Customer Reviews

Witchmaker: Legend of Witch Hollow

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Witchmaker (a.k.a. "The Legend of Witch Hollow," the alternate title that actually appears on-screen here) is one of those movies that horror fans have HEARD about for years, yet relatively few had actually probably seen. Its legend among witchcraft-themed movies has loomed large, however, and its "official" release on DVD is an important event for horror cinema.

[Minor Spoilers ahead] Green Acres' Alvy Moore is the paranormal researcher who stumbles upon murder and supernatural mayhem in bayou country. It turns out one of his students (the lovely Thordis Brandt) is a descendant of witches. Their investigation also pits them against a powerful, creepy sorcerer known as Luther the Berserk.

Despite being unavoidably dated, all this is played out with dead seriousness, helping The Witchmaker to rise above its surface camp appeal. There's plenty of bright red blood and some near-nudity (think a late-sixties Hammer feature) to keep things moving along. The acting is a bit uneven, but one doesn't generally come to this kind of movie looking for Oscar-caliber performances. Although years of Green Acres reruns have rendered Moore inseparable from his "Mr. Kimball" character, he's really quite good here. The rituals peformed by Luther and his followers are memorable, and add to the atmosphere of dread that runs through the film.

I haven't seen any of the various bootleg prints of the film that have apparently been around for years, but the transfer by Code Red is quite good. Some of the colors are a bit saturated, but it's a fairly common look for films of this era. There's a bit of grain present, especially in the darker scenes, but the overall presentation is impressive. I only played about 20 min. of the commentary track before getting bored, so that's not a selling point for me. There are a few Code Red trailers for some movies that I'm pretty sure I don't care to see.

I'd recommend this one for all serious horror fans, especially those who enjoy a solid "B" movie.

Before anyone asks, I was able to get THE WITCHMAKER early from a store that doesn't necessarily stick to release dates. I wanted to make sure folks know that this release from Code Red is the ONLY FULLY AUTHORIZED release with producer LQ Jones' involvement. The image quality very ably betters the old Midnight Video release in every way since it is a new HD transfer from elements provided by Jones (significantly better colors and detail, anamorphic, many fewer scratches). It also features an 18+ minute conversation with LQ Jones and a commentary track with LQ and cinematographer John Morrill. OAR is 2.35:1. I have posted some screen caps at a few cult movie forums, just do a search online.

THE WITCHMAKER (aka Legend Of Witch Hollow) is a great movie that follows Alvy Moore, Thordis Brandt, Anthony Eisley and others investigating mysterious murders in the swamp. They come up against Luther The Beserk, creepily played by John Lodge, and his minions from the other side. Directed by William O. Brown and produced by Jones and Moore, this movie makes for a great double-feature with their other horror movie, BROTHERHOOD OF SATAN. As the catch phrase for the movie says... Was Death Only The Beginning?

I have the Midnight Video version and this one is superior. The Midnight Video version is watchable, but this one is superior in quality. The print used appears to be a better, less scratchy print, and some work was put into cleaning up the digital version. Highly recommended movie!

This rare late 60s film has finally gotten a legitimate DVD release. From the very beginning it captures the viewer in its surreal type world much like Argento's SUSPIRIA. The story is good and it's well acted and directed. However, the best thing about this film is the atmosphere. It's one of the most atmospheric films of all time, and I love the location where they shot this film. Back in the 60s and 70s they knew how to find a real scummy swamp. The director also makes sure that you get a good look at it, and it's photographed and filmed superbly. This film is a true example of a midnight movie, so it's best viewed late at night. However, the film has a couple of problems that made me deduct one star. The first problem is that it gets kind of talky at times. Some of the dialogue scenes go on too long and I didn't think this was necessary. The other problem is the ending. This is just my opinion but I thought they could've ended this film better, but it's typical of a 60s type exploitation film. I've noticed that a lot of horror films in the 60s didn't have the best endings.