View source for Season of the Witch (1972 film)


{{Other uses|Season of the Witch (disambiguation)}}

{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Season of the Witch
| image          = Hungry-Wives-poster.jpg
| alt            = 
| caption        = Promotional poster under the name ''Hungry Wives''
| native_name      = 
| director       = [[George A. Romero]]{{sfn|Muir|2002|p=121}}
| producer       = Nancy M. Romero<ref name="AFI">{{cite web|url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=54449|work=[[American Film Institute]]|access-date=September 3, 2014|title=Hungry Wives}}</ref>
| writer         = George A. Romero{{sfn|Muir|2002|p=121}}
| starring       = {{plainlist|
*Jan White
*Raymond Laine
*Joedda McClain
*Bill Thunhurst
*Ann Muffly}}
| music          = [[Steve Gorn]]<ref name="AFI" />
| cinematography = George A. Romero{{sfn|Muir|2002|p=121}}
| editing        = George A. Romero{{sfn|Muir|2002|p=121}}
| studio         = The Latent Image<ref name="AFI" />
| distributor    = [[Jack H. Harris|Jack H. Harris Enterprises]]<ref name="AFI" /> 	  
| released       = {{Film date|1972|12|27|limited|1973|02|14}}
| runtime        = 89 minutes{{sfn|Muir|2015|p=250}}
| country        = United States<ref name="AFI" />
| language       = English<ref name="AFI" />
| budget         = 
| gross          = <!-- Please use condensed and rounded values. £11.6 million vs. £11,586,221 -->
}}

'''''Season of the Witch''''' (originally released as '''''Hungry Wives''''') is a 1972<ref>Williams, Tony (2015) [2003]. The Cinema of George A. Romero: Knight of the Living Dead. Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0-231-85075-9.</ref> American [[drama film]]{{sfn|Redfern|Steiger|2014|p=260}} written and directed by [[George A. Romero]], and starring Jan White, Raymond Laine, and Anne Muffly. The film follows a housewife in suburban [[Pittsburgh]] who becomes involved in [[witchcraft]] after meeting a local witch.

Described by Romero himself as a "feminist film,"{{sfn|Mayo|2013|p=313}} ''Season of the Witch'' was originally made under the title ''Jack's Wife'', with a small crew, giving Romero the duties of an editor, cinematographer and screenwriter. The film's distributor cut major parts of the film and changed its title to ''Hungry Wives'', marketing it as a [[softcore pornography]] film. The film failed to find an audience on its initial release and was re-released years later under the title ''Season of the Witch''.

==Plot==
Joan Mitchell is the 39-year-old wife of a businessman, Jack. They live in suburban [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]] with their 19-year-old daughter Nikki, a college student. Joan is unhappy and discontented with her housewife role. Jack is successful, but busy, domineering, and occasionally violent, embarking on long business trips every week. Joan has been seeing a [[psychotherapist]] because of her recurring dreams about her husband controlling her. He makes repeated references to needing to "kick some ass"—a colleague's, his own child's, his wife's. Eventually, he strikes Joan in the face.

Joan and her friends learn about a new woman in the neighborhood named Marion Hamilton who is rumored to practice witchcraft. Prompted by curiosity, Joan and one of her friends, Shirley, drive over to Marion's house one night for a [[Tarot]] reading. It turns out that Marion is the leader of a local secret witches' [[coven]].

Joan and Shirley drive home to Joan's house, where they meet Gregg, a student teacher at Nikki's college (with whom Nikki has a very casual sexual relationship). The four drink and talk. Gregg shows an interest in Joan, who rebuffs him. Joan throws Gregg out of her house after he cruelly tricks Shirley into believing that she has smoked [[Marijuana|pot]]. After taking Shirley home, Joan returns home to hear Nikki and Gregg having sex.  Turned on, she quietly goes to her bedroom and begins touching herself until Nikki walks in on her.

The next day, a furious Nikki leaves without telling anybody where she is going, and soon afterward Jack leaves for yet another one-week business trip, with Joan feeling more lonely than ever. Joan buys a book about witchcraft. She conjures a spell to make Gregg attracted to her, and soon they are engaged in an affair. She also has increasingly terrifying nightmares, in which she is attacked by an intruder wearing a [[Satan]]ic mask. As she explores witchcraft further, practicing rituals and researching spells, Joan's world continues to change. The police tell Joan they have found Nikki in [[Buffalo, New York]] and that she will be coming home in three or four days. After one last sexual encounter with Gregg, Joan tells him that she does not want to see him again.

