Veneno para las hadas

I'm a fan of horror flicks, and I must say that "Veneno para las hadas" is the scariest film in 80's Mexican cinema. Horror films were very popular at that time, films such as "Friday the 13th", "A Nightmare on Elm Street", "Halloween" -and their sequels- followed the same plot, you know a boogyman killing everyone around, except a virgin heroine. "Veneno para las hadas" has a flawless direction, some false scares, and very good acting; this movie is for those who believe in witchcraft, devil, and in good horror. That's it, go and rent it!!!

In the Dublin private school in Mexico, the wicked girl Verónica (Ana Patricia Rojo) is mocked by her classmates since she is a liar. She lives with her grandmother, since her parents died in a car crash, and her nanny raises her, telling fairytales to Verónica every day. When the wealthy and naive Flavia (Elsa María) joins the school, she befriends Verónica, who succeeds to convince her that she is a witch, forcing Flavia to help her and give gifts to her. When Flavia travels on vacation with her parents to the family farm, Verónica forces Flavia to invite her to travel with her. The envious Verónica forces Flavia to play witchcraft with her but something tragic happens.

"Veneno para las hadas", a.k.a. "Poison for the Fairies", is a psychological horror Mexican movie with a simple storyline. The result is a frightening movie, exploring Flavia's innocence. Carlos Enrique Taboada does not show any adult's face and the camera work is used on the level of Flavia and Verónica's eyes; therefore, the viewer watches the film as if they were children too in a great technique. The conclusion is also very dark. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Veneno para as Fadas" ("Poison for the Fairies")

POISON FOR THE FAIRIES is the story of young Veronica (Ana Patricia Rojo), an apparent witch, and her schoolmate, Flavia (Elsa Maria Gutierrez), who reluctantly tags along while Veronica gets up to her occult mischief. Whether Veronica has any true powers or not, she is undoubtedly a psychopath. Flavia is tormented, and kept in fear by her overbearing friend.

The bulk of the film is taken up by the two girls' quest to gather the ingredients for the titular toxin. However, there is a death, as well as some other creepy moments. Both actresses are believable in their roles.

One interesting aspect is that no adult faces are ever shown. They're only shown from the waist down, from behind, or in darkness.

Not a bad little movie, just don't expect any broomstick races or magic wand showdowns.

The ending is satisfying and fitting...

Veneno Para las Hadas is a very good horror/fantasy movie. It's very psychological too because Graciela (Ana Patricia Rojo) constantly submits her new friend Fabiola (Elsa Maria Gutierrez) through extortion forcing her to believe her that she is a witch and bad things could happen to Fabiola if she doesn't give her what she wants. Graciela is an orphan who listens to her grandmother's horrific fairy tales and her nanny's knowledge about withces and pacts with the devil. Graciela learns a lot about witchcraft and uses her knowledge against Fabiola, the daughter of a rich family, who is new in the all-girls private school where the two first meet. Contrary to Graciela, Fabiola is brought up in a very modern way being told that ghosts, demons and witches don't exist. Not even prayers are encouraged in Fabiola's family. Knowing this Graciela forces Fabiola into giving her the things she wants on basis of her being a witch and there is more convincement by Fabiola when a strange coincidence totally convinces Fabiola that her new friend is indeed a witch. Fabiola changes from skeptic of everything (including prayers) to a believer of ghosts and witches.

The movie is set apart by only the main character's points of view because we never see the faces of the adults, we only see them in unnatural ways or in very low light. Even though Graciela appears to be evil, she and Fabiola are still very young and childish in their behavior.

A great musical score by Carlos Jimenez Mabarak delivers a fairy tale-like atmosphere to the already beautiful cinematography by Lupe Garcia. Set in early 60's Mexico City and the Tlaxcala woods, Veneno para las adas is a fairy tale by itself. A very dark one anyways, like the ones the Nana tells Graciela before going to bed.

This movie is Mexican and its one of the few that im very proud to have made in my country out in this genere. The director for this movie worked also on another Mexican alltime classic called "HASTA EL VIENTO TIENE MIEDO", Im very proud to own both movies and recommend them plenty to you all out there who loved movies like "The Others" and "Ring". its a story about a little girl who starts playing with another little girl that is kind of evil and likes to torture everyone around her and boos everybody around. So this little girl starts to tell the other one that she knows witches are alive and that they should make some poison for the witches, both little girls act in a very adult manner and they deliver a great performance. A mexican classic and a must see.