The Scope

Directed by Chano Urueta

“The Satanic rays of this Moon will return to death what belongs to death”

What kind of horror movie is it? Ghost Story/Witchcraft/Mad Scientist

The late 50s and early 60s saw an international resurgence in gothic horror movies.

Hammer came out of Britain. Roger Corman’s AIP led the way in the United States. And Italy had the emergence of the likes of Mario Bava, and Riccardo Freda.

Mexico also took part in this cinematic movement, producing films like La bruja (1954), El vampiro (1957), and today’s Blogoween entry, El espejo de la bruja, or The Witch’s Mirror as it is known in the English speaking world. These films were extremely popular with Mexican film-goers, and many of them were dubbed into English and released Stateside by producer K. Gordon Murray.

The Witch’s Mirror begins with a voice-over history of witchcraft, laid over with images of Goya prints. We then meet Sara, and her God-daughter Helen. Sara is the housekeeper in Helen’s castle, but also a powerful witch. Using her magic mirror, she discovers that Helen will be murdered by her unfaithful husband, Eduardo. Helen is still very much in love with her husband, and refuses to believe he could mean her any harm. When Sara tries to intervene on Helen’s behalf, she is told by her demonic masters that the decision has already been made. Her God-daughter is fated to die.

It turns out that Eduardo does have murder on his mind.

He wants to marry his new love, Deborah, and so kills Helen to clear a path. At this point the plot gets even more complicated, as Helen’s ghost shows up, leading to disfigurement, grave robbing, and mad science. As is often the case with Mexican B-films, the plot of The Witch’s Mirror has a “making it up as we go along” feel. It also features elements that will be familiar to viewers who have seen Georges Franju’s Eyes Without A Face.

It’s all in good fun though, and things never get boring.

All in all, this is a well-made horror film, with nice black and white photography, and a strong cast. Given the budgetary restraints, the special effects are never elaborate, but they are mostly effective.

I personally love exploring the cinematic traditions of different parts of the world. Mexico has a rich and varied B-movie history, and The Witch’s Mirror makes a nice entry point.

Availability: The Witch’s Mirror is available on DVD from Casa Negra Entertainment