Main Menu

Tip jar

If you like CaB and wish to support it, you can use PayPal or KoFi. Thank you, and I hope you continue to enjoy the site - Neil.

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

Support CaB

Recent

Welcome to Cook'd and Bomb'd. Please login or sign up.

March 28, 2024, 05:34:56 PM

Login with username, password and session length

The VVitch (2016)

Started by surreal, January 12, 2016, 03:20:53 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

surreal

Thought I'd start a fresh thread for this as it's bound to be a hot topic soon.  March 11th is UK general release I think.

New trailer (headphones recommended):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bo2OTEbz-jU

Spoiler alert
Black Philip...
[close]

First trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQXmlf3Sefg

BlodwynPig

I hope its not ruined by modern cinematic tropes, but I like the premise...the queasy "ancient" unknown in the unexplored yonder. The same feeling you get in Blair Witch but not Rentaghost.


Glebe

Thanks for reminding me of another film to add to the list this year, surreal. One to watch for sure.

Egyptian Feast

I saw this at the IFC Horrorfest in October (it was the surprise film). It was probably the best film all weekend, but I'd been for a few drinks with my companion beforehand, so perhaps wasn't in the best frame of mind to appreciate it fully. It almost felt like a hallucination or a creepy dream I'd had - I got lost in the atmosphere and my imagination started wandering, but I enjoyed that about it. I may not have been following it 100%, but I've thought more about that film since than any of the others I saw that weekend. I'm looking forward to watching it again straight.

I don't normally drink before the cinema as I usually don't enjoy movies under the influence (unless they're the type of trash you watch with a bunch of mates). The last film I'd been to see drunk before that was Borat and that depressed the fucking life out of me. I really liked The Witch though, so that's sort of a recommendation.

BlodwynPig

when is it out for us normals?

Glebe


zomgmouse

I loved a lot of moments here
Spoiler alert
(the goat whispering, the raven breastfeeding, the baby killing, and really all the other supernatural moments)
[close]
, which made it all the more disappointing that the rest of it was so wildly inconsistent and dragged on, the religion and pioneer hardship stuff felt unoriginal compared to the scenes of horror. Could have used a lot of tightening.

Noodle Lizard

I didn't think much of it either, and I really did want it to be great (as with most films).  Like zomgmouse said, a lot of it was just quite meandering and dull - though I'm sure defenders would say that added to it.  Not that far off from any number of made-for-TV "Ye Olde bollocks" family dramas you get.  And the idea of them being new settlers in America was pretty much irrelevant, I think, just padding.

As far as horror goes - I dunno.  It wasn't scary or even particularly creepy save for the odd shot, and I'm generally scared most by supernatural/occult horror.  It almost felt like they went back and shot the "scary bits" later, they jarred pretty badly with the rest of it.

The acting was alright I suppose, despite the Ye Olde language feeling a bit laboured at times.  The actor playing the boy Caleb wasn't very good and elicited a few laughs in my screening.  The dad was quite good, although a bit where he rips his shirt off to reveal a nice lovely six-pack also got a few giggles.

Really, I don't think there was much point to it.  Which is fine, films don't really need to have a point, but this felt fairly aimless.  Like a couple of hipsters had watched something like Blood On Satan's Claw[nb]with the sound off in one of those bars you have now[/nb] and went "We should do a folky horror film" and just went from there.  It all felt a bit uninspired.

So look, it wasn't terrible, I liked a lot of the cinematography and music (arch as it was), and it's clearly something its makers really cared about, but definitely another example of a film being overhyped beyond all reason by critics.

Noodle Lizard

Did like that the opening scene was Finchy being told to fuck off.

Steven

Quote from: Noodle Lizard on February 22, 2016, 10:27:13 AM
Did like that the opening scene was Finchy being told to fuck off.

I made this joke several weeks ago after a mate watched the trailer.