After another terrifying nightmare involving the masked intruder, Joan shoots and kills her husband, who has unexpectedly returned home early from his trip.  Whether this event is accidental or intentional is not revealed. Joan is initiated into Marion's coven in an elaborate and campy ritual. The language used by the women makes reference to treasuring each coven member as part of the sisterhood. Cleared of her husband's death, which was ruled an accident, Joan attends a party with her friends.  Prompted by a compliment on her beautiful and youthful appearance, she quietly reveals that she is a witch. She smiles wryly when people around her refer to as "Mrs. Mitchell", or simply "Jack's wife".

==Cast==
{{columns-list|colwidth=30em|
*Jan White as Joan Mitchell
*Raymond Laine as Gregg Williamson
*Ann Muffly as Shirley Randolph
*Joedda McClain as Nikki Mitchell
*Bill Thunhurst as Jack Mitchell
*Neil Fisher as Doctor Miller
*Esther Lapidus as Sylvia
*Dan Mallinger as Sergeant Frazer
*Daryl Montgomery as Larry
*Ken Peters as John Fuller
*Shirlee Strasser as Grace
*[[Robert Trow]] as Detective Mills
*Jean Wechsler as Gloria
*Charlotte Carter as Mary
*Linda Creagan as Patty
*[[Bill Hinzman]] as The Intruder
*Marvin Lieber as Jerry Randolph
}}

==Production==
The film originally began production under the title of ''Jack's Wife''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b72aacc7b|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140904092401/http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b72aacc7b|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 4, 2014|work=[[British Film Institute]]|title=Hungry Wives|access-date=September 3, 2014}}</ref> Romero got the idea for the film after reading about witchcraft for a different project.{{sfn|Williams|2015|pages=52–5}} While working with public television in Pittsburgh, Romero became aware of the [[Feminist movement]], which also influenced his script.{{sfn|Williams|2015|pages=52–5}}

The film was shot with a small crew in 1972 on 16mm film in the [[North Hills (Pennsylvania)|North Hills]] suburbs and [[Pittsburgh]].<ref name="AFI" />{{sfn|Williams|2015|p=52}} It suffered from production problems when the original budget of $250,000 was lowered to $100,000.{{sfn|Williams|2015|p=52}}{{sfn|Quarles|2001|p=75}} Romero was pressured by the distributor to make two sex scenes between the characters of Joan and Gregg pornographic, but refused.{{sfn|Williams|2015|p=27}}

==Style==
In 1973, Romero described the film as "not really" being a horror film, but as a film that deals with the [[occult]] peripherally.{{sfn|Williams|2015|p=37}}

==Release==
Romero had trouble finding distributors for the film. In 1973, Romero described that distributors were finding the film "too wordy".{{sfn|Williams|2015|p=37}} The film was distributed by [[Jack H. Harris]] and re-titled ''Hungry Wives!'' on its initial release in 1973,<ref name="AFI" />{{sfn|Williams|2015|p=52}} with screenings beginning on February 14.{{efn|name=releasedate|Various newspaper sources show the film opened on February 14, 1973.<ref>{{cite news|work=Abilene Reporter-News|date=February 11, 1973|page=107|title=Park Cinema advertisement|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/36555395/abilene_reporternews/|via=Newspapers.com|location=Abilene, Texas}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|work=[[Daily Press (Virginia)|Daily Press]]|title=At the Theaters|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/36555511/daily_press/|location=Newport News, Virginia|date=February 11, 1973|page=63|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|work=The Journal Herald|location=Dayton, Ohio|title=Tonite! Drive-In Theatres|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/36555592/the_journal_herald/|date=February 14, 1973|page=43|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>}} Several cuts were made to the film, reducing its original runtime of 130 minutes to 89.{{sfn|Williams|2011|p=250}} The film was promoted as a [[softcore pornography]] film and failed to find an audience on its initial release.{{sfn|Williams|2015|p=52}} After the success of Romero's ''[[Dawn of the Dead (1978 film)|Dawn of the Dead]]'' in 1978, the film was re-released under the title ''Season of the Witch''.{{sfn|Williams|2015|p=52}}

