Camille Keaton in Italy Set from Vinegar Syndrome

[The_Chex]

Sex of the Witch---it's either a badass metal group or a disjointed Italian gothic horror unsure if it's a giallo, a tale of vengeance imbued with witchcraft, or the sexual adventures of a hapless servant working at the Hilton. It begins as a driving simulator with the audience along for the ride across the Italian countryside to a remote castle. Enjoy the soundtrack while you can because from here on out, it's mostly just a lone track repeated at every opportunity. Sure, it has shades of Charles Bernstein's A Nightmare on Elm Street, but a little goes a long way. The car arrives at the destination and several people enter the remote household and sit across from a dying old man who looks at his relatives with contempt. He predicts an inevitable death for each of them as he slips into the darkness. Elsewhere, Tony the servant (Franco Garofalo - Hell of the Living Dead) is fumbling around with the maid's nipples as badly as I struggle to put together my tie in the morning. Soon after, the young relatives and the deceased man's assistant huddle around a lawyer who reads from a will which states that the property and belongings shall be equally distributed by all who reach the age of thirty. It's a strange stipulation until you realize they're all nearing the age. Who will live to to become part of TV's Thirtysomething and collect on the inheritance?

[Show spoiler]I wanted to enjoy Sex of the Witch. It has all the hallmarks of what I like in Italian horror: gothic location, a handful of slashed bodies, and plenty of sleaze. On paper, it sounds amazing. Too bad it just fails at every conceivable turn even with the late addition of witchcraft. It's as if someone wrote three separate outlines and decided to mush them together but forgetting to connect the threads between them to create a cohesive story and characters. I have no idea who anyone is let alone their motivations. They're never properly introduced. Are all the relatives siblings? Cousins? Are some just love interests? No idea. Where's that photo of a confused Jackie Chan when I need it.

The giallo element is sparse with the worse conclusion you can possibly imagine. Only one murder falls under the giallo description and it's over faster than you can ask "who's that guy". The only positive is that it brings Dr. Butcher himself (Donald O'Brien - Zombie Holocaust) in as inspector albeit with nothing to do. It's ok as he leaves the story after this subplot is wrapped up only to reappear at the very end chase scene. Not during the chase; I'm referring to when the chase is over. Worse is how the murder weapon and the killer are discovered. It's the most inept, laughable excuse I've ever witnessed. It's almost a selling point as I doubt anything else in the genre comes close to the sheer laziness demonstrated.

Sex of the Witch is a confusing, disoriented mess that stumbles when it finds the energy to even move. What it does excel at is showing how awesome Tony the servant is. He's sexing it up with the maid. Then he sexes it up with her again. Just to show Tony keeps it fresh, he follows it up with a threesome with an attractive blonde villager. Fingers are dipped into a fishbowl at one point. This goes on for several minutes as Tony isn't in a hurry. Of course he makes a pass at the maid again, but the story finally decided to kick in so it's cut a bit short. No worries, as the film ends

[Show spoiler]with Tony and the maid checking the castle rooms containing several dead bodies and mentally broken character that was escorted away earlier that the inspector and all the other characters have forgotten about before ending up in a bedroom with Tony laughing as the camera freeze frames on the maid's crotch. This outlandish sequence perfectly encapsulates the movie. The story was never about the deaths of the young rich cast, but the exploits of Tony.

It's almost fascinating in how a film can squander its possibilities by failing at nearly everything.

[ShawDonkey]

Originally Posted by DukeTogo84

The best is easily Tragic Ceremony, but it does have a few points where it does get a little dull, but a certain scene in the middle of the film is pretty epic.

Yes, while love movie it`s a pity after ceremony it starts to drag little bit. Felt like scripter did run out steam and plotwise very little happens. Was quite amusing how little quartet talked about event they experienced.


Do like the ending when doc wraps things up for police.

[DukeTogo84]

Originally Posted by ShawDonkey

Yes, while love movie it`s a pity after ceremony it starts to drag little bit. Felt like scripter did run out steam and plotwise very little happens. Was quite amusing how little quartet talked about event they experienced.


Do like the ending when doc wraps things up for police.

Yeah, I thought it was pretty funny that the Doc basically told the cops that a ghost just killed a bunch of people and if they wanted to stop it from happening again, they need to go after a ghost.

[The_Chex]

Bill (Tony Isbert - The Rift) is a tortured young man. His parents have fallen out of love and cheat on one another. Also, his mother rejected his gift. Granted, the gift was a string of pearls said to be possessed by an evil spirit that was later exorcised out of existence thanks to a priest, but it's still more thoughtful than a mere Hallmark card. What does one do when you're rich and depressed? Take a boating trip with two other guys and Jane (Camille Keaton - Raw Force) who may or may not be your friends! Once back on land, the gang start a cross-county road trip until they run out of gas in the middle of a thunder storm. Luckily, they come across a gas station and its attendant who gives them just enough to find shelter at Lady Alexander's (Luciana Paluzzi - 99 Women) mansion. The men are shown to the servant's quarters where they dine as Jane is pulled aside by the host for special attention. It isn't long before Jane investigates strange noises and happens upon a Black Mass ceremony.

