The Horror Show
Witching & Bitching
by Alex de la Iglesia
As with any art form, movies are not as simple of an affair as they used to be. No longer are we, as viewers, limited to what talkie is playing at the cinema. We're not confined by single genres or one country’s efforts. Because of this we can see all sorts of different films from all sorts of places. I try to take advantage of this over-spilling of creativity as often as I can. My latest dip into the culture/genre mix was the Spanish Horror/Comedy Witching & Bitching. And it reminded me of what I love about every aspect of what it is.
Witching & Bitching blends action, comedy, and horror soundly as it maneuvers through the various plot points and concepts. The film starts out with a creative and exciting jewelry store heist that involves our protagonists posing as street performers. Our primary focus is Jose (Hugo Silva), who heads the heist with the help of his young son, as well as a few strangers that serve as accomplices. They end up on the run from the cops, which is how they become mixed up with the secondary, more sinister plot.
There is a coven of witches in the area, doing what witches do. There are a lot of intricacies that keep the movie going and evolving, so it's quite difficult to tackle it as a whole. It's the type of movie where the journey is the story and you just have to be on board with the characters. This aspect of the movie works well. The banter between the characters is both humorous and natural. None of the characters are archetypes or stereotypical in any way. Sure, one may be more humor-based than another, but they all have interesting quirks and traits that keep things fresh and original.
The story has a healthy dose of comedy, but also allows itself to be quite dark. It allows you to forget the seedier aspects of witches for a while so when they start to do what witches do best, it gives the movie a good shot of bleak reality. It stays fun, though, and never takes a beat to get boring or repetitive. It was nice to see witches utilized in this type of film, as vampires, zombies and slashers are more typical horror/comedy affairs.
The special effects make no secret of the fact that they use CGI, but the over-the-top style only adds to the overall feel of the project. It isn't told in real time per-say, but certainly feels that way as it keeps driving forward as we see the main characters try to make sense of everything as they keep going through their adrenaline-fueled adventure. There is a lot of energy with Witching & Bitching and all the aspects connect nicely. Despite featuring subplots involving the protagonist's wife trying to track him down, as well as the police, the film never feels congested and is quite fluid.
Witching & Bitching goes out of its way to portray each element in a unique way. Nothing is left up to the ordinary, even if the filmmakers could have gotten away with it. Whether it's the use of street performers in the opening or watching a witch casually walk across a ceiling while handling a phone call, there's always something interesting to look at. None of the characters are throwaways and they all add their own little bits of flavoring to the unfolding story.
I've seen a lot of non-English speaking films, as well as a lot of horror/comedies. I haven't, however, seen all that many that are both. You would think that given cultural differences and the importance of timing, connecting with the humor in a foreign film would be difficult. I was pleasantly surprised with how well the jokes hit and the humor was spot-on. I think this is because the more comedic moments come from a universal place and the actors do a fantastic job with what they do. The back-and-forth between the various parts comes across loud and clear whether you're reading with subtitles or listening with a native ear.
The more action-based scenes are very thrilling and lively in a way that never feels like the story is just going through the motions. It's very chaotic at times, but never sloppy. This is an impressive feat, as mixing so many elements has a relatively high failure rate. Witching & Bitching is well thought out and is, in the end, an intelligent and delicately handled production.
I had previously seen director Alex de la Iglesia's film The Last Circus. The Last Circus was a bleak, imaginative, and wild film. Witching & Bitching contains these same wonderful elements, but with the addition of more humor. And the director proves that he has a flair for this element as well. A lot of effort was clearly put forth and such dedication led to a successful film that is, put simply, a whole bunch of fun. If you're a fan of the horror/comedy subgenre, I would strongly recommend Witching & Bitching as your next viewing. It's one hell of a ride.
P.J. Griffin, HMS
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