===Home media===
Both the original [[film negative]] and Romero's original cut of the film are lost.{{sfn|Williams|2015|p=52}} Parts of Romero's original version have been found and re-edited into a home video version of the film which currently runs 104 minutes.{{sfn|Williams|2015|p=53}}
[[Anchor Bay Entertainment|Anchor Bay]] released the film under its ''Season of the Witch'' title in 2005 on [[DVD]] at its partly-restored 104 minute running time.<ref name="allmoviedvd">{{cite web|url=http://www.allmovie.com/movie/season-of-the-witch-v43387/releases|access-date=September 3, 2014|title=Season of the Witch - 1973 - Releases|work=[[Allmovie]]|publisher=[[All Media Guide]]}}</ref> The DVD contains featurettes on the film, other works of Romero and promotional material and Romero's earlier film ''[[There's Always Vanilla]]''.<ref name="allmoviedvd" />

In November 2017, the film was released in a restored version by Arrow Films on [[Blu-ray]] in a multi-disc set entitled ''Between Night and Dawn'', which also contains the Romero films ''[[There's Always Vanilla]]'' and ''[[The Crazies (1973 film)|The Crazies]]''.<ref>{{cite web|work=Blu-ray.com|url=http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/George-A-Romero-Between-Night-and-Dawn-Blu-ray/183936/|title=George A. Romero: Between Night and Dawn Blu-ray|access-date=December 4, 2017}}</ref>

==Reception==
In 1980, [[Vincent Canby]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote a negative review for ''Hungry Wives!'', stating that the film "has the seedy look of a porn film but without any pornographic action. Everything in it, from the actors to the props, looks borrowed and badly used."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9D0DEFDE1538F931A25751C1A966948260|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=December 12, 1980|title=Hungry Wives (1973) THALIA TWIN BILL|authorlink=Vincent Canby|last=Canby|first=Vincent|access-date=September 3, 2014}}</ref> [[Kim Newman]] ([[The Monthly Film Bulletin|the ''Monthly Film Bulletin'']]) compared the film to Romero's ''[[Martin (1978 film)|Martin]]'', stating that the latter "managed to exploit the hybrid of tatty realism and vampire lore quite fruitfully, but ''Jack's Wife'' is fatally unsure of its approach."<ref name="mfb">{{cite magazine|magazine=[[The Monthly Film Bulletin]]|title=Season of the Witch|volume=49|issue=576|pages=298–299|date=1982|publisher=[[British Film Institute]]|location=London|last=Newman|first=Kim|authorlink=Kim Newman}}</ref> Newman noted that the acting varies from the "nicely underplayed (Jan White, Virginia Greenwald) through the desperately hammy (Anne Muffly) to the dangerously laid-back (Ray Laine)."<ref name="mfb" /> The review concluded that "there is enough evidence here of Romero's quirky talent to maintain interest throughout"<ref name="mfb" />

In a review of the ''Season Of The Witch'' home video, ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' compared the film to Romero's ''[[Night of the Living Dead]]'' stating that the film "looks significantly less impressive [...] Where ''Night Of The Living Dead'' sandwiched some undistinguished, talky bits featuring actors of widely varying skill between the zombie horror, ''Season Of The Witch'' is nearly all undistinguished talky bits featuring actors of widely varying skill. Frankly, it’s kind of a slog."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.avclub.com/article/george-romeros-70s-feature-iseason-of-the-witchi-m-73055|work=[[The A.V. Club]]|access-date=September 3, 2014|date=April 26, 2012 |last=Phipps|first=Keith|title=George Romero's '70s feature Season Of The Witch might feature witches, and might not}}</ref> ''[[Slant Magazine]]'' gave the film a four out of five star rating, calling the film Romero's ''[[Belle de Jour (film)|Belle du Jour]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review/season-of-the-witch|work=[[Slant Magazine]]|access-date=September 3, 2014|date=November 3, 2005|last=Henderson|first=Eric|title=Season of the Witch}}</ref> Online film database [[Allmovie]] gave a mixed review for the film noting poor production quality, "wildly uneven acting", and that the film is "burdened both by its directness and its talkiness".<ref name="allmovie-review">{{cite web|url=http://www.allmovie.com/movie/season-of-the-witch-v43387/review|work=Allmovie|publisher=All Media Guide|last=Phipps|first=Keith|access-date=September 3, 2014|title=Season of the Witch - Review}}</ref> The review went on to note that "this is as effective a film as the director has made, in many respects years ahead of its time, assuming a position more extreme than ''[[The Stepford Wives]]'' or even, for the most part, ''[[Thelma and Louise]]''."<ref name="allmovie-review" /> ''[[TV Guide]]'' gave the film one star out of four, referring to the film as "One of the most problematic entries in George Romero's filmography", noting cheap production and poor acting.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://movies.tvguide.com/hungry-wives/review/101523|work=[[TV Guide]]|access-date=September 3, 2014|title=Hungry Wives Review|archive-date=September 4, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140904120326/http://movies.tvguide.com/hungry-wives/review/101523|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Scholar Bernice Murphy referred to the film as "cheaply made and jarringly edited," and noted it as an effort for Romero to distance himself from the supernatural horror themes he had become known for.{{sfn|Murphy|2009|pages=57–58}}

