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WARLOCK MOON (1974)
aka BLOODY SPA
Directed by Bill Herbert
Media Blasters DVD
Reviewed 03.09.06
Review by Joseph A. Ziemba
THE FILM
To the normal person, sweat and
zits on film are anything but attractive.
As long as we're choosing sides,
normal people have no business watching
Warlock Moon. Sounds fair
to me.
Mystery is a beautiful thing. For
Warlock Moon aka Bloody
Spa, a motion picture that's
draped in veils of ambiguous affairs,
that's a rebel yell. This is what
happens when fringe filmmakers chance
upon something special and run with
it. Warlock Moon is imperfect,
yet commanding; cumbersome, yet
frightening. It's the kind of exquisite,
scattered 1970s cheapo-horror film
that can only result from a fluke
occurrence. Director-writer Bill
Herbert should know. He was never
heard from again.
Since the plot is pasted together
with chicken wire and hopeful intentions,
we don't need to delve that deep.
Subsequently, the less you know
about the film's storyline, the
better. Jenny (TV actress Laurie
Walters) is a college student in
San Francisco. John (the prolific
Joe Spano) is that special kind
of moron who communicates through
celebrity impressions ("Ah,
the Schoda Shpring Shpa, eh shweetheart?").
For reasons unbeknownst to you and
me, Jenny agrees to join the grating
John on a picnic in the country.
Wrong turn. Welcome to the Soda
Spring Spa, a decayed 1930s health
resort, now occupied by kindly old
Mrs. Abercrombi. Or is it? Sharpen
the Viking axe and dope up the tea,
'cause Jenny's about to find out.
It's cryptic, it's marred, and most
of all, it's raw 'n' real. Warlock
Moon has a couple of major
defects, but they can't stop the
base payoffs from dishing out. In
fact, the stuff that really detracts
at the outset (John's two-cent Inspector
Clouseau impression, spotty overacting),
all has a purpose in the end. Now,
enough with the problems. On with
the zits.
No matter the region, there's a
special preoccupation in cheap American
trash-horror films from the early
1970s. They like genuine desolation.
It's easy and it works. From Terror
At Red Wolf Inn to Hands
Of Blood, the presence
of an enveloping, sinister setting
can carry more clout than any other
element. Warlock Moon is
the apotheosis of this fascination.
Complemented with beautifully composed
shots and an on-the-fly aloofness,
the massive atmosphere takes center
stage. Plaster falls constantly.
The wood floors crack with every
move. A general sense of direction
is completely lost. On its own,
the ramshackled spa would make any
film. Luckily, the mood is embellished
with backwards sound effects, abrupt
scares, and a supernatural series
of events that make little sense.
The whole thing escalates into mayhem
at the end, complete with a capper
that I wouldn't swap for a hundred
bucks. Mystery is a beautiful thing.
Was there a bottle of cover-up on
the set of Warlock Moon?
Probably not, but that's just fine.
Sometimes, life's little imperfections
leave behind the most lasting impact.
AUDIO AND VIDEO
The 1.66:1 anamorphic widescreen
print is bursting with vintage grain
and balmy colors. Nice 70s grit.
The picture is slightly soft, scratchy,
and a little flat. The crunchy mono
sound does an excellent job of capturing
the boom-boom acoustics of the locations.
The beginning and end credits looked
a little too crisp to be true, but
what do I know? An alternate Spanish
language track is also included.
EXTRAS
Starting out small, there's a 3
minute alternate opening sequence.
If a difference exists between the
actual opening and this "alternate"
take, I didn't see it. Also included
is a "Recreated Original Theatrical
Trailer" for the film, which
contains a scene not found in the
feature, and four trailers (three
newly created, one authentic) for
other Media Blasters DVD releases.
Icing it off is a full length commentary
track from genre savant Joe Bob
Briggs. Towing the line between
smart jokes and historical significance,
Joe Bob adds another notch to his
impressive commentary library. Little
is known about Warlock Moon,
but you get it all with one listen
of this outstanding track. Get the
dirt on William Herbert, fine-toothed
details on the cast and locations,
and that trademarked wit, which
never comes at the filmmakers' expense.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Shrugging off flaws like dandruff,
Warlock Moon is a living
urban legend that's supported by
a fine haze of low budget, 1970s
goodness. It's not for everyone
and that's what counts. If you're
in tune with your tastes, this film
is a modest miracle drug. Own it
and take it. |
Just ignore him
Friends with the haze
Poor Jenny
The Witching Hour
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