Schwarze Mächte der Verführung

There's an attempt at a story, but who are they trying to kid? Let's get this straight. Sorceress is purely a T&A flick, but it also delivers the goods. I stumbled onto the box at a video store and rented it just because of Julie Strain's name. If you watch any amount of T&A flicks or direct to video B-movies you know when she's the headliner in a movie exactly what you're getting. I wasn't disappointed.

Cheaply filmed, the cast is surprisingly better than you expect to see in this type of material. Though there won't be any acting awards given out. The story with it's witchcraft element is a bit silly and the ending quite stupid, but there's no denying the movie does it's job. Between the ladies featured there's enough T&A to keep you happy and former Penthouse Pet Julie Strain looks great here.

Bosomy witches Julie Strain and Linda Blair use their powers to try to help their respective husbands' careers. Julie's married to Larry Poindexter and Linda's married to Edward Albert. So neither lady is all that lucky. A lot of other stuff happens but who really gives a flip? Nudity enthusiasts should like it for its softcore content but, sadly, Linda Blair doesn't disrobe here. There's really nothing exciting or titillating about this movie. It's a big bore and a dumb one at that. The best thing I can say about it is that it has a lot of eye candy. Directed by Jim Wynorski, who never met a pair of fake boobs he didn't like.

A witch (Julie Strain) gets rid of her husband's (Larry Poindexter) competition at a work. His wife ends up casting a spell that results in his main competitor (Edward Albert) being crippled for life. However Albert's wife (Linda Blair) also happens to be a witch and she is intent on bringing those who caused her and her husband harm down. Good premise, slightly better scripted then you would expect for such low budget fare has plenty of hot steamy moments and an attractive cast.

Unrated; Strong Sexual Content, Nudity, Violence, and Profanity.

Sorceress (1995)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Penthouse pet Julia Strain plays a witch who uses black magic to paralyze a man (Edward Albert) who was seeking a high paying job. The witch did this so that her former lover would get the job and help his career skyrocket. The paralyzed man is thankfully married to a woman (Linda Blair) who also happens to be a witch.

There's honestly more "plot" in this softcore flick than any other that I've ever seen. In reality there's probably enough plot here for four of these types of films but director Jim Wynorski is a genius when it comes to these types of "B" movies. SORCERESS became a huge hit when it first started to play on stations on Cinemax but when it came time to release it to Blu-ray the director was able to make an uncut version, which features a lot more full frontal nudity.

So, how is the film? In all honesty I found it to be fairly entertaining for what it was. Obviously if you're coming into this movie expecting CITIZEN KANE then you only have yourself to blame. The film certainly isn't a masterpiece but if you enjoy this type of low-budget movie then there's plenty here to be entertained by. This includes the non-stop nudity and softcore sex scenes, which Wynorski at least manages to make erotic. A lot of times I find these scenes to be laughably bad but the director handles them well here.

Another major plus is that the cast is actually very entertaining and helps keep you into the events. This includes Albert, Blair and Michael Parks. They're going to be the best known people here and while Blair was never a great actress her presence alone is worthwhile. I also thought Strain was good in the role of the witch and Rochelle Swanson is also good.

I really thought there was a tad bit too much plot a few too many characters but SORCERESS is at least entertaining, rather well-made and there's enough nudity to keep anyone awake.

B cinema filmmaker Jim Wynorski gives his faithful audience all the sex and nudity they could want in this moderately amusing movie. The plot is pretty nonsensical, but since it's serving to set up a bunch of genuinely titillating sex scenes, it's doubtful that there are going to be many complaints on that front. Larry Poindexter plays a lawyer named Larry Barnes, whose wife Erica (Julie Strain) is a witch. She uses her powers to try to secure a critical promotion for her husband, but instead of killing his competitor, Howard (Edward Albert), she manages to cripple him. This sets off Howards' wife Amelia (Linda Blair), who is herself in tune with the occult. Predictably, she puts into motion a plan of revenge.

Wynorski puts a great deal of his efforts into stressing the erotic elements rather than traditional horror elements. (A note to the unaware: this isn't really a horror film at all, but an erotic thriller.) Technically speaking, it has to be one of the most accomplished things that Wynorski ever did; the filmmaking is pretty slick. Photography and picture quality are sublime, helping to show off every asset in the bodies of our attractive female cast. To that end, Wynorski deserves some respect for just diving in head first, giving us an eyeful of Strains' anatomy in the very first scene.

The acting is tolerable from most concerned. Michael Parks is a little under utilized as a gardener / murder suspect. Wynorski regular Lenny Juliano regularly walks away with his scenes as Larry's outgoing colleague. It's a treat to see William 'Blacula' Marshall as the senior partner at the firm. And Albert really is quite good. Fans of B movie babes will be pleased with the roster here: Strain, Rochelle Swanson, Toni Naples, Antonia Dorian, Kristi Ducati, Melissa Brasselle. Wynorskis' peer Fred Olen Ray produced, and plays the role of Bill Carson.

The movie does accomplish what it sets out to do, but it's really hurt by an aggravating, incredibly clichéd ending.

Seven out of 10.