On review aggregator website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film holds a 70% rating, based on 10 reviews, with an average rating of 6.3/10.<ref>{{cite web| title=SEASON OF THE WITCH| url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/season_of_the_witch_1976| website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]| access-date=January 21, 2023}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of American films of 1973]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Sources==
* {{cite book |last1=Lippe |first1=Richard|last2=Williams|first2=Tony|last3=Wood|first3=Robin |editor-first=Tony |editor-last=Williams |title=George A. Romero: Interviews |url=https://archive.org/details/georgearomeroint00will |url-access=limited |publisher=[[University Press of Mississippi]]|date=2011 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/georgearomeroint00will/page/n83 59]–68 |chapter=The George Romero Interview |isbn=978-1617030277}}
*{{cite book|last=Mayo|first=Mike|title=The Horror Show Guide: The Ultimate Frightfest of Movies|publisher=Visible Ink Press|year=2013|isbn= 978-1-578-59459-7}}
* {{cite book |last1=Muir |first1=John Kenneth |title=Horror Films of the 1970s |publisher=[[McFarland & Company|McFarland]]|date=2002 |isbn=0786491566}}
*{{cite book|last=Murphy|first=Bernice|year=2009|title=The Suburban Gothic in American Popular Culture|publisher=Springer|isbn= 978-0-230-24475-7}}
* {{cite book |last1=Nicotero |first1=Sam|editor-first=Tony |editor-last=Williams |title=George A. Romero: Interviews |url=https://archive.org/details/georgearomeroint00will |url-access=limited |publisher=[[University Press of Mississippi]]|date=2011 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/georgearomeroint00will/page/n42 18]–35 |chapter=Romero: An Interview with the director of Night of the Living Dead |isbn=978-1617030277}}
*{{cite book|last=Quarles|first=Mike|year=2001|title=Down and Dirty: Hollywood's Exploitation Filmmakers and Their Movies|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0-786-46257-5}}
*{{Cite book|last1=Redfern|first1=Nick|last2=Steiger|first2=Brad|year=2014|title=The Zombie Book: The Encyclopedia of the Living Dead|publisher=Visible Ink Press|isbn=978-1-578-59530-3}}
*{{cite book|last=Williams|first=Tony|title=The Cinema of George A. Romero: Knight of the Living Dead|year=2015|orig-year=2003|publisher=[[Columbia University Press]]|isbn= 978-0-231-85075-9}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb title|0069239}}

{{George A. Romero}}

[[Category:1973 films]]
[[Category:1973 drama films]]
[[Category:1973 independent films]]
[[Category:American drama films]]
[[Category:American feminist films]]
[[Category:American independent films]]
[[Category:1970s feminist films]]
[[Category:Films directed by George A. Romero]]
[[Category:Films set in Pittsburgh]]
[[Category:Films shot in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by George A. Romero]]
[[Category:Fiction about mariticide]]
[[Category:Films about witchcraft]]
[[Category:1973 English-language films]]
[[Category:1973 American films]]
[[Category:English-language drama films]]
[[Category:English-language independent films]]

{{Wikipedia attribution|original_title=Season of the Witch (1972 film)|access_date=2026-03-05}}