Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.0

The Witch's Mirror Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 3, 2023

Chano Urueta's "The Witch's Mirror" (1962) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films. The supplemental features on the release include new audio commentary by critic David Wilt; filmed interview with actress Rosita Arenas; vintage promotional materials for the film; and more. In Spanish or English, with optional English and English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

You shall be beautiful again

Dr. Eduardo Ramos (Armando Calvo) is miserable because he is married to Elena (Dina de Marco) but is madly in love with Deborah (Rosita Arenas). Unable to continue uttering lies and pretending that he is a faithful husband, Dr. Ramos gathers the courage to end his unhappiness and puts poison in a glass of milk.

Then he hands the glass to Elena.

A few weeks after Elena is buried, Dr. Ramos brings Deborah to his lavish hacienda and introduces her to Sara (Isabela Corona), his elderly housekeeper. Sara welcomes Deborah with open arms and immediately proceeds to make her feel at home. While Deborah responds to the kindness with kindness, later she confesses to Dr. Ramos that Sara’s presence makes her feel awkward.

And for a good reason. Deborah and Dr. Ramos are unaware that Sara is a witch and is already planning to avenge the murder of her goddaughter Deborah. When the happy couple is not around, Sara summons the spirit of Elena through a giant mirror and reveals how she would punish Dr. Ramos and make him miserable again.

When judgment day comes, Sara uses magic to force Dr. Ramos to accidentally damage the beautiful face of his new wife. However, Dr. Ramos vows to do whatever it takes to reconstruct Deborah’s face and then begins stealing bodies from a local funeral home with the help of a corrupt undertaker. Several months later, Dr. Ramos announces to the exhausted Deborah that he has outdone himself and is ready to reveal her new face. But moments after Dr. Ramos takes off the bandages, Sara initiates the final act of her revenge.

Directed by Chano Urueta in 1962, The Witch’s Mirror is a very small project that was likely done in a couple of days and with the tiniest budget possible. It was shot in Spanish but its American distributor commissioned an English dub track which was later used in other markets as well. (Both tracks are available on this release).

The story is essentially an underwhelming collage of genre cliches which is why the four main characters are entirely transparent. As a result, the only way in which The Witch’s Mirror can create some excitement is through its atmosphere.

Sadly, the atmosphere is average at best. Urueta’s camera moves between Dr. Ramos and Sara and documents the obvious, so the suspense that is needed to create excitement never materializes. There are a few segments where the lighting is effective but they are not enough to make a positive difference.

The acting is a mixed bag, too. Only Corona looks right for the type of genre film Urueta should have delivered. When her character uses her magic powers to connect with unknown dark forces, her facial expressions are quite wonderful. Calvo and Arenas play their characters with an over-the-top intensity that would have been far more appropriate in a classic Mexican soap opera. (This may very well be the reason The Witch’s Mirror resonated well with Mexican filmgoers).

A few interesting sound effects can be heard when the large mirror comes alive. However, the soundtrack lacks imagination and virtually all of the music sounds like filler material that was done as cheaply as possible.

The Witch's Mirror Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Witch's Mirror arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films.

The film looks good in high-definition. It is very easy to tell that it has been remastered and likely from the best surviving elements. However, it does look a bit softer than it should, and not because this is an appearance that was inherited. I suspect that some careful digital work was done to rabalnce the visuals and make them as attractive as possible. To be clear, the visuals do not have a digital appearance, but on a big screen it becomes quite easy to tell that have been managed at the lab. The grayscale is good. However, in most darker areas the grays and blacks do not look as healthy as they should. The blacks in particular tend to appear a tad more prominent because of the management work I mentioned above. Stability is good. I did not encounter any distracting surface imperfections to report in our review. My score is 3.75/5.00. (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 Witch's Mirror Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: Spanish LPCM 1.0 and English LPCM 1.0. Optional English and English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I think that I spent an even amount of time with both tracks. I started with the Spanish track but then switched to the English track. The Spanish track is healthier and has a better dynamic amplitude. However, there are several areas of the film where it reveals light background hiss. I did not find the hiss distracting, but its presence is impossible to ignore. The English track is a dub that can be quite uneven and thin. Also, it has some minor pops and hiss, which again are not distracting but impossible to inogre.

The Witch's Mirror Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Mondo Macabro: "Mexican Horror Movies" - this archival program focuses on the vitality and appeal of Mexican horror cinema after WWII. Also, there are some interesting comments about the biggest stars that emerged from these genre films. Included in it the program are clips from interviews with Ignacio Duran (director general of the Mexican Cultural Institute) and writer David Wilt. In English. (25 min).

• Rosita Arenas at Mexico Maleficarium - in this recent interview, actress Rosita Arenas remembers her involvement with The Witch's Mirror and discusses Chano Urueta's directing style. The interview was conducted by Abraham Castillo Flores at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on October 7, 2022, following a screening of The Witch's Mirror. In Spanish, with English subtitles. (14 min).

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critic David Wilt.

• Trailer - a vintge trailer for The Witch's Mirror. In Spanish, with English subtitles. (4 min).

• Image Gallery - a collection of vintage promotional materials for The Witch's Mirror.

• Cards - limited edition exclusive art cards.

• Book - limited Edition exclusive 100-page book with new essays by José Luis Ortega Torres, David Wilt and Abraham Castillo Flores, archival articles, and full film credits

The Witch's Mirror Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It is fine that The Witch's Mirror rehashes most of the popular cliches that you will encounter in older classic and cult horror films. However, its cast and atmosphere are pretty underwhelming, so I cannot write that I had a good time with it. To be honest, right from the get-go, I felt like I was viewing a very small film that was done in a few days to meet an important deadline. The Witch's Mirror is one of four films that are included in Mexico Macabre: Four Sinister Tales From the Alameda Films Vault, a four-disc box set, which is Reigon-Free. An identical North American box set is available as well. You can see our listing of it here.