Jan 4, 2020

The Witches' Sabbath (1988)


A psychiatrist gets involved with a murder suspect who may be a witch from 400 years ago, back to lose her virginity.




 Davide (Daniel Ezralow) is a psychiatrist, fresh out of school.

Davide is tasked with performing a psychiatric evaluation of a young woman, Maddalena (Béatrice Dalle), accused of killing a man.

 Immediately, he can sense something is not quite natural about this girl.

 In my opinion, this is the film's most effective scene.  When Davide looks upon Maddalena, the room grows dark, and she begins swirling around.  Creepy.

Maddalena claims she is a four hundred year old witch, back to lose her virginity to the man she was promised.  In the 1600's, they accused her of being a witch, and she was never able to consummate her love with a man... who looked a lot like Davide.

The film shifts back and forth between current day and the 17th century. We're taken to the halls of an Inquisition, where Maddalena is being inspected.

 Sometimes it's hard to tell if you're in current times or the 1600s in this film.  The trick is to go by Maddalena's hair.  If it's short, it's the Middle Ages.  Anyway, she's being inspected for the Mark of the Devil.

 Béatrice Dalle provides a pretty graphic view as she's examined.

 The doctors look on as the Inquisitor sticks her with a pin to see if she reacts.  She does not.  Meaning, quite obviously, that she is a witch.

 Maddalena kisses her lover (the Davide lookalike) one last time before her sentencing. 

 Cristina (Corinne Touzet) is Davide's wife.

 We get some fun looks at the beautiful local area.

 Cristina and Davide have sex, but wait...

 David can't do it.  He's too absorbed with this witch girl.

Corinne Touzet provides some quality nudity as she curls up, sad and alone.

 Davide is being haunted by weird, satanic visions.  This one was used as the image for some movie posters.

 Some nice random nudity from a patient (Helena Coste) at the mental hospital.

 Davide is at the bank of a river, where a woman is being chased.  Is this a dream or reality?

 The woman (Bianca Pesce), topless, with boobs a'bouncing, runs across the river and joins a mob of witches, writhing orgiastically.

 But Davide is not afraid - in fact, he's kinda into it.

 The next day, he watches as Maddalena goes for a swim.

 He loses sight of her.  Diving underwater, he finds her nude and tied up.

 Maddalena is hoisted to the shore - and we're now back in the 1600's. 

 A really long scene showing Maddalena pulled up the stony shore by a number of men, completely nude.

 Back to present day, Maddalena openly tells the lawyers that she's a 400 year old witch.  

 Later, Davide and Maddalena fuck.

 And now we're back to the old days; where Maddalena is being burned at the stake, and Davide is setting the flame.

Maddalena smiles.  I suppose, now that her mission to have sex with Davide is complete, she can die.  THE END


In my mind, something is too artsy when it compromises the story.  This was beautifully filmed, and endlessly creative.  Yet, that witch orgy seemed to last ten minutes... and did it even really happen?  And if it did, who cares?  If you love and worship this film, I won't judge.  It's just not for me. Except for the titties.

★★★★☆

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