This is an amazing little slasher movie from the early eighties, but differs slightly from the rest of the crop by having a supernatural edge and featuring a murder pretty much every 8 minutes. It also lays on the suspense incredibly thick, and has some incredibly brutal murder sequences. Believe me, not even children are safe from this movies killer.
The sad thing is, this movie isn't actually available in the U.K, but I did manage to find a copy on amazon that is imported from Italy, so was recently able to watch this movie again.
The movie is about an old house that has a huge pond outback. A family with an alcoholic priest, move into the home and soon find out that the pond outback was the site of an execution of a witch by drowning three hundred years before. Then people start disappearing. It soon becomes obvious that the witch is back for revenge, picking off anyone and everyone who visits the house.
The first time I saw Superstition, I was young and my mother had borrowed it from a friend who had amassed quite a collection of horror movies. I remember the atmosphere being incredibly creepy and the scenes that show the witch talking in a different voice really stuck in my mind.
When I watched this movie again a few months ago, I really didn't comprehend just how brutal the death scenes are. There are decapitations, hangings, evisceration's, you name it this movie has it. Also, the special FX in this movie are typically 80's, and very well done.
Also of note, you never actually see the killer, only her hands and her silhouette.
This is one of those movies like The Exorcist before it, that is made purely to scare, and I feel it goes a long way to achieve this, layering on the tension without a chance for the viewer to breathe.
From the opening scene the mood is set. Two guys are playing pranks on people who park near the house for some alone time. They are both picked off in quick succession, one in particularly gruesome fashion (his body is cut in half by a window, and yes, I know it sounds perfectly normal in a horror film for something like that to happen, this is filmed with such flair and brutality that it really sticks with you).
From then on, its death after death as the people in the house uncover more and more of the mystery of the deaths that have been occurring in the house for many years.
I really do hope that in the near future some company in the UK sees fit to release this little known classic of 80's horror for all to see. Until then, a bare bones imported version will have to do.
Nevertheless, this is a film that MUST be seen by all horror fans, as it shows how gory films can actually be scary without being laughable.
The film is also notable for being incredibly popular on pre cert VHS, and in 1984 was given a cinema release under the title The Witch. This is one of a few films which were given a video release first , and then moved to the cinema, not the other way around which was more normal.
I suggest everyone reading this should see this movie. It may be a little camp (as a lot of 80's movies are) but it really is a heart stopping kill fest of a movie.
To buy the region 2 version of the film from Amazon click here.
To buy the region 1 version of the film from Amazon click here.
Here for all to see, is the original trailer for Superstition.
Until next time....
Darkest regards.....Dani.
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