Witchcraft Month Quick Picks and Pans

Bell, Book and Candle (1958) It’s hard not to be captivated by director Richard Quine’s whimsical adaptation of John Van Druten’s play, about Gillian Holroyd (Kim Novak), a witch who must rethink her ways after finding the man of her dreams. James Stewart (who co-starred with Novak the same year in Vertigo) plays the object of her affection, Shepherd Henderson. One of the many highlights is Elsa Lanchester’s brilliant, eccentric supporting performance, as Gillian’s meddling aunt Queenie. The strong cast also features Jack Lemmon as Gillian’s slightly-less-talented warlock brother, Ernie Kovacs as a hack writer, and Hermoine Gingold as a rival witch. 

Rating: ****. Available on Blu-ray and DVD 

 

The Witch’s Mirror (aka: El Espejo de la Bruja) (1962) After she’s poisoned by her scheming doctor husband Eduardo (Armando Calvo), Elena (Dina De Marco) returns as a vengeful spirit to torment him and his new wife Deborah (Rosita Arenas). When Deborah becomes horribly disfigured in a fire, Eduardo tries to restore her appearance, using skin grafts from cadavers. Unsurprisingly, things don’t proceed as planned. The Witch’s Mirror packs a lot of entertainment in its scant 76-minute running time, channeling an E.C. Comics-style revenge story, while drenched in gothic atmosphere.  

Rating: ***½. Available on Blu-ray (included in the Indicator Mexico Macabre box set) and DVD

 

The Devonsville Terror (1983) Director/co-writer Uli Lommel’s uneven but sporadically engaging film is set in New England but was shot in Wisconsin. In the brief prologue, circa 1683, three women accused of witchcraft in a small village are summarily tried and executed. Before the leader perishes, she vows revenge against the descendants of those who wronged them. 300 years later, three women arrive in town, where not much has changed about the residents’ attitudes toward women. One bright spot is Donald Pleasence as Dr. Warley, who contends with a centuries-old curse that causes a deadly worm infestation. While the incel-like behavior of the male townspeople is tough to watch, their gory, over-the-top comeuppance might make this worth a look. 

Rating: **½. Available on Blu-ray and DVD

 

The Witches Mountain (1973) After he rejects his ex-girlfriend’s offer for a whirlwind vacation, a photojournalist immerses himself in a new assignment to investigate a mystery in the countryside. He encounters a coven of witches residing in the mist-shrouded mountains, but their discovery could mean his doom. The Witches Mountain is distinguished primarily for having been banned by the Spanish government at the time for its supernatural subject. While the cinematography is excellent, it’s slow moving and ultimately unsatisfying. 

Rating: **½. Available on Blu-ray

 

The Witchmaker (aka: The Naked Witch) (1969) A group of college researchers travel to a Louisiana bayou to study the witchcraft practitioners in the area. Meanwhile, a warlock, Luther the Berserk (John Lodge),lurks in the shadows, searching for potential victims (he drains their blood to keep his ancient witch lover alive). The clueless students are picked off one by one. Somehow, the movie manages to squander its premise, dragging on and on, with too many talky scenes. Don’t be deceived by the lurid alternate title, which promises more than it delivers. 

Rating **. Available on Blu-ray, DVD (Out of Print), Prime Video and Tubi 

Necropolis (1986) In the film’s prologue, set in New Amsterdam, Eva (LeeAnne Baker) a powerful witch (who knew 17^th century witches had permed hair, and wore lingerie and blue eye shadow?) is hunted down and destroyed. The story jumps forward three centuries to modern-day New York, where the reincarnated witch, now sporting a New Wave hairdo runs amok in the city. A police detective and a snooping reporter combine forces to track down the ancient baddie. Writer/director Bruce Hickey’s would-be Satanic panic movie is filled with laughable dialogue, cheap sets, and mediocre makeup, but its worst offense is that it pulls its punches. Avoid this tepid mess. 

Rating: 2 stars. Available on DVD and Tubi