October is a month synonymous with witches, among many other creatures and characters. Witches are as much a part of Halloween as the pumpkin, and we see so many examples like the masks in Halloween 3: Season of the Witch to the recently re-released Mcdonalds’ Boo Buckets. When it comes to horror movies, there are certainly some standout witch films. Going all the way back to HAXAN and more recently HELLBENDER (read our review and interview) witches have been a prominent, albeit somewhat underserved part of the horror genre. Filmmakers like Rob Zombie, Robert Eggers, and even Nicolas Roeg have graced the genre with films about the mavens of magic and all in very different ways. It’s somewhat surprising that there aren’t more movies about witches, however, I also must admit to being an expert on the sub-genre so my ignorance should be noted. This brings us to TWO WITCHES, the newest blu ray from ARROW VIDEO offers up another entry into the evolving witch genre. Is this film going to put a spell on you or is it more bed knob than broomstick?

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?

A matriarchal witch passes on her sinister inheritance to her granddaughter, triggering the most horrific curses.

HOW IS IT?

I posit that Sam Raimi has influenced horror filmmakers more than any other filmmaker of all time, and TWO WITCHES is another example of Raimi’s influential reach. In the case of TWO WITCHES, there are direct influences on Raimi’s visual storytelling, and also the technical aspects of filmmaking as well. Drawing as much from THE EVIL DEAD as it does from DRAG ME TO HELL, there is enough narrative originality and uniqueness to bear influence without being redundant.

The less known about the plot the better, because as the title implies there are two witches in this story. TWO WITCHES is two movies that ultimately become one, and that includes tonal shifts that trade pacing for character development. In this way, the first half of TWO WITCHES feels like a shot of adrenaline, and the last half feels like a slight comedown only to be boosted right back up. The choice to divide the story into two connected parts is mostly effective, but the heavy lifting for making that connection is definitely noticeable in the second half of the film. This isn’t a bad thing per se, it’s just that the second story is far more concerned with making a connection to the first than the other way around. It works though and it’s a creative way to tell a story that isn’t doing anything that hasn’t been done before. The strength of the TWO WITCHES lies in the visuals.

One of the best parts about horror movies is that when they get going, the ride can be a lot of fun. Moving the slow-burn style movies to the side, in direct contrast we have movies that seem to almost propel into action asap. While TWO WITCHES definitely has some build-up, it’s not long before things fly off the handle in the best possible way. The violence is brutal and often surprising as TWO WITCHES constantly “goes there” with the gore and the level of tension. It’s not unearned or out of place either, and it all feels germane to the world the film exists in. It bears the violence of TERRIFIER and the finesse of DRAG ME TO HELL, along with the jerky quick-cut editing style. If there is one minor criticism I have it’s that the editing style gets old fast when overused, and while it’s not a massive distraction here it is very noticeable. The acting is also extremely effective, and while there are a few characters that seem a bit too absurd much of that is smoothed out, especially during the second half. TWO WITCHES is an absolute blast from start to finish. It’s a fine-tuned and fast-paced movie that wears its influences on its sleeve proudly and uniquely, and is sure to be one of my top 10 releases of the year!

HOW DOES IT LOOK?

TWO WITCHES was released in 2021 and as such, no restoration was needed for this ARROW RELEASE. The film is presented in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio and the picture is crisp in dark and more colorful scenes. Screenshots from the disc are used throughout the review and are seen below:

HOW DOES IT SOUND?

ARROW VIDEO offers two audio tracks for TWO WITCHES, a lossless stereo track or a 5.1 DTS-HD track. I watched the film with the latter and it is very well-balanced making good use of the surround sound effect in parts. The music and musical cues have a nice weight to them and all the dialogue is easy to understand even during more action-oriented scenes.

ANYTHING SPECIAL?

Seldom, if ever, does ARROW VIDEO drop the ball on special features. One of the reasons they are so trusted for their physical releases is because of how much time, care, and effort is put into releasing more than just a movie. TWO WITCHES is packed with supplemental material and so much of it that I could only scratch the surface of it for this review. To start, there is a pair of Behind the Scenes Featurettes titled Behind the Movie. The first feels more promotional in nature being intercut with clips from the movie and some very soft-ball questions to the filmmakers, whereas the second part is more into the weeds of making the film. It’s great to hear from the co-writer/producer and the co-writer/director on what they were trying to achieve and how they want people to receive it. The only downside here is that combined the two-part features are a total of about 12 minutes in length.

The second feature I watched was a Grimfest Q&A which was essentially a zoom recording between Director/Co-Writer Pierre Tsigaridis and Producer/Co-Writer Maxime Rancon. This 30-minute interview offers a more granular look at the themes and the production process, as well as working with the actors. It was interesting to hear the origination of the idea came from Pierre’s mother who used to tell him stories about witches, and while the interview starts off a bit nervous they eventually find their voice and open up a lot more. They reference the idea of making a “self-aware grindhouse film” which kind of sounds oxymoronic since grindhouse films were always made to be that way and by nature are self-aware. I don’t know if they succeeded as much in that way, even if the film overall succeeds as a bloody romp-style horror film. A full list of special features is listed below:

BONUS MATERIALS

High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation
Original lossless stereo audio and optional 5.1 DTS-HD MA surround audio
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Brand new audio commentary by the director, cinematographer, and editor Pierre Tsigaridis
Brand new audio commentary by producer Maxime Rancon
Behind the Movie, a two-part behind-the-scenes featurette
Interview with actor and associate producer Dina Silva
The Boogeywoman, an interview with actor Marina Parodi
The Original Score, an interview with composer Gioacchino Marincola
The Piano Score director Pierre Tsigaridis talks about the inspiration behind the piano score for Two Witches
Test footage
Grimmfest 2021 Q&A with Pierre Tsigaridis and Maxime Rancon
Trailer Gallery
Image gallery accompanied by the film's original score
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork Ilan Sheady
FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collectors' booklet featuring new writing on the film by Anton Bitel, plus a double-sided fold-out poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Ilan Sheady

LAST RITES

TWO WITCHES is an absolute delight for fans of high-octane violence and stylish filmmaking. While it certainly shows its inspirations proudly, it does enough differently with its storytelling to be compelling without being a copycat.

THE GORY DETAILS

Thank you to the fine fiend at MVD ENTERTAINMENT for providing a review copy for the crypt, and TWO WITCHES is available NOW via MVD DIRECT or ARROW VIDEO!

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Nov 4, 2020

Matthew Orozco