Mark Kermode reviews The Love Witch
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- čas přidán 9. 03. 2017
- Mark Kermode reviews The Love Witch. A witch uses magic and spells to make men fall madly in love with her.
Please tell us what you think of the film -- or Mark’s review of the film - below. We love to include your views on the show every Friday.
www.bbc.co.uk/5live
Fridays at 2pm on BBC 5 live. - Krátké a kreslené filmy
The LEAD ACTRESS was a STAR. Totally unique film.
Interesting review other than calling her a "control freak". Male directors who had been so active in all the different processes would have been applauded.
I do think it was a joke. Simon has a super dry sense of humour.
To be fair it's rare for filmmakers to be in charge of many things like editing and dresses so really Anna biller is kinda of a control freak or just cheap
lemonflower- Male directors would be branded misogynists if they made a film about killing women
@@WORLD8NSH5KNIGHT1 Umm, there are literally hundreds of films made by male filmmakers that are about killing women.
@@WORLD8NSH5KNIGHT1 except for when literally dozens of directors have done exactly that and that didn't happen?
the production for this movie was absolutely stellar
King Wizard ♔ agreed this was a pretty good film.
That was the BEST thing about it. Much better than the acting and writing.
Trailer Express I too felt that Barbara's delivery and character initially didn't work and should have been very dark and serious. But after multi viewing I think Barbara was not that far of from a vacuous sorority girl or wealthy Deadhead type who'd drifted into Wicca to be trendy so it worked. The witches were not supposed to be taken favorably!
Cut out the word absolutely, you don't need it, you absolutely don't need it.
Ethidian ah, noted.
I was lucky enough to see this in 35mm in Chicago, it's a gloriously intelligent film that challenged me as a man. Walking out of the theater asking myself if this film was relevant in terms of her view of love, then I turned on my TV and saw one of the Kardashians spouting the exact same "men need a woman to make them feel like a man" line, and I thought "oh, there still is this backwards, patriarchal ideal of relationships being sold to women" and at that point, the idea of it being a period piece with cell phones really clicked with me.
Loren Greenblatt Absolutely. I think those elements (cellphones, contemporary cars) are there as a mean to say that those patriarchal views are still today very much alive, at least in Anna Bilder's eyes
The center of the movie is that the men in the story AND the women have no idea what 'love' really is.
@To Release is To Resolve that doesn't mean he's an idiot. He may have just stumbled upon it while surfing the tv
@@wickedfeylady That's what I got, too! The cop's internal monologue in the movie during the mock-wedding scene showed he knew only shallow things of love as well, but in the male perspective.
The Love Witch reminds me of Hammer as well as Giallo films. The sets, makeup, and costumes are stunning.
Control freak !?! .....her male crew decided to walk out .... / make filming etc difficult. It’s a beautifully crafted film. It’s filmed artistically, decadent, and perfect. The magical symbolism and messages speak to those in the know.
I think it was just a joke.
I know I am kinda off topic but does anybody know a good website to watch newly released tv shows online ?
@Fernando Soren Flixportal =)
@Cristiano Ronnie thanks, I went there and it seems like they got a lot of movies there :D Appreciate it !!
@Fernando Soren Happy to help :)
Have watched it tonight for the first time. I loved the scene where she brewed the potions and then laid down to pray for love. Stunning!
"All That Heaven Allows directed by Jess Franco.." For us movie geeks, this is the best description EVER!
The Love Witch rocks. Destined to be a classic.
Why does Simon mayo always look like he absolutely hates mark Karmode. 😂
Because they've been married for many years.
Cos he does
Someone's got to keep his pretension in check!
A movie straight from Lana Del Rey's last Ambien trip.
Great comment :D
Lol 😂 I thought she looks like Lana Del Rey.
lana wishes to be so elegant
Just watched this film and for me I got references to the likes of _The Wicker Man, Straw Dogs, Hammer, The Rocky Horror Picture Show_ and _Elvira: Mistress Of The Dark._ Oh yes, and Crowleyan Gnosticism
Also, I was really taken by how this film is done entirely from a woman's point of view. Anna Biller might not think of it as a feminist film, but it's certainly a very _female_ film and the fact that such a film is seen as feminist purely because it is so female centric speaks volumes about Western media.
It is a beautiful film and it was wonderful seeing shots and techniques that you just don't see in film anymore. I genuiney think it would have benefited from a British Lion logo at the front.
