FRENZIED FUN IN A WHACKED-OUT WITCH TALE
DVD, Blu-Ray & Streaming – “Witching and Bitching”
Review by Ray Schillaci
In 2010, director Alex de la Iglesia delivered a powerful vision with “The Last Circus,” and as many of you who have seen it know, it packed a helluva wallop. Now Iglesia delivers a supernatural fantasy that is perhaps one of the best movies ever about witches. This bawdy tale of the war between men and women, a bank heist, and the threat of the end of Western civilization by a coven of witches is a delightful mixed bag of laughs, chills and thrills.
“Witching and Bitching” comes to us just in time for Halloween. It starts off small and frenetic, and soon becomes giant in scope in its visual flair and hyperkinetic style. A jewelry heist involving a group of inept robbers in various disguises – a silver-painted Christ (soon to be known as Jose) equipped with giant silver cross, a guy painted up like a green plastic army man (soon to be known as Antonio), Spongebob Squarepants, Minnie Mouse and an invisible man (must be seen to be believed). Oh, and did I mention Christ has involved his child in the robbery because he has him for the weekend? That is just a small taste of the dark, twisted and sick humor in this very weird film.
The robbers lose their getaway car during the near botched heist and opt for hijacking a taxi cab with an innocent passenger. After a series of very funny events, the leader of the crew orders the driver to take them to France via a small town with a very troubled history. It’s known for witchcraft and sacrifices the driver warns them, but not being superstitious, the men insist the only witches they have ever known were the ones they dated or married.
Eventually the group runs into an authentic witch (literally), and the fun ensues. What at first appears to be a warm, friendly welcome in a dilapidated mansion turns into the discovery of a wild coven that will stop at nothing to feed on a few of the men and offer the young boy as a sacrifice to something so heinous that the sight of it will make you gasp and laugh. There are so many wonderful surprises in this ribald tale that it never ceases to amaze.
To add to the crazy mix, there is the irate mother of the child that wants her ex-husband’s balls, and a couple of bumbling detectives who are hunting for the thieves. The ensemble of actors are wonderfully over-the-top and provide big laughs. The stand-out performers: Hugo Silva as the embattled Jose, who is juggling fatherhood and his fairly new criminal life, Mario Casas as Antonio is the delirious man-child and Carolina Bang as Eva the fetching witch with a dangerous temper.
And, then there are the wonderful witches. The kind we were told in storybooks. The ghastly looks and the nasty cackling all looking to be a large part of the downfall of man. The set design is just as entertaining with its gothic presentation. The score by Joan Valent is frenzy fun and it adds a delightful kick to an already exciting good time.
I cannot recommend this movie enough. You can catch it on Netflix, Pay-Per-View or purchase it at Amazon. If you ask me, this is definitely one to add to your horror/fantasy collection. And, for those of you too lazy to read the words off the screen, START DOING IT. I emphasize that, because there are far too many great scary flicks out there that you are missing out on. “Let the Right One In” “Rec” and “Juan of the Dead” are just a few of the classic new horrors out there, and they are all subtitled. Trick yourself into viewing “Witching and Bitching,” it’s a wonderfully ghoulish treat.
Directed by: Alex de la Iglesia
Release Date: September 27, 2013 (Spain)
Run Time: 112 Minutes
Rated: NR
Country: Spain/France
Distributor: Enrique Cerezo Producciones Cinematográficas S.A.
