Avaliações de usuários

A 17th century executed witch kills anybody who enters a house that was built on the site of her execution. Supernatural horror that plays out like a slasher movie with many inventive deaths every 10 minutes or so. This is well paced and there is plenty of good gore, including an exploding head in a microwave, death by an escaped circular saw, spike through forehead, and so on. This was made during the Golden Age of the slasher movie and certainly gives good value for money. Give me 1980's effects and vibe any day over 21st century CGI and remakes! Original title in 1982 was Superstition. It did appear on the seizure list during the Video Nasties farce but was given a rerelease as The Witch in 1985. Sadly this film appears to be something of a forgotten one, I can't even reference in it in my collection of horror movie books. It really does deserve a DVD/BR release so that a new audience can see it.

An unusual, but rather enjoyable no-nonsense and wicked low-budget cursed haunted house/witch feature. A Reverend and his family move into a strange, remote house with a horrific past. Mysterious occurrences begin to happen and people within the property start dying or disappearing to only end up dead.

The plot is quite slight, with a premise relatively basic... revenge from beyond the grave; A drowned witch who reappears in demon form hidden under a cloak with glimpses of her long green hands and evil laughter to go with it. Its set-pieces are there for nothing more than atmospheric shock effects (gory, but creative and insane deaths), but director James W. Roberson effectively handles them and suitably paces the narrative with a dark, nervy energy.

It plays out like a haunted house ride... false jumps to only pump out the real one within its predictable superstitious framework (like the all mighty cross; the torment of all evil and good for exploding doors). Also there's a real nasty streak, which doesn't hold back for anyone and this makes the downbeat ending even more fulfilling. There's a real italian horror vibe to it all. The imagery is well-photographed (especially of the witch) and the score does pack that an ominous sting that crackles with intensity. Characters are one-dimensional, but the cast are committed with James Houghton, Larry Pennell, Lynn Carlin and Albert Salmi as a stubborn, hard-pressed detective.

I thought it was silly, but lively and unpleasant 1980s horror pulp that doesn't outstay its welcome. Fans of 80s horror overabundance should love.

Brought to us by producer Ed Carlin and co-producers Mario Kassar and Andrew G. Vajna, who gave us haunted house horrors The Evil and The Changeling, Superstition is yet another supernatural offering set in and around a creepy old property. This time around, the spooky shenanigans are accompanied by a whole handful of creative, bloody deaths, and lots of jump scares (probably in an attempt to draw in the slasher crowd)—a good job since the plot is an often illogical mish-mash of hoary old horror clichés.

In 1692, a witch is executed—drowned in a pond, and trapped there with a crucifix. For almost three hundred years, the evil woman's spirit is the cause of violent deaths in and around the nearby church-owned property. When Reverand George Leahy (Larry Pennell) and his family move into the old house, the witch soon starts to cause trouble, now even more powerful thanks to the removal of the crucifix during the dredging of the pond. Reverand David Thompson (James Houghton) discovers the truth behind the killings and tries to put an end to the witch once and for all.

The film opens in terrific style with a juicy double death scene: having played a prank on a courting couple (thereby providing the film with the first of many jump scares), a pair of pranksters meet their fate in the creepy property, one being decapitated, his severed head exploding inside a microwave oven, the other getting chopped in two by a sash window. Several other macabre set-pieces follow in quick succession, including the hanging of an electrician in an elevator shaft and the death of a priest, a circular saw blade spinning into his chest and exiting through his back.

Also adding to the fun: Sheryl and Ann (Maylo McCaslin and Heidi Bohay), sexy teenage daughters of Reverand Leahy, going down to the pond for a spot of fun in the sun (wearing bikinis, naturally), only for one of them to be grabbed around the ankle by a severed hand; a flashback to the trial of the witch that allows for some silly Exorcist style guttural utterings, a few cool facial bladder effects, and the sight of a priest being crushed in a wine press; some memorable visuals with impressive lighting effects (somewhat reminiscent of Argento); Reverand Thompson's surprised expression every time he uses the crucifix to open (or blow up) a locked door; George having his face lacerated by flying shards of glass from an exploding mirror; Sheryl getting nailed through the head with a big spike; and blonde daughter Ann (Heidi Bohay) running around in skimpy silk night-gear.

This movie has all of the elements that you expect from a horror film--and I mean that in the best way! All right, it's admittedly low budget, but the frequent deaths, presented with almost metronomic spacing, are inventive and entertaining. Plus, it is a delight to see a film that really does have a supernatural grounding, instead of the so-tired slasher bit.

You should definitely watch this movie when you are alone at night--watching it with friends or in the daytime gives you too much chance to let the low budget distract you from the flow...