I really look forward to seeing more of her work.
yay, i thoroughly loved this movie. if you have love in your heart for russ meyers & 70s exploitation & hammer horror, i think you'll find this movie to be an absolute treasure. i've read some of the interviews with the director, and if she is being serious, then i think she's inadvertently made camp...which is probably the only way camp can be made, i suppose.
damosuzuki I am a RM fanatic and didn't find it remotely like a Russ Meyer film in any way apart from some lighting and clothing. Viva (2007) Ann Biller's equally brilliant film, definitely so!
well, i definitely feel that btvotd & love witch share a tone & sensibility (if i can use that word without sounding too douchey). the opening of btvotd's wiki article calls it a satirical melodrama, and i'd say the exact same words fit the love witch to a t. at the very least, i'm sure we'd agree that people who've enjoyed rm films would likely love this a whole lot. the venn diagram would almost completely overlap, i bet.
So tra-la-la and so la-dee-da-ah-ah-ahhhhhh!
My thoughts at the end of this really interesting and thought provoking film were "Its amazing how women get men so right and so wrong at the exact same time" The same I'm sure can be said about how men understand women. We are two halves of the same whole and this movie explores what connects us and divides us
Nice to see this review on CZcams, a forum in which almost all channels I've seen offering their '2 cents' about this film reveal they don't have the first clue what the film was meant to convey.
Great review of a fine film and a fascinating director.
I've finally gotten around to watching this. The dialog and acting often remind me of a John Waters film.
Well I do love the look of it.
Yes, I can see how the director would see it having missed its mark. It seemed like a variety of parodies to me; the production is pitch-perfect but I found it ultimately unsatisfying, almost like going to a gourmet restaurant and ordering everything on the menu only to get nothing but indigestion. I really wanted to love it. This went sailing way over the arch.
I can't acknowledge 'camp' as an objective adjective for purposes of art critique. Well, maybe for something as light-headed as latter day Carry-Ons (which I love, by the way, over and above the early ones, though never by virtue of 'camp') but 'The Love Witch' is far, far more intelligent and thoughtful than that.
It's a ribald film, which is fine by me, but its element of eroticism is incredibly sweet - which is even better. Samantha (I must credit the performer rather than the character here) dancing around the living room in her underwear to seduce one of her victims is just adorable. Credit also the director for navigating eroticism clear of seediness and vulgarity at all times.
Oddly enough, where Mark Kermode cites 'The Wicker Man' in obverse comparison, I make it a parallel. (Which is high praise from me because TWM is a former outright favourite film.) Both films carry the viewer on an air of protracted psychological tension rather than run you ragged with sudden shocks.
Which is also where I'm with Anna Biller on the Hitchcock reference. Factor in the dry, understated humour and I'm sure Hitch will be looking up at this one with a glint in his eye. Actually, secondary to Samantha Robinson's adorably innocent 'striptease' (naturally), the dry aura of Hitch is probably what really engages me with 'The Love Witch'.
DREAM SEQUENCE! The wedding scene particularly - Biller takes the viewer in and out of dream sequences before they know it. Very clever and very stylish. Echoes of John Gilling's 'The Plague of the Zombies' (1966).
About the highest praise I can lavish is that 'The Love Witch' gatecrashed informal favourites status despite not having a musical score that I found memorable (with alopogies to those concerned - I might connect with that on second viewing). If Anna Biller had had Bernard Herrmann at her service, she'd stand a real chance of knocking Truffaut off his perch. (Fahrenheit 451)
By the way, no part of 'The Love Witch' is an instruction manual to me. With the exception of murder (a distinction I'm obliged to make for legal purposes), I have personal experience of every theme explored in this film - including the beautiful, intoxicating, devious-yet-vulnerable occultist leading protagonist. I love the fact that she got away with it in the end. Spoiler alert, by the way.
I'm surprised that this crazy movie is being taken so seriously. I've watched it several times because it's my favourite Bad Movie.
In it's favour, it has great retro cinematography; some cool jump-cut edits and a nice penchant for recycling old bits of soundtrack.
However: the clunky dialogue; the confused message and the (mostly) dreadful acting lead the film into 'Stinker' territory. In other words, it's awful but I like it.
The movie feels like a real labour of love on the part of Ms. Biller. She deserves great credit for the effort and attention she devoted to it's creation with what appears to be a limited budget and lack of resources.
Compare this film with 'Eyes Wide Shut' which also featured nude pagan rituals. That film had a massive budget and enormous star-power but, for me at least, was a vacuous and boring story about wealthy people with no real problems. Whatever 'The Love Witch' may be, it isn't boring.
Movie looked amazing but the last half dragged on a bit.
