Monday, May 17, 2010

WITCHERY aka La Casa 4

(Fabrizio Laurenti, 1988)

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This is another of those movies that should NOT work on any level, and yet it rarely fails to delight! It stars David Hasselhoff (!) and Linda Blair (!!), and was produced by Joe D'Amato.

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Simple story: Jane (Blair) has been having nightmares about a woman being chased until she jumps out a window. Her parents are looking to buy new property and invite her and her little brother to come see a potential location ...drumroll... it's the same house Jane's seen in her dreams. There they meet interloping photographer Gary (Hasselhoff) and his girlfriend. At the house, Jane's little brother runs into the same creepy European lady in black that saved her earlier in the film (I think she's a witch! Don't YOU?) Said creepy lady then begins working her witchery over the ensemble, first sending them to Hell for torture, then offing them in various grisly manners.

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Like I said, this movie should NOT work, but it does. The cast keep things lively, though I can't say I really took The Hoff seriously in his role. Linda Blair actually acts in this, and isn't half bad. The story is almost intriguing, the synth score by Carlo Maria Cordio is appropriately creepy, and the camerawork is better than would be expected.

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There are some pretty nifty gore effects, my favorite being when the bitchy mother in law gets her mouth sewn shut before being hung up in the fireplace to be roasted! Oh yeah, and there's fried baby-eating in this, so be warned! There's also some horrendously bad optical effects, my favorite being what I call the "Rainbow Flash" that occurs just before Witchery's about to brew! Good for a laugh, and holds up well to repeat viewings...if only for the sight of Hoff getting blood sprayed all over his face!

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Buy It

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