Plot: What’s it about?
Elizabeth (Ashley McKinney) has invited a bunch of kids from her school to a party at her creepy, old mansion, which is strange enough if you ask me. Before I go any further, I want to fill in a few details that surround these kids and this party. These teens all live in Dunwich, Massachusetts and this shindig takes place on May Day, which happens to be a holiday for witches. Hmmm…Massachusetts…a witches’ holiday…gothic girl from school invites over some popular kids…something seems unusual about all this. As it turns out, Elizabeth has gathered them all to help her ancestor Lillith (Ariauna Albright) gain revenge on those who burned her at the stake, by taking down their descendants. But the teens don’t all find out at the same time, so they’re taken down one by one, until the plan is finally revealed to them all. Can any of these teens manage to survive this horrific ordeal, or will they all be forced to pay for the sins of their ancestors?
After I saw the sequel to this film (Witchouse: Blood Coven) and liked what I saw, I figured I should backtrack a little and check out the original. I wasn’t as impressed with this movie, but it was still a lot of fun to watch. The things I liked about this movie were the miserable acting and lame characters, but I suppose some might view those elements as bad. I do admit that in a more serious movie those elements would be bad, but since this one never takes itself too seriously, they add fun to the experience. The girls look really good and even if they can’t act, they’re fun to look at and laugh at. The guys have no idea how to read lines or deliver emotion, but that just makes the whole film seem a little more fun to watch. The visuals are very good though and though the effects can’t compete with Hollywood, I was impressed with what I saw. You have to be into low budget horror or Full Moon movies to like this one, but it is worth a look in the end. I recommend this movie to those interested, but make sure you go into it with the right attitude.
This film has a cast loaded with unknowns, so the real pressure seems to be on the shoulders of the director, David DeCoteau. He is credited as Jack Reed, but rest assured that the veteran low budget horror talents of DeCoteau are behind this movie. DeCoteau never has much in terms of budget or talent, but he still manages to turn out some fun movies that are worth watching, especially in groups. I don’t think his movies will win many awards, but I like his flicks a lot and I am always interested when new films by him are released. In this film, DeCoteau guides a young & inexperienced cast to a decent enough end, which is impressive if you ask me. This didn’t turn out to be a classic, but I am surprised it all turned out as well as it did. Other films by DeCoteau include Voodoo Academy, The Brotherhood, Curse of the Puppet Master, Dr. Alien, Totem, and Shrieker. The cast of Witchouse includes Ariauna Albright (Witchouse: Blood Coven, Urban Legend), Dave Oren Ward (The Killer Eye), Matt Raftery, Monica Serene Garnich (Tv’s Undressed), and Brooke Mueller.
Video: How does it look?
Witchouse is presented in a full frame transfer, which I think is the intended aspect ratio. I think this was a direct to video release, but this could be an open matte version and in either case, the image is above average. The colors look bright and rich, with no bleeds at all and I found no problems with the flesh tones either. I was pleased with how sharp the contrast was also, as detail is very high and black levels look well balanced. I didn’t see much in terms of grain either, while compression errors are minimal. This is a very nice transfer, though I think an anamorphic widescreen version would have improved the visuals.
Audio: How does it sound?
I was pleased with this audio presentation and though not much range is evident, the elements come off in fine form. The music sounds very good in this mix and I heard no hints of distortion, while the sound effects come off in distinct and crisp fashion. I don’t think you’ll be overly impressed with this mix, but it all sounds very good, even if a little limited in the end. I had no trouble with the dialogue either, vocals were clean and sharp at all times. This one sounds much better than I expected, though it might have been improved with a full surround sound mix.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes talent files and trailers for this & other Full Moon flicks. The case lists a featurette, but I was unable to locate that extra.