Glad you finally saw this. I thought the film was hilarious. I was able to interview Wayne (Jeffrey Vincent) on my podcast Cinemeter and got a lot of fun trivia about the process of making it.
This movie it's amazing, go see it!!
Knew Mark would love this from the moment I heard about it.
This movie was brilliant. The only sort of self-made auteur I can think of comparable to Anna Biller in recent memory is Shane Carruth. Just great stuff and one singular vision. A perfect movie.
I have to note on the fact you called Anna a "control freak"....when the film largely entails themes of controlling what you "love". I don't know why this has to spun in a negative way, It's HER labour of love so why not? Anyway, I have issue with the reference to "white witch" here, she is not a white witch....if you're putting pins in a voodoo doll and even the people in your own coven act as if collateral damage was a natural side effect of magic, you're not white....there is another reference about white witches and this is tongue in cheek in the Herb shop. Black magic is ALL that is used in this film and its all black magic. Interfering with another persons free will and conscience subliminally is a "sin" whether it is to save or destroy a person. I just had to make note as someone here asked what's the difference, the answer is, there is no difference...white witches are under the impression they only do "good" when it is no different. Traditional medicine people and shamans would be closer to "white witches."
If she had a penis, we would hear how talented she is for being involved in so many processes of the film and "hands on". It's ironic and sad that they seemed to miss the feminist themes in the film and sound like the old style patriarchy they are referencing.
@@gentleeyes What is ironic is you totally ignore the fact that if a male director made a film glorifying the murder of women he would be branded a misogynist
But a female director glorifying the murder of men is 'empowering'
By the way, Stanley Kubrick was often described as controlling too
@@WORLD8NSH5KNIGHT1 I don't consider it glorifying or empowering though, it's more of a commentary on the patriarchy and our roles inside it defined by our genders. You're not meant to agree with Elaine just because she's the main character. She lives in a deluded fantasy world that has made her go to the extremes in the name of 'Love'. She is unable, at the end, to take anymore rejection because she believes that she is everything a man could ever desire, she envisions a perfect world in her mind where she gets what she wants, becoming distructive and dangerous in reality. She's an cautionary tale for women.
it's Anna not Anne.
Yes, this movie is awesome. Glad we still have torrents around. I'd never be able to see it in Brazil otherwise.
Well Mark, you’re just about completely wrong about her influences, but yeah.
Very very good movie.
What is a white witch and how do they differ from normal witches?
They're white.
These comments are hilarious. Thanks Chingophia, at least someone answered my question....lol.
@@Chingophia 😳
@@slimithy12 I link with all types of color witches an I assure you all colors indulge in evil magick not JUST us black ones .
did you say shes a white witch?
As in white magic, there is white and black magic
@@plumeria190 , she kills everyone, I have a feeling thats not white magick lol
@@panoreapan470 it's white magic you misinformed mam. However her human actions are not.
If part of its appeal is a paean to old horror movies, no wonder you like it.
It's great. Beautifully made and with a lot on its mind. I don't know how the director can think it isn't camp though. It is insanely camp. And odd. And satirical. It took me a while to work out what they were doing as at first I thought it was all horribly stilted and terribly acted. But I was dead wrong. Samantha Robinson and Gian Keys are terrific. My only criticism is it is too long and a bit too languid. Still, you won't see anything else quite like it that's for sure.
You were right the FIRST time around. It was "horribly stilted and terribly acted". Whether on purpose or not. But it looked good.
This story is like a Friday the 13th the series episode when a cursed female compact flashed at a guy makes him love the girl, but for the girl to move on to the next guy she has to kill the current one under the love spell. It ends with a prom suicide and the antique owners recover the compact and lock it up.
Suspiria and vampiros Lesbos mixed
it ends with a "WTF"?
For me the whole movie was WTF!
This was a decent film proving men are simple creatures.
Ive been with this kind of woman, so yes, it was a horror to me ;D ... I loved it
Of course men would be scared of a womans sexual nature. Misogynists are scared of female empowerment
@@TiffanyRay Keep fighting the gender wars. See where that gets you in life.
The central theme is the love witch is a woman named Elaine who got brainwashed by the idea that love is a magical thing and to earn it, it is to be hexed and cursed.
She holds what the patriarchal society has to say about gaining love from men.
Elaine is abused by his father and she never knew what does love feel like from men so she kinda buys into the patriarchal notion that men must be given sex for them to fall in love etc.
The theme is that many patriarchal notion have hurt not just women but also men . The patriarchal society instill the false idea of love.