I found this to be a very enjoyable film, and quite unique.

The supernatural /slasher/gore mix works really well, and the pacing of the film is excellent, not a minute is wasted, there's no padding, so it doesn't outstay its welcome.

Obviously not the biggest budget, but the sequence set in 1692 looks great and really adds to the atmosphere.

I definitely recommend a viewing. I watched the Scream Factory blu ray, and when the film is well lit, it looks great, in the darker scenes, not so much. There are also a lot of speckles/flecks evident in the darker scenes, but overall the picture is good.

Don't let the generic-sounding title lull you into thinking this is a lame haunted-house movie. Although it's true that a lot of its plot elements are borrowed from other films (deadly lake, demon in the house, burned witch in Puritan times), Superstition feels remarkably genuine and is (somewhat) surprisingly good. And, unlike most cheapo horror films of the 70s and 80s (and, well, every decade), the plot is definitely not entirely predictable. There aren't really any recognizable names in the cast (Stacy Keach's dad is in it, and Lynne Carlin was in the '71 cult hit Taking Off), and the movie has a now-dated vibe to it, but the action is relentless and expertly done. Definitely worth a look for those of you who enjoy scary movies.

This had a very promising and shocking starting but for the rest, apart from some gory scenes this was the typical cheap and tired B-movie with an enchanted house. It was a very cultivated genre at that age(not now) and perhaps at that time it was acceptable, but not for today´s standards. I don´t agree it is better than "Amityville horror", in fact I prefer that movie by far, this was precisely a follower of "Amityville" and "Poltergeist", there were a lot of them. I give this a 4 out of ten.

'Superstition' is a 1982 supernatural slasher movie that may not have any sort of originality, but makes up for some of its short comings by having some inventive death scenes, cool gore and a creepy atmosphere. The movie is rather entertaining and does deliver on the carnage.

The plot = In the 1600's where a witch is sentenced to death by crucifixion in the black pond as she swears vengeance on her persecutors. Then we flash forward to the present day of 1982 a series of bizarre murders plague the house near the lake as the witch is haunting the property from beyond the grave.

The direction by James W. Roberson is quite decent as he doesn't shy away from the shock factor, the film feels very much in the vein of the 80's slashers due to the sheer over the top murders that occur throughout which thankfully helps distract you from the utter haphazard pacing, uneven acting performances & a fairly by the numbers story. This is by no means a plot driven flick but the mystery element is sustained long enough to keep you interested.

Overall this is a fun ride dripped in pure cheese with sheer enthusiasm for its gruesome set pieces, but doesn't really offer much more than that with no characters to really root for mainly because they're just cannon fodder & none of the performances really stand out to be honest, but if you're looking for nothing more than a fun ride, then 'Superstition' is the movie for you.

Just a warning to maybe save someone else from wasting their time. Seeing that this was on TCM and after having read a number of the reviews on IMDb I decided to give it a watch.I was intrigued by how many people referenced Argento- some even citing Suspiria. Sorry to say this one is strictly for fans of gore. Poorly directed and cheaply made with little to no style- shocking how badly shot when you consider it was made by a cinematographer- (not so shockingly, he has directed little else). Not bad for this sort- but the worst of Bava or Argento is far superior. For those who can't see that, don't be offended- be glad your easily pleased.

A witch of old times on the road of revenge and a "haunted" house/property - the good thing: the death toll is not a small one!

Nice little horror flick from the beginning of the 80s. No masterpiece or classic, also no Oscar material, but a good watch - if you want some horror with a good slice of nostalgia and some blood spilled on the floor. Yummy.

What at first feels like a creatively impaired Amityville Horror rip off quickly spirals into a balls-out, splatter fest that's a lot more fun than you'd think. The story is that a house has been cured ever since a witch was executed in the lake that surrounds the property and anyone who enters has come to a bad end. A priest and his family move in and begin to experience creepy things until the vengeful witch returns to kill them all one by one.

Superstition doesn't waste any time in getting to the good stuff. The opening of the film alone features a body being torn in half by a shattered window and a teenager's head exploding in a microwave. Once the main victims move in, the witch doesn't spend her time making chairs move or opening doors - she just goes right for the jugular and starts killing people in creatively bloody ways.

In some ways, Superstition feels more like a slasher movie than a ghost story, but it's not a bad thing. It certainly makes the film stand out from similar films from the time and it mixes subgenres quite well. If you're looking for a spooky good time, Superstition will hook you up.

