Mutzmag: An Appalachian Folktale

Although I do not count myself a fan of Stephen King's horror novels, I did enjoy his non-fiction exploration of horror Danse Macabre (1981). At one point, King says that reading and watching the scary stuff is like "lifting a trapdoor to the civilized forebrain and throwing a basket of raw meat to the hungry alligators swimming around in that subterranean river beneath." He goes on to say that love and other more civilized emotions are wonderful "as long as you keep the gators fed." I mention this because Mutzmag, the latest entry from Tom and Mimi Davenport in their "From the Brothers Grimm" series (Ashpet, Hansel & Gretel, Bearskin, Rapunzel, etc.), will fatten a couple gators and possibly alarm a few devotees of the Care Bears/Barney the Dinosaur line of children's films. First-time actress Robbie Sams is a natural as 12-year-old Mutzmag, a Cinderella-like workhorse whose older stepsisters treat her like dirt. When their mother dies early on, Poll, Nance, and Mutzmag hit the road, and choose a poor resting place for their first evening: the home of a "witcherwoman" and a "giant man" who have a taste for human flesh (cooked, of course; they're not barbarians). How Mutzmag saves her sisters from the menu is the subject of the first half of the tale. In the second half, Mutzmag is hired to retrieve a stolen horse and get rid of the witch and giant. She does not ask them if they would be so kind as to vacate the landscape, she does not vacillate in a bout of existential doubt, she acts--using quick wits, a ball of string, a pocketknife, and the courage of her convictions. An ALA "Selected Film for Young Adults" and winner of numerous festival awards (including "Best of Festival" at the Ninth Annual Chicago International Film Festival), Mutzmag is a beautifully filmed fairy tale in the traditional sense: things turn out okay in the end, but there's hell to pay along the way. Too intense for younger children, older kids and early teens will love this. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. [Note: there's also an excellent "Behind the Scenes" short documentary included on the video which looks at the making of Mutzmag, interviews filmmaker Tom Davenport, and shows clips from other Davenport Films productions.] (Available from: Davenport Films, Route 1. Box 527, Delaplane, VA 22025; (703) 592-3701.)