SIMON, KING OF THE WITCHES (1971)

[The Burgomaster]

Finally . . . a DVD release.  This has been on my "movies I want to see" list ever since I first read about it in the PSYCHOTRONIC ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FILM back in the 1980s.  As a 1970s hippie movie, it's pretty interesting.  Other than that it's very talky and slow-moving.  So, I was a bit disappointed.

Andrew Prine (from movies like BARN OF THE NAKED DEAD - - see my previous comments on that one - - and GRIZZLY) stars as Simon, a hip warlock who begins the movie by speaking directly to the camera and informing the audience that he lives in a storm drain. 

The movie includes lots of philosophical talk interspersed with nude coven scenes.  Underground movie icon Ultra Violet appears in a small role.

This has a nice 70s psychedelic look to it, and the DVD print is very good quality.  But don't expect too much as far as horror goes.  The "Special Features" Interviews with Andrew Prine and director Bruce Kessler reveal that the screenplay was written by a practicing warlock and it wasn't meant to be a horror movie.  In fact, the original title was SIMON, but someone in the production chain wanted to add KING OF THE WITCHES to the title to spice it up.

If you're a fan of psychedelic 60s and 70s counter culture flicks, you might enjoy this.  But don't expect too much in the way of thrills, chills, horror, or gore.

[Cult Movie Mania]

Same with me.  I bought Psychotronic upon its first printing in 1983, and it introduced me to many drive-in movies I've never heard of.  Simon, I believe, was one of them.  In the book, there's a reproduction of the Simon, King of the Witches movie poster, and I, like you, found it fascinating and wanted to see it.  Trouble was, video stores at the time in the early '80s didn't carry the title (at least not in my neck of the woods).

I finally saw it, if memory serves, on Commander USA's Groovie Movies in the late '80s.  You're right, it was too talky and not very horrifying, but it has enough '70s pop culture to possibly keep the interest of cult movie fans.