Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

Witching and Bitching Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman July 6, 2021

There must be something in the air that is making cinematic fathers with custody issues do really questionable things. Just a week or two ago, I reviewed The Paper Tigers, a film which featured a trio of erstwhile kung fu students who had made it to middle age with everything that that entails, including in one instance a divorce and a young son in tow, at least on days when shared custody deemed the kid go with his Dad. The father in that film wasn't initially able to honor some promises made to his kid, a probably common peccadillo that was of course addressed over the course of the story. Now, here comes Witching and Bitching, a film which may cinematically respond to The Paper Tigers with a figurative "Hold my beer", as it documents a father named José (Hugo Silva) who has the audacity to have his sweet young son Sergio (Gabriel Delgado) tag along during a robbery of one of those "we buy gold" emporia which probably invite so much umbrage from people that some folks would probably applaud them being burgled. Witching and Bitching is the handiwork of the frequently pretty gonzo Álex de la Iglesia, who just had a couple of his other interesting films, The Day of the Beast and Perdita Durango, released in both 1080 and 4K UHD by Severin Films. Witching and Bitching may not have gotten the 4K UHD treatment (at least not yet), but for anyone who has seen either of those other films, this one has some of the same provocative elements, albeit in a story that probably tends to lean more toward the anarchic comedy of The Day of the Beast rather than some of the more dramatic dysfunctions of Perdita Durango (even if that film, too, had a certain darkly comedic undertone at times).

Witching and Bitching begins frenetically and frankly rarely lets up in that regard as it continues marauding along, and if there's one thing that some audience members may tire of, it's how relentlessly noisy the film can be, as all sorts of chaos breaks out, repeatedly. The opening sequence is a case in point, with José, made up to be one of those "living mannequins" who supposedly holds perfectly still in public, in this case Jesus holding a cross, and his co-conspirator Antonio (Mario Casas), who is adorned as a G.I. Joe type, suddenly spring into action and infiltrate the gold establishment.

They're aided and abetted by what might be termed, in true Mad Magazine fashion, a "usual gang of idiots" which includes some other people who are in somewhat hilarious costumes themselves, with one being SpongeBob SquarePants, another clad as Minnie Mouse, and a third rather whimsically attired to be The Invisible Man. The film's cheeky aspects are fully on display here, as José, ranting publicly about the injustices suffered by divorced men, finds unexpected support from one of the customers, currently on the floor shielding his head from the guns José and Antonio (not to mention little Sergio) are brandishing. Another customer (a woman, of course) berates José for not having Sergio in school, where he obviously belongs.

Suffice it to say that while the robbery goes relatively well, the getaway is spectacularly bungled, to the point that José, Antonio and little Sergio more or less carjack a taxi which is being piloted by Calvo (Pepon Nieto), with (initially at least) a terrified passenger in the back seat. Ultimately another probably boneheaded decision brings the escapees into the clutches of a gaggle of witches led by a trio including grand doyenne Graciana (Carmen Maura), her daughter Maritxu (Terele Pavez) and Maritxu's daughter Eva (Caroline Bang). Also suffice it to say that the family dysfunctions suffered by José and his ex-wife Silvia (Macarena Gomez) might pale a bit in comparison to some of the goings on between these three women, but the women at least are united in their quest for a kind of messianic "golden child" for some kind of ritual, which is where Sergio comes into play.

There is a lot of rather funny stuff scattered throughout Witching and Bitching, but I'm not entirely sure the film might have been aided and abetted by having a bit less, especially in terms of intersecting subplots (two hapless cops with Silvia in tow figure into the proceedings). But there's both an appealingly Gothic atmosphere here with an almost sitcom-like undertone that gives the film a manic kind of energy. The special effects are well handled as well, with a climactic CGI beast that in fact may frighten small children (see screenshot 19).

Witching and Bitching Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Witching and Bitching is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of MPI Media Group and IFC Midnight with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.35:1. The IMDb lists Arri Alexas and a 2K DI as relevant data points (and just for good measure, Alexas can clearly be spotted in some of the supplements included on the disc as bonus features). While obviously rather stylized at times, with an undeniable emphasis on either yellow or blue grading choices, Witching and Bitching provides a generally very strong high definition viewing experience. Detail levels are often excellent, with fine detail quite impressive throughout, even in less than optimal lighting conditions. There are some occasional deficits in overall detail, especially in some of the darkest material, but things like fabric textures and even the occasional gruesome injury offer some surprisingly precise looking moments despite a prevalence of "spooky" shadowy material. CGI is actually rather effective, including the lumbering beast that caps the film.

Witching and Bitching Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Witching and Bitching features pretty boisterous DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and LPCM 2.0 track in the original Spanish. As mentioned above in the main body of the review, this can be an almost overwhelmingly noisy film at times, with a glut of effects and ambient environmental sounds dotting the premises, but that at least keeps the side and rear channels invitingly engaged throughout the presentation. (Interestingly, the film was evidently screened theatrically with an Atmos mix, which I assume was even more hyperbolic than the "traditional" surround track included on this disc). Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout without any problems whatsoever. Optional English and Spanish subtitles are available.

Witching and Bitching Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• The Story (HD; 2:44) is a brief overview with a couple of candid shots of scenes being filmed. In Spanish with English subtitles.


• The Characters (HD; 4:06) offers similarly brief introductions for several of the key characters. In Spanish with English subtitles.


• Heist in Puerta del Sol (HD; 2:59) offers a look at the film's raucous opening sequence. This has some more sustained behind the scenes footage. In Spanish with English subtitles.


• Trailer (HD; 1:49)

Witching and Bitching Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I might say that Witching and Bitching offered another of patented blend of Álex de la Iglesia's particular lunacy, except that so many of de la Iglesia's pieces are so sui generis that they defy being pigeonholed in just about every conceivable way. This is another de la Iglesia film that may owe more than a bit to the likes of Robert Rodriguez and/or Quentin Tarantino, but it is definitely its own beast (in more ways than one). For those with adventurous spirits and perhaps slightly jaded senses of humor, Witching and Bitching offers secure technical merits and some brief but appealing supplements. Recommended.