The Love Witch

This highly stylized occult schlock-fest has its roots somewhere in late 1990s Charles Busch vintage ironic horror-comedy (think: Psycho Beach Party), not to mention Roger Corman's 1960 low-budget B-movie fare. The title character, Elaine (Samantha Robinson), is a stunningly gorgeous wiccan who seems to live in an Austin Powers fantasy land of retro visuals. She's a lovestruck necromancer with potent potions and lethal spells that she uses on male victims to try and control their worst instincts once she's seduced them. But her sex magic is simply too much for her unworthy victims. Writer-director Anna Biller weaves in some heady feminist criticism that unfortunately clashes badly with the dominant poker-faced ironic humor. The costumes are well-chosen and the sets are imaginatively conceived, but The Love Witch seems cursed by an inability to laugh at its own cheesy grindhouse-cinema conceits. A strong optional purchase. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director Anna Biller, cinematographer M. David Mullen, star Samantha Robinson, and producer/actor Jared Sanford, deleted and extended scenes (29 min.), a behind-the-scenes featurette with Biller (11 min.), an interview with Mullen (11 min.), and a Robinson dance audition (3 min.). Bottom line: a fine extras package for this visually striking oddball film.] (M. Sandlin)