Black Magic Woman

On the way to work this morning, I noticed that the windows of the MAC section of Brown Thomas were adorned with huge images of Cruella De Vil and the Evil Queen from Snow White, as part of their new overpriced makeup collection Venomous Villains. Even though I have no intention of shelling out for any of it, I did think to myself: "They better have included Maleficent in this you know, because as Disney villains go, that bitch is BADASS." Turns out they did. I was pleased.


You see, I have no interest whatsoever in buying purple lipstick but I do love me some Disney villains. The Princesses are all well and good, but the baddies are just so much more interesting. They get some of the best lines, they're so sly and clever and...purple. In college I managed to write my thesis on the image of the witch throughout history...as you do. (Cue conversations with lecturers about how this totally relates to graphic design and is definitely relevant for the degree in Visual Communications that lay ahead.) Halfway through it I managed to shoehorn in a reference to my beloved villainess Maleficent, and a picture of her to boot. Go me.


As Disney villains go, Maleficent kicks the collective asses of all the other evildoers. They're Diet Evil, while she's the childhood-scarring real deal. I mean, if you're going to be the hero's enemy you may as well go all out. Her scenes at the end of Sleeping Beauty frightened the bejaysus out of my six year old self, but on reflection turning into a dragon and having a pet raven are frankly quite awesome attributes.

Apparently (and if the gospel according to IMDb is anything to go by) Tim Burton is meant to be having a crack at re-telling Disney's Sleeping Beauty, but from Maleficent's point of view. Oh now. Yes. Please.