After watching the opening 10 minutes of this film I was happy to see the director wasn't afraid to "show it all" in the area of gore. Stylistically, I would really be surprised if the director and/or cinematographer wasn't influenced by Dario Argento. Some of the music reminded me of a slight take on what Goblin did for Argento films- but no where near as well of course. The good thing about mimicking a maestro such as Argento is that you have good taste in film making. The bad thing is...not many can "do Argento" like Argento. So many will walk away thinking it is a cheap ripoff.

For those not familiar with Argento's work, you should find this to be a refreshing take on the horror genre in the 80s time period. If you are like me, I enjoy "grade Z" movies more then big budget films if they entertain me. It is about entertainment. This film entertained me. There were even a few times that I actually felt a little creepy tension- something that doesn't usually happen with lower budget flicks.

If you are looking for big budget romps, then keep on renting movies on the "new rental wall" at Blockbuster. Otherwise, you may have some fun with this one.

I was surprised by this low budget horror movie. It isn't a masterpiece, but overall it's well done - certainly better than THE AMITYVILLE HORROR. Things happen in this movie that take you by surprise - both genuine shocks, and seeing stuff you usually never see in horror movies! And there are some splatter scenes that will really take your attention. You probably won't see this on TV, (and if you do, it'll be severely cut), so do some detective work in the video stores in your area. You won't be disappointed.

An enjoyable mix of supernatural Amityville Horror-style haunts, witchy thrills, and slasher-style kills. It has its slow moments, but the scares work and it's got a wicked mean streak and a lot of style.

A lot of people seem to think this is a great film, well it isn't as great as they say. I think the reason for the high ratings is simply because of the gore.

When I sat down to watch this I was expecting it to be a gore-fest. The first few deaths were quite good and made me really excited for what was to come. I was literally waiting just to see who would die next. Then, the priest dies with the saw in his chest. What a great death scene! I thought things could only get better. Sadly the film seemed to limp on at a very slow pace after that. The problem with Superstition is that other than the gore, there is little else of interest. The characters are very boring and you don't care one bit for any of them when they die. This would be fine if they were being killed off every 5 minutes, but the death scenes are spread out far too much. About halfway through I was getting very bored and frustrated as nothing much seemed to happen. By the time it got to the end, there were some quite good scenes, but by this time I was thoroughly annoyed with the film. The shots of the witch lit from behind were quite creepy, and the ending was quite good too.

Overall I feel this film might have worked better as a short story or as part of a trilogy. I've given this a rating of 5 because I did like the death scenes early on, and there are a few creepy moments here and there. Unfortunately these are almost cancelled out by the boring moments and wooden characters.

Once upon a time, a witch was condemned to death by the local clergy. Her body was thrown in a pond and a cross was thrown in after her, to keep her really upset. Many years later (like 300) she has returned -- and death awaits anyone who comes near her ancestral home. Very nasty death!

This film is what a horror film should be, especially an 80s horror film. We have attractive ladies, a Catholic priest, a church administrator (who is not a priest and is free to enjoy the ladies), a witch... and some death scenes that are not flawless (some are cheesy), but are definitely creative. This isn't a masterpiece or a legendary film, but it's one worth seeing if you notice it at the video store.

Let me give you a few examples: one man is decapitated (which is bad enough), and his head is put in the microwave! One time I put a Furby in a microwave, and I know what happens to cats in the microwave... so I knew what was coming from the human head! Oh my! Not much later, a buzz saw goes loose and buries itself in a man's chest until it burrows out of his back! Wow! These scenes aren't realistic (they could never happen in real life), but they really spark the dark parts of our imagination.

Bad dreams show up, flashbacks take place and a man of less than normal intelligence guards the witch ("his mistress") and will stop at nothing to save her. The church administrator must consult an old book -- the logbook of a church that no longer exists -- to ward away the witch! Oh, it's so dreamy! And unlike "Horror Rises From the Tomb" (where a warlock returns), this film doesn't take itself so seriously -- allowing us to just lay back and enjoy, like most films should be watched...

There's not much to say about this one because it's not really a film meant to be critiqued. No great score, no A-list acting... just a fun time. If that's what you want -- a horror movie with a sense of humor, but without being actually funny -- you want this movie. Rent it, buy it... get some popcorn and a bottle of whiskey. Drink a Coke Zero. You're going to have yourself a party!

Tired film about a witch who is executed in the 1600s or so and vows revenge. It is resurrected years later and takes its revenge.

This movie does seem to be made by people who had their hearts in the right place. It's dark, gloomy and has a few good moments here and there. No stupid humor either. But the low budget, primitive gore effects and lousy acting really hurt this one. The murders are gory but the "special" effects are so laughably obvious that is kills any horror or suspense. Also the film has that lousy "it's not over" ending that marred so many 1980s films. So, it looks like they set out to make a decent, gory horror film but their reach was destroyed by their budget.

