The Witches

A combination of the 100th anniversary of Roald Dahl’s birth, our Dundead Halloween celebration of all things spooky and the work of one of Britain’s finest ever film directors gives us three good reasons to screen The Witches. And it was produced with the help of Discovery favourite Jim ‘Mr Muppets’ Henson!

During a holiday with his grandmother in Norway, Luke Eveshim is told stories about real witches, female demons with a genocidal hatred for children, all of whom emit an odour obnoxious to them. Back in the UK and on holiday at a seaside resort, Luke meets a gluttonous but friendly boy, Bruno Jenkins, while getting on the bad side of the hotel manager, Mr. Stringer, after his pet mice frighten a maid. Also staying at the hotel are all of England's witches, masquerading as the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, with the Grand High Witch, their leader, attending their conference. Luke inadvertently discovers the witches while playing with his pet mice inside the ballroom, where they're meeting.

The Grand High Witch unveils her latest weapon: a formula to turn children into mice, which they will use on confectionery products in sweet shops and candy stores. Can such relentless evil be stopped in time?