went in expecting a generic supernatural jam and got Mexican Gothic Eyes Without a Face — one of the most palpably atmospheric movies I’ve seen and only 76 minutes!
Directed by Chano Urueta
El espejo de la bruja
An atmospheric horror film.
A husband murders his wife, and years later her ghost emerges from a witch's mirror to take her revenge.
The Witch's Mirror is showing in 1 cinema in Los Angeles - next screening Sunday 15 November at 17:00 at The Frida Cinema.
Next screenings: Sunday 15 November.
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went in expecting a generic supernatural jam and got Mexican Gothic Eyes Without a Face — one of the most palpably atmospheric movies I’ve seen and only 76 minutes!
The Witch's Mirror begins with a description of witches and the power of their mirrors, before proceeding into a plot revolving around a wife taking revenge on her murderous husband and his new bride courtesy of her Godmother's powers in the dark arts. The film goes in really strong with the Gothic mood; complete with shadows and lavish sets. There's clear shades of Rebecca all over it as the new wife tries to get used to her new surroundings while the revenge plot bubbles in the background. The film then goes off on a tangent - suddenly becoming a whole different type of Gothic horror. It's a jarring shift, but I cant help but give some credit to director Chano Urueta for trying to pull it off. The whole thing hangs together like a pair of amputated ghost hands grafted on to a new pair of arms, but its ballsy stuff to say the least. Armando Calvo goes completely off the rails in his husband/mad doctor role as the narrative proceeds - a totally over the top dramatic portrayal of villainy. It gets all macabre too, with grave robbing, live burial, transplants, corpses in freezers and more besides. We've even got a laboratory complete with a watchful owl sitting on a perch, which is surely a breach of hygiene standards. The kitchen sink approach does leave The Witch's Mirror feeling a little unsatisfying by the end, but it's hard to believe just how much is packed in to the seventy five minute runtime really. A truly bonkers dose of Gothic horror from Mexico.
Plays out like the 8mm digest versions of half-a-dozen different gothic chillers being shipped across the border and haphazardly cut together, as Eyes Without a Face gives way to Rebecca, The Hands of Orlac, Black Sunday, and back. I love these Mexican horror films for their commitment to creating a mood on even the most meager budget, and this might be the best of the few I’ve seen. The original US release advertised “free fright pills so you can take it” — yes, please!
A doctor murders his wife, prompting her vengeful ghost to return from beyond the grave with the help of a witch's dark magic.
The film was directed by Chano Urueta in 1962, a prominent figure in Mexican genre cinema.
Yes, original Spanish-language versions are available with English subtitles.