James W. Roberson's SUPERSTITION is amongst the finest teen oriented horror movies of the early-mid 1980s, boasting a fine ensemble cast, some great shock effects sequences, and an actual story rather than just a series of incidents where people die horribly. Borrowing equal parts from THE AMITYVILLE HORROR and SUSPIRIA, this is one of several haunted house & witchcraft type movies that went against the grain of typical cartoonish 80s hackers -- the low budget might throw some, but once you get down to brass tacks is a very watchable little movie that just happens to involve things like exploding heads, guys getting chopped in half, and pretty teenage chicks being spiked through the forehead & nailed to the floor.

But you know, just once I'd like to see one of these movies where a typical, slightly dysfunctional all-American family moves into some crumbling, Gothic, obviously haunted house and decides to get the hell OUT of there at the first sign of trouble. The warning signs are more than obvious;

1) A series of grisly killings in the house that were never solved and have the local police worried enough to basically assign Albert Salmi and his deputies to live on the premises armed with shotguns.

2) Creepy formally dressed young girls who come bobbing out of nowhere & ask if people want to play, who then die horribly, have visions of people dying horribly, or travel back in time to witness ancient witch drownings in the estate pond.

3) Speaking of the pond, as someone quite correctly noted, why on god's earth would ANYONE decide to go for a swim in that muck pool? Let along get a really close look at the dark, opaque, scummy surface while bent over in a position that compromises their center of gravity.

4) Random handymen end up getting hung by the neck until dead, DEAD DEAD! in the old dumbwaiter shaft.

5) A weird old woman who is obviously in league with Satan lives on the premises, with her son shacking up in a room hidden by a false wall down in the basement.

6) Fully armed policemen are pulled to their doom beneath the murky surface of said pond while various members of the clergy find themselves ground up by runaway buzz saw blades.

7) You move into a house already furnished with an old microwave oven that has brain tissue and clumps of hair caked to it's inside.

8) Creepy young handsome local clergymen who strangely don't have any friends their own age take an interest to your teenage daughters who skip around day & night dressed like a couple of the Fly Girls.

9) It turns out that your descendants had executed a witch centuries before using an elaborate cross structure designed to dunk her into the scummy, scary looking pond that only a fool would go swimming in.

10) Dad starts hiding bottles of really cheap Scotch up in the attic.

I could continue but such might create the impression that I am not fond of SUPERSTITION, when nothing could be further from the fact: This is a fun, hyperbolic and gory little supernatural shocker, though some may find the sleaze quotient a bit low; There's no nudity in the film. At all. Besides that it's almost a perfect little B grade horror movie complete with an absolutely nihilistic little conclusion, clocking it at 86 minutes uncut & helping to update the haunted house genre for the 1980s. Bravo!

7/10

My father saw this one in a theather in the 80 s, and told me to see it, i never found it, later on i bought the dvd in spain, and he was right, this is now my favorite horror movie of all time, i now have it on blu ray, bought in germany, fully uncut, its really intense, gorier, i recomend it 10/10.

There are certain themes that recur again and again in horror films, and a witch coming back from the dead to gain revenge on those who put him/her to death is one that has been done many, many times before. There are films in which it has been done well; The Haunted Palace, for example, and then there are films in which it is not done well...this film for example. Superstition takes this horror cliché and, aside from a few amusing death scenes, doesn't add anything to it; which makes watching it pretty pointless. The plot revolves around an old house. A new family moves in, blah blah, and then people start getting killed, blah blah and eventually we find out that it's because of a witch that was put to death centuries earlier. As mentioned, this film does feature some good death scenes and they are rather gory; the best one sees a circular saw break free and rip through a man's chest, and a strangulation in an elevator shaft takes second place. It's obvious that nobody wanted to give the filmmakers much money (wonder why...) however, as the entire film looks very cheap and this does affect the credibility of the death scenes also. Overall, this is pretty much a big waste of time; there are better films about witches coming back for revenge, so see those instead!

A family moves into a condemned New England house where a witch was executed by drowning in the pond on the property. I had never heard of this movie until a few days ago, but it seemed very interesting. Unfortunately, this movie was a big letdown considering the positive things I've read about it. Superstition is basically 90 minutes of bad acting and bad storytelling with some very gory (and surprisingly well crafted) death sequences. There were a few interesting parts of the movie, but they are overshadowed by this poorly executed film. I heard the score was changed, so the one in the version I watched may not have been the original. However, the score was an exact rip-off of The Shining (1980). I feel like I probably gave a rating slightly higher than it deserves, but I can't help but think about how much potential this movie had. I probably wouldn't recommend this to anyone, but if you stumble onto it for free and are bored, go for it.