Witch Tales (Cuentos de la Bruja)” (2020) Film review
By: Joseph Perry (Twitter - Uphill Both Ways Podcast)
Peruvian film Cuentos de la Bruja (Witch Tales) is a fun tribute to pre-code American horror comics that adapts three such stories, with introductions hosted by a fetching witch (Mayella Lloclla).
The first tale, “Cycle of Horror,” based on Al Eadeh’s Chamber of Chills story, stars Renato Babilonia and Oscar Babilonia as two thieves who murder a man for the money in his briefcase. When it comes time to divvy up their take in a rat-infested motel room, one thief kills the other and takes off with all of the loot. The surviving criminal soon finds that every room he tries to sleep in holds a grim reminder of his deadly double-cross.
“Experimento de Terror” follows, based on Carl Burgos’ “Experiment in Terror” from the Haunted Thrills comic book. Mad doctor Emil Chadwick (Raul Chamorro) — complete with a dead eye, sneering leer, claw-like nails, and a human brain in a beaker on his desk in front of his computer — lures an unsuspecting engaged couple (Fiorella Vergel and Erick Lopez) to trap them in his experiment to see whether love or hunger is stronger. Alert viewers can spot a couple of H.P. Lovecraft references in this one.
The third tale is “Bon Appetit,” based on “Chef’s Delight” by Ruth Roche, and concerns an egotistical chef (Mario Maldonado as Francois) who spends his money and time on his mistress rather than his wife and sickly son. With horror comics of the time most often focusing on a bad person’s comeuppance, you can guess where this one is headed, but how it gets there is interesting.
Cuentos de la Bruja (Witch Tales) is written, directed, and shot by Mike T. Lyddon, whose previous films include Horror Anthology Movie Vol. 1 (2013), Horror Anthology Movie Vol. 2 (2014), and First Man on Mars (2016). He is assisted as a producer and on special effects, props, and in other areas by Rubi M. Lyddon. The film is a microbudget outing, and occasionally its budget limitations show in such areas as musical score (for example, in “Experimento de Terror,” traditional Christmas songs were used throughout though I could spot no other holiday references) and a couple of the set designs, but the spirit behind this movie more than makes up for such moments.
Mike T. Lyddon knows how to tell a fright-fare story well, and he paces the proceedings nicely. The special effects are impressive, and the film doesn’t hold off on either splatter or grue. The acting ranges from very good to moments where it feels like a few cast members could have put in a little more oomph into their line deliveries, but everyone involved — including several actors making their cinematic debuts — is game.
Cuentos de la Bruja (Witch Tales) is an independent effort that is a valentine to lesser known horror comic books that were often in the shadow of such E.C. Comics legends as Tales from the Crypt and The Vault of Horror. Fans of vintage horror comics and horror anthologies, and those seeking out independent scare-fare movies made by obvious fans of the genre, should find this film well worth seeking out.
Joseph Perry is one of the hosts of When It Was Cool’s exclusive Uphill Both Ways podcast (whenitwascool.com/up-hill-both-ways-podcast/). He also writes for the film websites Gruesome Magazine (gruesomemagazine.com), The Scariest Things (scariesthings.com), Horror Fuel (horrorfuel.com), B&S About Movies (bandsaboutmovies.com), and Diabolique Magazine (diaboliquemagazine.com), and film magazines Phantom of the Movies’ VideoScope (videoscopemag.com) and Drive-In Asylum (etsy.com/shop/GroovyDoom).
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