Directed by Francois Merlin
Review by B. Guillory


Released by: Salvation Films
Running time: 106 min.
Rating: NR
Color Format: color
Subtitles: French with English subtitles
Region Code: All
Aspect ratio: Full Screen
Special features: Deleted and Extended Scenes, Stills Gallery, Redemption Trailers
Trailer Online: Yes

I want you to think back to that moment you saw CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST for the first time. What about that moment your mind cracked after an essential viewing of EL TOPO, and we can not forget the very first time we saw a young promiscuous Italian woman puke her intestines up in the gaze of a demonic priest. Believe me, I am not going to state that THE WITCHING HOUR belongs next to the great cult films from Lucio Fulci and Alejandro Jodorowsky, but I will say that it brings me back to the beginnings of becoming a fan of celluloid oddities that were not available in the stores. Films that were 80% dumb but 20% awesome, and that 20% made up for all the bullshit you had to sit through (yes, I am without a doubt referring to Jess Franco). This French low budget horror/ action flick THE WITCHING HOUR lacks in many places, but that 20% is sure fire fun.

So this group of street thugs needs to get a supernatural stone for their boss, and of course they get the damn thing, but this bad ass in a cloak and witch hat that looks like it was lifted from Party City pulls some brains out and wish bone splits one of the thieves. A fight ensues and the stone is taking back, and this is where THE WITCHING HOUR meets its 20%; the editing in the film is very kinetic and strong. It truly saves the picture; after all, in most modern low budget horror flicks they ruin everything by having no technique at all, and THE WITCHING HOUR truly sticks to its aesthetic of rapid editing to hide the low budget flaws of the film. This works past its pragmatic usage because it looks interesting. The whole film moves like Darren Aronofsky’s rapid montages of PI and REQUIEM FOR A DREAM. And I must say that this style of editing may have made the fight scenes seem very well done; I was truly feeling the nostalgia of my days discovering cult Asian films too.

Logically, the group of thugs has to not only get their jewel back, but they absolutely have to get revenge for their buddy’s murder. This is where the true conflict kicks in. After finding a family of inbred morons and some exposition that makes the extra animations added to DUNE look like Moebius, the group has to face five witches that walked straight out of a Suicide Girls layout. The witches are fun, and one of them sports a GO GO flying ball weapon, which is always a good time. After the battles of the witches ends, the film starts to wind down into a simple conclusion that only makes me apathetic to modern storytelling.

The production quality is very poor for THE WITCHING HOUR. It is a digital film with no attention to post production lighting. As I said previously, if it was not for the editing, this film would be worthless, but the editing makes it worth a glance just to remember the times when you discovered something shitty and good.