This movie in no way is feminist but rather to show consequences of a false idea of love which affects both women and men
Great looking movie but it's too long
harveybirdman74 Well if Alex in Clockwork Orange signing endless forms while marching everywhere once he hits the prison is "genius" then thou ditch protest too much.
Was it a spoof? It felt so...
Hilarious movie.👍
To the feminists here attacking Kermode for using the term 'control freak' - Stanley Kubrick was called a control freak too, but you don't read 'male sexism' in that.
Hammer Movie
I
Wait. What?!?
It's funny to hear the mysogony . Men's egos are so easily threatened...
What 'Misogyny' ?
All I see here is male bashing from feminists like you
I don't see any comments vilifying women
The film is literally about a woman killing off men who disappoint her!
But hey that is 'empowering'
Feminists are totally blind to anti-male sexism
@@WORLD8NSH5KNIGHT1 p.s. I was Referring to the mysogony from the comment section from haters like you🤐
@@stephanie6501 that dude is the poster child for fragile lmao
@Centrist Philosopher pfft..you lack comprehension. You didn't even get the love witch theme right.
I must be missing something because I found it tedious and really quite aggravating. It looks amazing and has the potential to be something extremely special, but I came away thinking I'd seen a feature length episode of Garth Marenghi with all the jokes boiled off and nothing to say. Visually stunning, perfect score, but no film
You're not the first to notice that, it's pretty to look at but there isn't much in the way of story and it is way too long. Could have been told in 80 minutes.
I hated it. Loved the look of it but that was about it. I gave up about half way through. (But that obviously means I didn't get it)
I thought the same thing! I'm dumbfounded at the amount of people gushing over the film.
I started watching this movie and just couldn't continue after ...well not long....anyway my point must be....its funny how mark makes you think...well maybe it is good...but I'm just not getting it...wow and he wants to see it again!
anyways each to their own...or maybe I will go back to it......who knows
When a film is as stylised as 'The Love Witch' the rules of drama go out the window and you can basically make of it what you want. However, I'm pretty certain that it isn't as clever or as funny as it thinks it is, and in reality just descends into a kitsch pool of pretentiousness. Ten minutes in I realised that the film wasn't going to progress or evolve and that it really was going to deliberately be this one-dimensional; an hour in I was folding my arms and blowing air out of my cheeks; and after two hours I felt like I needed cleansing. The film's biggest problem is that it's duller than dull. It's like someone you've just meet at a party enthusiastically telling you a long and tedious joke that isn't funny and doesn't have a punchline. I guess it's trying really hard to be a 'cult' film, like last years' 'The Greasy Strangler', but it's just too obvious and ends up being the king's new clothes. 1/5
EXACTLY!
I liked the film however the clash of invoking the 60s/70s and having a rather meandering pointless ending let it down.
The Love Witch is heavy-handed, clunky, overly long, pretentious drivel. It was torture to watch.
Her voice is wrong... She should've been dubbed.
The film looks quite quirky and original. I like the retro 60s feel to it. But I am put off by the strong male-bashing overtones.
I am not sure I want to sit for an hour and a half or whatever the running time is to hear a lecture about the wicked patriarchy and how terrible men are.
If a male director made a film glorifying the murder of women he would be branded a misogynist
lol calm down :/ there are plenty of films with men killing/raping women - and just like this one (even if a bit gory),, they are an artistic expression of the human condition.
feminists and any other puritan who fails to see the art of something bc they're too caught up in gender wars is annoying (yourself included)
You haven't even seen it though!! My god, watch the thing first, THEN complain about women taking over society etc.
Besides, there are many films that glorify the murder of women (which incidentally the love witch does not do to men).
Honestly, see it first and then complain; you're not going to get an understanding of anything by some random review on youtube. It is quite different to the way that you're characterising it
Um that's the point that elaine was psycho. You are very fragile lol.
Some male film director should make a film to counter this one called The Love Warlock where a warlock uses his powers to seduce women.
oh the outcry that would trigger, i love it, lets get to it!
"Some male film director should make a film to counter this one called The Love Warlock where a warlock uses his powers to seduce women."
Don't we already have several films like that?
thats just dracula
In an age of cringe worthy, forced feminist, woke movies, the love witch is a female empowerment movie I can enjoy, without feeling guilty of been a man. Excellent little movie.
Terrible, terrible, terrible - save 2 hours of your life and avoid!!
no maybe about it tbh
What are you on about, I absolutely loved it, and I haven't even seen it!
You'll love it even more once you have.
Disneydave44 what a weird guy.
Even as a feminist I didn't get it. Non of the strange parts were weird, non of the cult parts were creepy, strange. Everything was generic and slow-going!