EDIT. Also made him watch the trailer for Tangerine and he made a Garbage Pail Kids reference same as I did in the thread. Hive mind, hive mind. One of us, one of us, gabba gabba hey!

zomgmouse

Quote from: Noodle Lizard on February 22, 2016, 01:55:04 AM
I didn't think much of it either, and I really did want it to be great (as with most films).  Like zomgmouse said, a lot of it was just quite meandering and dull - though I'm sure defenders would say that added to it.  Not that far off from any number of made-for-TV "Ye Olde bollocks" family dramas you get.  And the idea of them being new settlers in America was pretty much irrelevant, I think, just padding.

As far as horror goes - I dunno.  It wasn't scary or even particularly creepy save for the odd shot, and I'm generally scared most by supernatural/occult horror.  It almost felt like they went back and shot the "scary bits" later, they jarred pretty badly with the rest of it.

The acting was alright I suppose, despite the Ye Olde language feeling a bit laboured at times.  The actor playing the boy Caleb wasn't very good and elicited a few laughs in my screening.  The dad was quite good, although a bit where he rips his shirt off to reveal a nice lovely six-pack also got a few giggles.

Really, I don't think there was much point to it.  Which is fine, films don't really need to have a point, but this felt fairly aimless.  Like a couple of hipsters had watched something like Blood On Satan's Claw[nb]with the sound off in one of those bars you have now[/nb] and went "We should do a folky horror film" and just went from there.  It all felt a bit uninspired.

So look, it wasn't terrible, I liked a lot of the cinematography and music (arch as it was), and it's clearly something its makers really cared about, but definitely another example of a film being overhyped beyond all reason by critics.

I was talking to someone who said that the supernatural elements detracted from it and while I found the supernatural elements to be the strongest I do believe that to be true, I think - if you don't know whether or not the witches are real, the threat is more palpable and more frightening.

It's also a shame I suppose because the director has gone on about the years of painstaking research and attention to detail that he went to the effort of doing. I say it's a shame because all that effort did not really pay off. And while I admire the dedication, if you spend seven years learning how to kick a ball and then miss a goal then you've still missed and those seven years were nothing but a waste.

Noodle Lizard

Quote from: zomgmouse on February 22, 2016, 11:14:02 AM
I was talking to someone who said that the supernatural elements detracted from it and while I found the supernatural elements to be the strongest I do believe that to be true, I think - if you don't know whether or not the witches are real, the threat is more palpable and more frightening.

That's true[nb]although that kind of "real/not real" story has really been done to death, especially regarding witchcraft - so I'm definitely glad for the definite supernatural element[/nb].  It's paced and plays out like that kind of story, except we've fully seen the witch in the first ten minutes and none of the god-bothering characters ever really doubt that it's witchcraft once things go wonky.  So there's not really much to ponder, you're just waiting for things to happen.

Quote from: zomgmouse on February 22, 2016, 11:14:02 AM
It's also a shame I suppose because the director has gone on about the years of painstaking research and attention to detail that he went to the effort of doing. I say it's a shame because all that effort did not really pay off. And while I admire the dedication, if you spend seven years learning how to kick a ball and then miss a goal then you've still missed and those seven years were nothing but a waste.

Ah indie filmmakers love to toot their own horn, and the film's been massively acclaimed so I don't think he'd see it as not having paid off.  But you're right to think the amount of time/effort it took shouldn't impact your opinion of the product itself, merely add a little '+' at the end of each critique.  To be fair, I did think they captured the period quite well (inasmuch as it didn't look like a bunch of people running about in silly costumes, like I'd feared from the trailer). it's not an abject failure by any means, just underwhelming and uninspiring.  I also imagine it'll be a one-hit-wonder from him, judging by some of the interviews I've read.

