By. Dr. BENNY GRAVES
Starring Anthony Eisley, Thordis Brandt, Alvy Moore and Shelby Grant
Written and directed by William O. Brown
Released on Blu-ray by Code Red
“Hear me, Lucifer
Black Mass, Black Mass
Take me Higher, Higher”
So sings Jus Oborn of Dorset-born doom metal occultists Electric Wizard for the track “Black Mass.” I’ve been on an EW kick recently and the stars aligned perfectly when my evening ritual of watching a VHS before bed resulted in a first time watch of THE WITCHMAKER. (The Interglobal slipcase is a feast for the eyes.) Draped in bayou mist, drenched with witchcraft and in league with Satan, this flick feels like a doom metal album made flesh by unholy magicks.
There has been a string of murders occurring in the Louisiana Bayou: women hung upside down, drained of blood and marked with the symbol of the Ankh. Enter Dr. Ralph Hayes and his paranormal studies team, eager to discover if sorcery plays a part in these crimes. Hayes has brought along Tasha (Thordis Brandt), a descendant of witches with strong magical sensitivity, as well as reporter Victor Gordon (Anthony Eisley), who intends to document the investigation. What the group discovers are the machinations of a black magician by the name of Luther The Berserk, a warlock drinking the blood of his victims to fuel his unholy powers. Finding interlopers in his domain, Luther takes action, and what was an academic study becomes a battle for Tasha’s soul!
There’s little in the way of lore I can provide regarding THE WITCHMAKER (rereleased in 1975 as The Naked Witch). The only other film directed by William O. Brown is a beach party-era con movie (1965’s One Way Wahine) and the cast is mainly known for their TV work (outside of Eisley, who I am duty bound to mention acted in Al Adamson’s gonzo monster mash Dracula vs. Frankenstein). However, we aren’t here for the factoids. We’re here for Lovecraftian doom metal energy that is harnessed and unleashed during the run time. I love a bayou-centric horror/exploitation flick (see also: Gator Bait, Southern Comfort and Eaten Alive) and this one has all the cypress trees and ramshackle swamp cabins a lil’ etouffee fiend like me could want.
Then, of course, is our black magician, Luther The Berserk (John Lodge). Dressed like a security guy for Blue Oyster Cult who’d try to sell you unregulated acid, Luther vamps and makes entreaties to Satan as if he can practically hear the Iommi riffs. This guy feels like he stepped right out of the pages of a Robert E. Howard book, minus the crippling racism. More Sabbath Bloody Sabbath are the scenes of Luther’s encounters with his coven. Cloistered in a stone temple, the climax features a Sabbat where a group of apparently time-spanning witches (one guy is cosplaying as Peter Cushing; another looks like a Gregorian monk – you get the idea) arrive to revel in their diabolism. It’s glorious. There are some pacing issues and I wonder what a higher budget would do for the fantastical elements, but overall, this is a criminally slept-on slice of black magic. Do yourself a favor and pick up the Code Red Blu-ray, supplement with some herbs/potions and lean back in your chair – Black Mass is in session.
Death to False Horror,
Dr. Benny Graves