[Show spoiler]At first, Tragic Ceremony feels rote. Group of youngsters run out of gas during a stormy night and take refuge at an old dark house. Inside, they discover something sinister. Director Riccardo Freda (The Horrible Dr. Hichcock) keeps it visually engaging with quick edits and a moving camera, but at the end it's familiar even by 1972. The Black Mass and the strange-noise investigation may have some viewers contemplating for the remote as the pace comes to a crawl. Patience is certainly rewarded with gonzo macabre sequence filled with wild effects that are so fun, you'll see them again later in the picture. It's definitely the turning point for the movie. Typically, stopping the Black Mass occurs during the film's climax and solves all the problems. Instead, Tragic Ceremony ramps up and unexpectedly transforms into something else entirely. It's refreshing not knowing what will happen next.

There are a few peculiarities outside of the unique narrative structure. I have no idea about the relationship between Bill, Jane, and the other men. Friends? Associates? There's an attempt at drama with Jane rejecting Bill after a vision of him as Billy from Laserblast and then sleeping with one of the other men, but that raises further questions. Wait a second...Bill...Billy...it almost makes sense. Camille Keaton does bear a slight resemblance to Cheryl Smith. The gang leaving the car out in the rain reeks of just wanting to move the story forward and forgo logic. I'm all for it. My "car pushing" quota had been filled by that point. It's bizarre that Bill's house and his father's getaway cottage are in the same area as Lady Alexander's mansion and the gas station. The geography makes it seem as if these places are within a ten-mile radius.

The ending itself is

[Show spoiler]head scratching. Jess Franco alumni Paul Muller shows up to explain the obvious---Lady Alexander possessed Jane. It's hilarious that it's to mimic Psycho and fill in the audience by having a doctor talk about the supernatural to an inspector, finishing with an order for the lawman to seek out a ghost. That's not what needs an explanation. Did the pearls actually have any effect on Jane? Is that what drew her to the Black Mass? Why did the cultists go insane? What were the cultists plans if the group didn't arrive? The police never found Lady Alexander's body so where did it go? C'mon, Muller, give me more answers!

No matter how I feel about the ending, the journey there is entertaining and sometimes shocking and I'm not just referring to the Black Mass. The image of a decomposed face is genuinely chilling. Madeliene gives Camille Keaton moments to stretch her dramatic side, but I found her reserved approach more fascinating in this. It's an ethereal performance lingering between sinister and concerning. Tragic Ceremony has its faults, but it's such a unique beast that plays with conventions. It could have focused a bit more on the gothic moments, but it hits the target well enough. It could have been worse. If this had been made a few years earlier, the group would have been loudmouthed rebellious teens like Challenge the Devil. Now that's terrifying.

Final Thoughts on the set
Madeleine may interest a few who wish to return to it for a second viewing. Otherwise, the drama isn't going to wow anyone. Thinking back, it feels like the opening and ending scenes were shot as an afterthought to bookend the picture and make it something more than it originally was. Sex of the Witch could have been something terrific, but ultimately squanders all of its potential. Tragic Ceremony, after all these viewings, still manages to captivate. Camille Keaton gives a chilling performance and the story plays with expectations and delivers several surprises. It's worth seeking out for horror fans. Is it worth the cost of the set? One great film and two that are curiosities at best. If the set is one sale, it's worthwhile. Otherwise, it depends on how big of a Camille Keaton fan you are or how interested you are in early 70's Italian cinema.

[Maestro666]

They're not blockbusters, that's for sure. I'm glad Vinegar Syndrome thinks there's 8000 people out there that want these unknown movies. I've had MADELEINE and SEX OF THE WITCH for years. But these are def for the die hard Italian giallo collector. V.S. thinks they've got 8,000 fans for these movies. I clicked the link to the eBay pages. Seems no one is too interested as the sellers don't seem to be selling any. That's who bought the majority of those 8,000 copies: retailers. You can't count the sales to retailers as "Omg! People really want these! Let's release more!" F Vinegar Syndrome. They started off being bootleg buyers/fans and all of a sudden became the purveyors of horror films? I thought their niche was old 42nd Street smut. Pffffft

[gbm82]

Originally Posted by Maestro666

They're not blockbusters, that's for sure. I'm glad Vinegar Syndrome thinks there's 8000 people out there that want these unknown movies. I've had MADELEINE and SEX OF THE WITCH for years. But these are def for the die hard Italian giallo collector. V.S. thinks they've got 8,000 fans for these movies. I clicked the link to the eBay pages. Seems no one is too interested as the sellers don't seem to be selling any. That's who bought the majority of those 8,000 copies: retailers. You can't count the sales to retailers as "Omg! People really want these! Let's release more!" F Vinegar Syndrome. They started off being bootleg buyers/fans and all of a sudden became the purveyors of horror films? I thought their niche was old 42nd Street smut. Pffffft

These sets aren't likely going to retailers... only a handful get their slips/boxes

[Mr. Thomsen]

Yeah, I didn't see this sell out soon what with the 8,000 copies available, so I opted to pass on it for now. I am going to keep and eye open, but I would be surprised if it wasn't still around for the halfway to BF sale next year.

That said, I definitely need to get it for Tragic Ceremony. I am a big sucker for Italian gothic horror.

[troykan]

I enjoyed the set overall, not perfect films but it was a nice sleazy romp with Keaton!

[Brian81]

I still want this set, just have it on the back burner.

[Hammerlover]

I like this set too. Nice to have the films in a handy package.

[Lannister1098]

Bought this set during the Halfway to Black Friday sale recently, so I’m hoping it’ll be a worthwhile watch.