Glebe

Just back from it... I generally liked it, nothing mind-blowing but it has a wonderfully creepy atmos and look about it. I saw some review that complained about the ending, saying it was overblown and ruined what went before or summit, I actually thought it was an entertainingly freaky conclusion, although it did make me think, "Did I miss something?" As in, I'm not sure if there was any kind of message going on, or if it was anything more than
Spoiler alert
the goat is the devil and there's a bunch of witches in the woods, and that's it. In any case, the poster makes it pretty clear who the villain is...
[close]

TrenterPercenter

No great.

Poor casting of caleb, pointless script even if it was for the old times speak, utterly bereft of any sense of pacing or coherent story.  Great concept very poorly put together.  Finchy, Tomisin and Black Phillip best actors, in that order.

A cruddy 3 from me.  Disappointed.

Noodle Lizard

Quote from: TrenterPercenter on March 16, 2016, 09:23:20 PMFinchy, Tomisin and Black Phillip best actors, in that order.

Yes, the goat did its best with the material it was handed.

I know goats are "the beast" and they're super evil and Satanic and all that, but I think it's time that horror filmmakers (and black metal musicians) realise that you can never make a goat look anything other than funny.



Look at his stupid face.

It didn't help that the name "Black Phillip" just made me think of Patrice O'Neal whenever it was mentioned.

Steven

Quote from: Noodle Lizard on March 17, 2016, 07:07:01 AM
It didn't help that the name "Black Phillip" just made me think of Patrice O'Neal whenever it was mentioned.

Haa.

But their eyes are fucking shocking, have you not seen??


Glebe

It could have been better, to be honest, but as I said, I loved the creepy atmosphere. Liked the use of old language and the painterly look of some scenes. Lot of nudity and general bizarreness. I'd like to watch it again and see it there's some underlying thing I missed. Again, maybe it is just
Spoiler alert
a devil goat controlling wood-witches
[close]
, and that's yer lot. In any case, it's good see a 'proper film', made on a low budget, getting promotion and a decent release alongside all the popcorn fare.

On a more serious note:


Sorry, couldn't resist. I'm mad, me!

iamcoop

Saw this last night. To begin with I found the diologue really stilted and unconvincing, and then I sort of slipped into the world and it made sense and I went with it.

I wasn't really sure what I thought about it to be honest, but later on at home I realised it had kind of haunted me and I'd been thinking about it all night. I think I think it's brilliant. Need to see it again.

Some great performances, I actually thought the little girl twin was excellent.

After a while all I could think of was "Woah Black Phillip, ram a lam" which was distracting.

I also saw this in the Gallery room of The Tyneside Cinema in Newcastle, which I think hindered the experience as it was so cosy it felt like everyone was holding back genuine reactions due to the slightly awkward feeling you were watching a film in someone's front room with 15 strangers.

This review is rubbish but I'm typing on my phone so sorry, I'll be a bit more in depth when I get access to a keyboard.

neveragain

Quote from: Egyptian Feast on January 13, 2016, 06:48:04 PM
The last film I'd been to see drunk before that was Borat and that depressed the fucking life out of me.

I would think that should help matters. A very funny film, in my own opinion, but the sort of thing that goes better with a few brain-numbing liquids. Mind, the few experiences I've had of watching a film pissed at the cinema haven't been that good, it's not the right location.

Puce Moment

I saw this in a cinema with about 12 other people. At the end the guy who came in to clean up asked everyone what they thought of it with this big happy grin on his face. "It's bonkers isn't it!" He clearly loved the film, and at the tender age of 18 or so, had maybe never seen anything like it.

A few responses from the people to him:

"Really weird"
"Not my thing"
"Incredible"
"Shit."

holyzombiejesus

Quote from: iamcoop on March 17, 2016, 12:08:14 PM

After a while all I could think of was "Woah Black Phillip, ram a lam" which was distracting.


Ha! On the train home, I was singing 'she got her clunge out in the woods' to the tune of MacArthur Park.

