have failed to do - to keep the practices of a witch as true in nature as possible. Although there is some overacting and at times, not enough acting involved {normal with low budget films}, I am very pleased with the portrayal of the witch in this film.

"Drawing Down the Moon" begins with the main character Gwynyth {Karina Krepp} on a bus, drawing on her pendulum to see where she needs to go. She is being watched by a curious on-looker Faith Shields {Linda Merritt}, who narrates the film. Gwynyth later befriends and takes Faith, a cancer patient, under her wing. They both end up in a town called Steadfast.

The town of Steadfast has all the elements of adversity. This includes the homeless and no funds for medical or community needs. But they do have a crooked police chief and an impotent Drug lord, Joe Merchant {Walter Koenig, of Babylon Five and Star Trek fame}. Only a few minutes off the bus, Gwynyth runs into Eddie {Bruce Bearman} and his thugs, who are harassing a mother Angela {Maura Clifford} and her daughter Ripley {Ingrid Boedker}. So, the first thing she has to do is protect the mother and child. She does this not with her wand but with her mind and her body. After she gets Angela and Ripley away, she conveys the message that she doesn't want any trouble... But Trouble seems to be just what Gwynyth gets!

Realizing this town doesn't have a homeless shelter, this becomes the next item on Gwynyth's agenda. She makes a deal with a building owner to open a shelter called, "Haven", and this is when trouble and adversity become an understatement. Soon, Gwynyth comes under attack from the police chief, the local minister, upright citizens, and of course, Merchant, who is in bed with The Corporation to make a huge profit on a deal, but only if they get Gwynyth's building.

Can Gwynyth single-handedly win the war on this whole town? Well, it will be worth your money and your time to see for yourself! Personally, after viewing "Drawing Down the Moon", I hope to see more films by Steve Patterson in the near future.

M.L. Benton Publisher, Echoed Voices
Copyright © 2002