The Witches Mountain Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

The Witches Mountain Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 29, 2023

Raul Artigot's "The Witches Mountain" (1973) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Mondo Macabro. The supplemental features on the release include new audio commentary by critic David Flint; two interviews with actor John Caffari; new visual essay by critic Chris O'Neil; original trailer; and more. In English or Spanish, with optional English subtitles. Region-Free.

As the final credits of The Witches Mountain a.k.a. El Montes de las Brujas appeared on my screen, the speculator in me started insisting that Raul Artigot should have chosen a different title for it. The current title immediately prepares the audience for a straightforward genre film, and while The Witches Mountain is undoubtedly such a film, it is most definitely not straightforward. It is a risk-taker with a genuine desire to be different, so it feels like a less revealing title would have been far more appropriate.

The Witches Mountain begins with a short prologue a seasoned Italian director would have chosen for his latest giallo about a manic killer who happens to be a brilliant chameleon. Carla (Monica Randall) returns to a lavish mansion and has a quick altercation with a kid that dislikes her with a passion. At the end of it, she sets the kid’s pet snake on fire.

After an unspecified period of time, at a new location, Carla then meets former lover Mario (John Caffari), a professional photographer, and begs him to give her a second chance. She has two tickets for the next plane to Brazil, so all Mario must do is pack his bag and follow her to the taxi that will take them to the airport. From there, they can officially start the next chapter of their love story. However, the visibly irritated Mario picks up the phone and instead asks his boss to give him an assignment that would take him as far away from Carla as possible.

Having successfully rejected Carla, Mario visits a secluded beach and encounters Delia (Patty Shepard), and without asking for permission takes several pictures of her. After initiating a conversation, Mario then offers to drive her back to her place, and before they reach it casually invites her to join him on a trip to the mountains. At first, Delia turns down the invitation, but later, much to Mario’s surprise changes her mind.

This is where The Witches Mountain permanently begins transitioning to that very fluid place many conventional genre films love to visit. It is where the real and surreal slowly begin to overlap and eventually what is supposed to separate them becomes impossible to recognize. Had Artigot chosen a more ambiguous title or perhaps even a shamelessly misleading one, the emergence of this fluid place would have been far more effective.

Shortly after the trip begins, Mario and Delia reach an ancient castle, and the only person there, a semi-deaf, cockeyed simpleton (Victor Israel), allows them to spend the night in separate rooms. But when the lights are turned off and someone, or something, scares Delia, she ends up in Mario’s room, where together they endure a long night of bizarre nightmares. On the way to their final destination, which is never discussed, Mario and Delia then become distracted by heavy fog, and after someone steals their car, they are forced to walk to a dying village whose only resident, a very old woman, welcomes them in her cabin.

It is difficult to tell with absolute certainty whether The Witches Mountain was supposed to be as uneven as it is, but given its very modest appearance it seems fair to conclude that its budget determined a lot more than Artigot did. However, early into the second half, after the transition from the real to the surreal is initiated, The Witches Mountain becomes such a strange genre film that some of its most obvious weaknesses become its greatest strengths. For example, a single very predictable twist permanently changes its identity, but instead of looking silly, the events that are chronicled in it become strikingly atmospheric. Also, the main characters have odd transformations that somehow begin to make sense, though at this point it already feels like the entire journey into the mountains is a twisted nightmare that has taken over a weak mind.

The ending comes abruptly. I like it a lot because it does not attempt to place everything that has occurred in a proper context, which is how a twisted nightmare always stops tormenting the mind. I just wish that Artigot had been given a bigger budget so that he could stay longer in the mountains and do more advanced lighting work to make the nightmare even more intense.

*The Witches Mountain can be viewed in English and Spanish. Both tracks feature original overdubbing. However, most of the actors appear to be uttering their lines in English, so the English track is preferable.

The Witches Mountain Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Witches Mountain arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Mondo Macabro.

It appears that the current presentation of the film is a reconstruction job because there are several tiny segments that have different color values and density levels. Once the current version of the film was assembled, some remasteting work was done as well. The finished product is a bit of a mixed bag, though it is difficult to tell whether the reconstruction could have been slightly better or dramatically better. Why? Because there are traces of aging and flatness that fluctuate a lot. I assume that someone attempted to rebalance the visuals as best as possible and in the process introduced additional flatness by eliminating native detail. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to tell how much native detail was compromised because the surviving elements for this film were clearly not in optimal condition. Delineation, clarity, and depth gravitate around average, so if you have a large screen, you will see plenty of areas with limitations. Colors are difficult to judge as well. There are a few decent primaries. However, there are digital adjustments as well. (See the creamy yellow in screencaptures #1 and 8). Darker nuances are unconvincing, so expect to see plenty of crushed blacks. Image stability is good. Some surface imperfections can be spotted, including a few large marks and blemishes. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

The Witches Mountain Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I viewed the entire film with the English track, which should be considered the original track because the majority of the exchanges are done in English. However, the English and Spanish tracks feature original overdubbing, so both are quite flat. Dynamic intensity is quite average, but this is an inherited limitation.

The Witches Mountain Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by film historian David Flint. It has some quite interesting information about the troubled history of The Witches Mountain as well as the film's unique narrative and style. I enjoyed it.

• The Witches Mountain - The Documentary - in this recent documentary, actor Victor Israel recalls his involvement with The Witches Mountain and explains what made the film special. Cinefiles Armando Medina Calvo and Adnres Padron also comment on the film and the evolution of the Spanish genre film during the 1970s as well as Raúl Artigot's body of work. In Spanish, with English subtitles. (25 min).

• A Conversation - in this recent interview, actor/producer John Caffari discusses his background and illustrious career. In Spanish, with English subtitles. (31 min).

• Archival Interview with John Caffari - in this extract from an archival interview, actor/producer John Caffari again discusses his background and illustrious career. Also, there are some particularly interesting comments about the production of Hundra and Yellow Hair and the Fortress of Gold. In Turkish, with English subtitles. (36 min).

• An American Actress in Madrid - this new visual essay about actress Patty Shepard was created by critic Chris O'Neil. In English, not subtitled. (8 min).

• Producer's Trailer - a remastered trailer for The Witches Mountain. In Spanish, with English subtitles. (3 min).

• English Credits Sequence - with English text and music. (2 min).

The Witches Mountain Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Witches Mountain is the type of genre project that can be effective only if seen in the wee hours of the night. I enjoyed it because it has a very surreal atmosphere that reminded me of Jess Franco's work. Raul Artigot lensed several films for Franco, so it makes sense that he would have attempted to emulate his style, though The Witches Mountain is definitely not a copycat. If you have a soft spot for low-budget older Spanish genre films, consider picking up this release when it goes on sale.