Haxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages (1922, 1968) DVD9 Criterion Collection, download for free

Aug20

Haxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages (1922, 1968) DVD9 Criterion Collection

by movieworld on August 20th, 2015 at 12:39

Posted In: .Other movies, Documentary, Horror

Witches, devils and demonic possession have been a part of humanity since before recorded history, and haven't changed much in content or principle from the middle ages to the present. European culture is rooted in the belief in a supernatural universe where God and the Angels dwell in the heavens and demons and devils infest the interior of the Earth. In the Middle Ages, organized religion in Europe unleashed a reign of terror on whole populations through organized witch hunts. Thousands of women were victimized simply for being old, ugly and misunderstood.
The film Haxan is one of the most eccentric and enjoyable films from the silent era. Directed in 1922 it is a short historical docu-drama of witchcraft, demons, grave robbing, superstition, hysteria and other such supernatural maladies from the 15th century.
The Criterion Collection to present two versions of this genre-defying "documentary".

DVD9 | NTSC 4:3 | 01:45:08 | 7.77 Gb + 3% rec
Language: Swedish intertitles
Subtitles: English
Genre: Documentary, Horror

Director: Benjamin Christensen
Cast: Benjamin Christensen, Elisabeth Christensen, Maren Pedersen
Country: Sweden

Extras:
• Alternative version: Witchcraft Through the Ages (1968; 76 minutes), narrated by William S. Burroughs, with a soundtrack featuring Jean-Luc Ponty
• Commentary by Danish silent film scholar Casper Tybjerg
• 1941 Introduction by Director Benjamin Christensen
• "Biblioteque Diabolique": a photographic exploration of Christensen’s historical sources
• Outtakes
• Production Stills
• Music from the original Danish premiere, arranged by film music specialist Gillian Anderson and performed by the Czech Film Orchestra, presented in Dolby Digital 5.0