Winter solstice is an astronomical phenomenon that occurs once a year, marking the shortest day and the longest night of the year. It happens when the Earth's axial tilt is farthest away from the Sun, resulting in the Sun's lowest position in the sky and the least amount of daylight. In 2022, the winter solstice will occur on December 21st in the Northern Hemisphere. People around the world have been celebrating the winter solstice for centuries, often with various cultural and religious traditions. Many of these celebrations focus on the themes of rebirth, renewal, and the return of light. One well-known example is the celebration of Yule, which originated in ancient Germanic and Norse cultures and is now associated with modern-day Pagan and Wiccan practices.
'#BTSofTheWitches': Last Wednesday, the former child star's onscreen nemesis - Octavia Spencer - shared her own on-set snap of her character The Grandmother lounging on a couch
The Grand High Witch was a total collaboration between costumes, hair and make-up, the writers, my dialect coach, the effects department, stunts, director Bob Zemeckis and myself, Hathaway recently told People. The hotel setting becomes a tug of war between the three screenwriters as it often explores different tones and goes through the motions, resulting in the film having little to no identity.
One well-known example is the celebration of Yule, which originated in ancient Germanic and Norse cultures and is now associated with modern-day Pagan and Wiccan practices. In ancient times, the winter solstice was a significant event for agricultural societies, as it marked the turning point when the days began to gradually lengthen again. It was seen as a time of hope and anticipation, signaling the return of warmth and fertility to the land.
'The Witches' Review
Reimagining Roald Dahl's beloved story for a modern audience, Robert Zemeckis's visually innovative film tells the darkly humorous and heartwarming tale of a young orphaned boy who, in late 1967, goes to live with his loving Grandma in the rural Alabama town of Demopolis. As the boy and his grandmother encounter some deceptively glamorous but thoroughly diabolical witches, she wisely whisks him away to a seaside resort. Regrettably, they arrive at precisely the same time that the world's Grand High Witch has gathered her fellow cronies from around the globe — undercover — to carry out her nefarious plans.
Beloved director and uncanny valley aficionado Robert Zemeckis has been on a losing streak lately, directing failure after failure for the last… When was Flight? 2012? Yeah, let’s say 8 years. Now he’s back with a feature adaptation of Roald Dahl’s beloved book The Witches. The film was originally set for a theatrical release, but in a last-ditch effort by WarnerMedia, they shifted its release to HBO Max. That was a smart move because this film would’ve bombed if it was sent to theaters.
Anne Hathaway, honey, you are trying your best. Hathaway delivers a fun, over-the-top performance as the Grand High Witch. Despite doing a weird Russian accent, she tries her best to make the weak material work. She clearly had a fun time as the big, bad witch queen and relishing in the character’s nastiness.
If there’s an area in The Witches that impresses me thoroughly, it’s the production design. Since this film takes place in the late ‘60s, all of the interior locations, especially the hotel, aesthetically pop. It all fits the era perfectly. The same can be said for the wardrobe and costume designs.
Nicolas Roeg’s 1990 adaptation of The Witches was fun and memorable for three reasons: Anjelica Huston, creative horror sequences, and most importantly, the use of practical effects. When you’re working alongside the Jim Henson Company, you know the production is going to be special and an effort will be made to create a realistic and terrifying experience. When you ask someone like Robert Zemeckis — a filmmaker who has become a CGI addict — to remake The Witches, it’s not surprising that it results in a weak, dull, and weightless CGI fest that feels like it was made 10 years too late.
The CGI in Zemeckis’s movies are either really good or absolutely god awful. There’s no inbetween. The Witches falls into the latter category. Once the film reaches its second act, it becomes over-reliant on the use of CG effects, which look more cartoonish than anything else. The animation isn’t completely rendered and it comes off as either disturbing or weightless. Instead of being a family horror flick, The Witches aims for an adventure-based angle. Most of the “action” sequences are CGI-heavy and involve things like mice scurrying.
As much as I’m riffing on the CGI, I have to give credit where credit is due: for someone who can be considered the master of uncanniness, Zemeckis does not disappoint. What’s a Robert Zemeckis movie without a little nightmare fuel? It’s his signature trademark. There are brief moments of horror that are actually terrifying. The witches are designed to be visually repulsive and it works. Granted, they don’t even look like witches. Imagine if Mileena and Baraka from Mortal Kombat procreated and had bald children with huge, fanged teeth. However, the majority of the horror truly comes from the transformation sequences as kids are turned into mice, especially since it was rushed and done poorly.
