mark.waltz Don't go into this Italian film expecting anything resembling a Hammer horror movie. It is deliberately slow, erotic, moody and gripping. Once you get past the pacing, you will find this an interesting piece of foreign cinema that is more a subtle erotic thriller than a masterpiece of horror. The luscious looking Rosanna Schiaffino is the subject of lust by Richard Johnson, hired to work at the mysterious castle by her mother, the aging beauty Sarah Ferrati in archiving the erotic works of her late husband. It appears that Ferrati has a secret, and as Johnson becomes more involved in their world, he is consumed by his passions that are other worldly in their obsession for Schiaffino. Along the way, there's a battle to the death with Gian Maria Volontè, Schiaffino's obsessive paramour, and claims from an aging female art collector about Ferrati that creates more mystery. I don't watch many foreign films, but the dubbed copy of this I was able to locate made it easy for me to get into, and I found it compelling once certain aspects of the characters were revealed. As it reaches its spell binding conclusion, I was all the more intrigued, especially with the final few minutes where everything from before that was slow and confusing literally had my mind bursting metaphorically into flames. Horror doesn't always need to be scary or spooky or gross. This works on its own merits and is as intriguing as a stranger's wink, although after seeing this, a stranger's wink might make me think twice before responding to it.

Woodyanders Suave and cocky male chauvinist historian Sergio (an excellent performance by Richard Johnson) is hired by aloof and strange old widow Consuelo (a fine and effectively icy portrayal by Sarah Ferrati) who lives in a moldy old castle to catalog her library. Sergio meets and becomes smitten with Consuelo's striking and seductive daughter Aura (the stunning and beguiling Rosanna Schiaffino, whose powerfully sensuous presence positively burns up the screen). Sergio soon finds himself caught in a bizarre supernatural world of dark secrets and forbidden desires. Director/co-writer Damiano Damiani relates the intriguing and unpredictable story at a gradual, yet hypnotic pace and does an expert job of creating and maintaining an arrestingly eerie and mysterious atmosphere that gets more creepy and unnerving as the narrative unfolds towards a genuinely startling surprise conclusion. Moreover, there's an intoxicating underlying eroticism to the oddball proceedings that's highlighted by an incredibly sexy scene in which Aura has Sergio undress her with his teeth. We also get a profound and poignant central message about the desperate measures someone will resort to for companionship. The three leads all give top-notch performances. Gian Maria Volonte is likewise outstanding in a substantial co-starring role as Aura's jealous and possessive former lover Fabrizio. Leonida Barboni's stark and expressive black and white cinematography offers a wealth of breathtaking visuals. Luis Enriquez Bacalov's brooding score hits the shuddery spot. Well worth a look for fright film fans seeking something different and out of the ordinary.

bensonmum2 Sergio (Richard Johnson) responds to a "Help Wanted" ad for a librarian that seems to have been written just for him. When he arrives at the rambling villa, he meets an old woman who has been following him. At first, he writes her off as a nutty old broad and wants nothing to do with her or her job. But then he meets the old woman's daughter, Aura (Rosanna Schiaffino), and decides the job might have a few more perks than he at first imagined. But is Aura for real and to what lengths will he go to get her.The Witch is a very slow moving, but incredibly intriguing film. The movie takes its time in building the suspense and ultimate horror. And while many of the plot points and twists along the way are surely obvious to most anyone, the fun is watching these plot points and twists unfold. I generally don't put much emphasis on things like this, but the relationship Sergio and Aura is as erotic as I've seen. The passion is all but palatable. And when Aura disappears, it's easy to feel Sergio's pain. The final scenes present a more than satisfying conclusion to the film. Although most viewers will have guessed that the old woman and Aura are really one and the same, the whole notion and the way it's presented in The Witch makes for a nice ending.The acting in The Witch is easily its highpoint. Richard Johnson is outstanding as the love-stricken librarian slowly going insane. As for Rosanna Schiaffino, I don't know where these Italian producers found these incredible women. It's not a stretch of the imagination to believe Schiaffino could force any man to fall for her. Finally, Gian Maria Volonte is tremendous as Aura's former lover. I've only seen Volonte in his crazed, over-the-top roles in Spaghetti Western roles, so it was a nice to see him in a more subdued, yet just as crazed, role.In the end, if you're a fan of Italian horror, The Witch is definitely worth seeking out.

Tom Fowler Italy put out some interesting horror films in the 1960s and, as Italian horror is the best in the genre as far as mood and psychological drama is concerned, The Witch is worth viewing if for no other reason.Which is not to say it is a masterpiece because it is not. The pacing is a bit slow even by the standards of the time and the English dubbing is in places atrocious. The main character Sergio, played by Richard Johnson, (the only American in the cast), is male chauvinistic to the extreme, but to be fair we must remember that not too many years ago this was thought to be a desirable quality in any self-respecting male. But even with these shortcomings I found this to be a very interesting and disturbing film, as good horror should be. The Witch also benefits from being shot in black and white, something I wish more of today's directors would realize about these types of stories and take advantage of when filming said stories which depend upon dark mood. Sergio has noticed an old woman (Consuela, played by Sarah Ferrati) who seems to be around him and near all the time and is quite surprised to learn that it was she who placed an ad in the local newspaper for somebody to chronicle her deceased husband's papers, which are quite erotic in nature. Sergio has doubts about this but accepts the job when he meets Consuela's' beautiful daughter Aura, ably portrayed by Rosanna Schiaffino, a dark-haired beauty who reminds somewhat of the great Italian horror actress Barbara Steele. The remainder of the story is the three-sided psychological duel between Aura, Consuela and Sergio. Sergio, very much a man of the world, surrenders his soul and self respect when he murders Aura's current lover in order to win the right to stay in the old woman's house to be near Aura. Only, the old woman has other plans, for she is a witch and can force Aura to come and go at will. For all practical purposes Consuela and Aura are one and the same person, and Consuela has been enamored of the handsome Sergio for a long time. I won't give the ending away, will say only that Sergio at long last re-asserts himself, hopefully to rebuild the pieces of his broken life. We are led to believe at film's end this is quite possible, probable even.Some reviewers have stated this is a film about woman hating. I do not agree as the degradation and destruction of Sergio psychologically are the main elements of the story. I would say it is a film about the hatred of men, not women.You probably won't find this one anywhere although I have been pleased to see a number of obscure films hit the market this year on DVD at very reasonable prices. My VHS copy came from Sinister Cinema. If you do find it, happy viewing. For students of obscure horror films, it is a can't miss.