Monday, October 14, 2019

31 Days of Halloween: The Love Witch

2016, Anna Biller (Viva) -- download

(i really should finish the 2019 posts before the 2020 posts begin, not ignoring that 2020 was one long horror movie unto itself)


Sometimes the Top Lists lie, and boy, did they on this one.

In pitch, this sounded like a great movie. It's stylized like a 60s/70s schlock witchy-poo movie about a murderous but lovely witch trying to find love. Few men survive her standards. On the outside the movie is rather stylish and well executed, doing an incredible job of being set in the past and the present all at once. But once the shine of the gimmick goes dull, it's just boring as fucking hell.

Elaine, the lovely young witch is heading to San Fran, after the mysterious death of her husband. Mysterious, but pretty obvious she did it. Elaine wants to find Love, and performs rituals (icky wimmin magic) not only to draw needy, clingy, requiring to be murdered men toward her but also a police detective, who starts to catch on, while also falling for Elaine. Oh noes!

As I said already, the movie is stylish, but in some ways that while obviously intentional are grating AF. It almost felt like they were drawing upon the clueless ineptitude of The Room or seeking to intonate a porn movie, but maybe after it was edited for prime time viewing. But despite the fun aspects of the period styling (clothing, attitudes, colours, hairstyles) all the (again, probably intentional) z-grade acting and directing choices ended up being more off-putting than fun.  So, no thanks.

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