Glebe

Oh yeah, anyone notice a slight 'boxing' of the screen at their viewing? Filmed in 1:66:1, apparently.

non capisco

Quote from: Puce Moment on March 17, 2016, 03:31:51 PM
I saw this in a cinema with about 12 other people. At the end the guy who came in to clean up asked everyone what they thought of it with this big happy grin on his face. "It's bonkers isn't it!" He clearly loved the film, and at the tender age of 18 or so, had maybe never seen anything like it.

I found that genuinely heartwarming. I wish I'd have been there to help him enthuse and recommend stuff to him.

I enjoyed The Witch or the Ver-Ver-Itch or whatever it's called, for all its undeniable daftness. It wasn't anything like the terrifying ordeal the trailer hinted at, it's a mere fraction as unsettling as something like Michael Reeves' 'The Witchfinder General', but it pulled me in. The spell was occasionally broken by Ralph Ineson saying things like "Did thou enter into unholy congress with that goat?" and I'm still smirking at the idea of someone naming a goat Phillip but there was some effective stuff in there and it's a lovely looking film. Was also
Spoiler alert
really pleased there actually is an old haggy witch in it going "Neheeheeheehee!"
[close]

'Black Phillip'. Hehehehe.

Liked it in spite of itself. Didn't feel any tension.

NOT AS GOOD AS KILL LIST, MATE.

Just watched it too and agree with above poster of feeling haunted, in a way, by its viewing. I loved the period and setting for it and it really added to the background fear that they were vulnerable to all sorts of threats before witchcraft. I felt that it existed in the same universe as The Crucible, which I am sure it does time wise etc. I agree with those who didn't see it as was the depiction in the trailer and more of a slow burner (perhaps?) and more along the lines of AFIE.
The scene with the twins and Black Phillip was amazing though as it conveyed that Phillip was a bit more than he seemed, as well as the twins.

Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth

Quote from: zomgmouse on February 09, 2016, 09:24:06 AMStuff
Quote from: Noodle Lizard on February 22, 2016, 01:55:04 AMThings
I saw this last night and agree with the above stuff and things more or less entirely. There were effective moments (that rabbit deserves an Oscar) but overall I thought it was rather lacking in atmosphere. A lot of the time I found my eyes darting around the frame, hoping that something subtle and chilling would happen in the background, but it never did.

Quote from: Noodle Lizard on February 22, 2016, 11:27:15 AM
we've fully seen the witch in the first ten minutes and none of the god-bothering characters ever really doubt that it's witchcraft once things go wonky.  So there's not really much to ponder, you're just waiting for things to happen.
Exactly. I can't work out if there was meant to be some ambiguity to the supernatural shenanigans, but there really didn't seem to be. If it was all supposed to be the paranoid delusions of the family, then the film did a poor job of conveying that. It's like the big twist was that there actually was no twist. It rendered most of the scenes on the farm interminable.

A big fat "meh" from me.

Glebe

Just a warning that the FX reel video in particular in this link contains MAJOR SPOILERS:

'The Witch' Gets Resurrected with a Trailer for the Film's Re-Release.

Is that trailer a "fucking" joke?! Also, do they have to reveal
Spoiler alert
the covenant?
[close]

Noodle Lizard

Quote from: Glebe on March 31, 2016, 05:08:25 AM
Just a warning that the FX reel video in particular in this link contains MAJOR SPOILERS:

'The Witch' Gets Resurrected with a Trailer for the Film's Re-Release.

Is that trailer a "fucking" joke?! Also, do they have to reveal
Spoiler alert
the covenant?
[close]

That FX reel is terrible.  You can't even tell what's supposed to be what half the time.

Phil_A

Quote from: Noodle Lizard on March 31, 2016, 05:17:06 AM
That FX reel is terrible.  You can't even tell what's supposed to be what half the time.

Most of that is obvious, it's just digital touch-ups and removing things from shots that shouldn't be there, but I'm a bit confused why they had to CG in an apple instead of just pointing a camera at a real apple.

Glebe