The Love Witch
Desperate Witch Casts
Spells on Unsuspecting Suitors in Campy Horror Comedy
Elaine Parker
(Samantha Robinson) only became a witch after being abandoned by her
late husband. An incurable romantic with fairy princess fantasies,
the gorgeous widow still harbors hopes of finding Mr. Right.
With that goal in
mind, she relocates to a quiet town in Northern California where she
conveniently rents an already Goth-themed apartment in an imposing
mansion on a hill. There, she makes fast friends with her laid-back
landlady, Trish (Laura Waddell), while setting a trap for a string of
unsuspecting suitors via a combination of spells and love potions.
.
Her first mark is
Wayne Peters (Jeffrey Vincent Parise), a very gullible professor she
picks up in a park. She seduces the stranger with the help of a drink
spiked with hallucinogenic herbs. However, Wayne is not long for the
world once the two have consummated the relationship.
After burying the
corpse in her backyard, it's on to the next conquest for Elaine, who
sets her sights on everyone from Trish's husband, Richard (Robert
Seeley), to Griff (Gian Keys), the police Sergeant investigating
Wayne's disappearance. Thus unfolds The Love Witch, a campy horror
comedy written, produced and directed by Anna Biller (Viva). The
movie marks her sophomore offering, and stars Samantha Robinson in
the title role.
The
visually-captivating adventure is a rarity nowadays in that it was
shot on 35 mm film, and it is also a highly-stylized throwback in the
sense that it is an unapologetic homage to the trashy sexploitation
flicks of the Sixties and Seventies.
So, don't expect to
invest emotionally in this cornball adventure at all, particularly
given how the heroine delivers virtually every one of her lines in a
halfhearted, tongue-in-cheek tone. Ultimately, this period piece
harks back less to a cultural era than to a bygone genre of
moviemaking.
A light as a
feather, feminist fantasy where flawed males meet their match during
creative displays of eroticized violence.
Very Good (2.5 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 120 minutes
Distributor: Oscilloscope Laboratories
To see a trailer for The Love Witch, visit: https://vimeo.com/151970316
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