The screenplay has a bizarre barrage of writers involved. It’s written by Kenya Barris, Guillermo del Toro and Zemeckis. For some reason, you can smell all the pieces that each writer contributed. For starters, it’s a period piece set in America and focuses on an orphaned Black kid who loses his parents in a car crash and must live with his grandmother. This is definitely Barris’s department because it has the classic Black southern atmosphere. Agatha is written to be the generic but caring grandmother who applies God to everything and cooks stereotypically Black meals for Charlie, like fried chicken and cornbread. Of course the only thing that prevented me from rolling my eyes to the back of my skull was Spencer’s committed and charming performance. That woman can make gold out of water.
The hotel setting becomes a tug of war between the three screenwriters as it often explores different tones and goes through the motions, resulting in the film having little to no identity. While its ending actually remains faithful to the source material, the majority of the film is dull and uneventful. It lacks excitement and even the violent climax feels anticlimactic.
Watching this poor adaptation made it clear why Zemeckis has taken a nosedive in the past decade. The man is too preoccupied filming each project in a gimmicky style that belongs in the early 2010s. Remember when nearly every other movie that utilized CG effects was being released in 3D so that it could provide more of a cinematic experience with objects popping out towards you instead of being good, memorable movies? One of the leaders of that pack was Robert Zemeckis. Can somebody please take his CGI toy box away and tell him that the 2010s are over? This style of filmmaking has completely run its course. He did a great job with The Walk, but outside of its IMAX 3D experience, it wasn’t memorable at all. As heartbreaking as it is to say, the more he relies on CGI for his projects, the weaker his effectiveness as a filmmaker gets. If there’s anything The Witches (2020) is good for, it's to introduce kids to the ‘90s film and teach them the effectiveness of practical effects and how that technique of production is far more grand, timely, and realistic than this weightless CGI trash.
Nicolas Roeg’s 1990 adaptation of The Witches was fun and memorable for three reasons: Anjelica Huston, creative horror sequences, and most importantly, the use of practical effects. When you’re working alongside the Jim Henson Company, you know the production is going to be special and an effort will be made to create a realistic and terrifying experience. When you ask someone like Robert Zemeckis — a filmmaker who has become a CGI addict — to remake The Witches, it’s not surprising that it results in a weak, dull, and weightless CGI fest that feels like it was made 10 years too late.
This connection to agriculture is still evident in some modern-day celebrations, such as the lighting of bonfires and the decoration of trees with fruits and evergreen boughs. For many people, the winter solstice is also a time to reflect and set intentions for the coming year. It is regarded as a time of introspection and a chance to let go of the past, much like the dormant winter landscape is shedding its old leaves and preparing for new growth in the spring. Some individuals use this time to perform rituals, meditate, or engage in spiritual practices that align with the themes of the solstice. In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in celebrating the winter solstice, as people seek a deeper connection to nature and the changing seasons. It offers an opportunity to slow down, appreciate the beauty of the natural world, and find meaning in the cycle of life. Whether it's through attending community gatherings, lighting candles, or simply taking a moment to step outside and witness the sunrise or sunset, observing the winter solstice can be a powerful and enriching experience..
Reviews for "Winter Solstice 2022: Exploring Timelessness in Wixxan Mythology"
1. Jane - 2 stars - I was really disappointed by "Winter solsticc 2022 wixxan". The plot was confusing and hard to follow, and the characters were poorly developed. I didn't feel any emotional connection to them and found it hard to care about what happened to them. The pacing was also off, with some scenes dragging on for too long and others feeling rushed. Overall, I didn't enjoy this film and wouldn't recommend it to others.
2. Tom - 1 star - "Winter solsticc 2022 wixxan" was a complete waste of time. The story was predictable and cliché, and the acting was subpar at best. The special effects were also quite bad, with obvious green screens and fake-looking props. I couldn't get invested in the movie at all and found myself checking my phone multiple times out of sheer boredom. Save yourself the disappointment and skip this one.
3. Sarah - 2 stars - I had high hopes for "Winter solsticc 2022 wixxan" based on the trailer, but it fell flat for me. The dialogue was cheesy and cringe-worthy, and the romantic subplot felt forced and unrealistic. The cinematography was the only redeeming aspect, with some visually stunning shots, but unfortunately, it couldn't make up for the lackluster story. The pacing was also an issue, with the movie dragging in some parts and rushing through others. Overall, it was a forgettable film that didn't live up to its potential.