Lust, Magic, and the Witches' Sabbath

Director - Andrew J. Chambers (Attack of the 50 Foot Sphincter, After School Lunch Special)

Starring - Morrigan Thompson (Debbie Does Demons, Karate Ghost), Ivy Smith (Attack of the 50 Foot CamGirl, Giantess Battle Attack), and Raven Foyt (After School Lunch Special 2: Sloppy Seconds, Babezilla vs. The Zombie Whorde)

Release Date - 2023

Genre - Horror

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     When I was in middle school the world went fucking crazy for The Blair Witch Project. I remember kids arguing at lunch and recess about it being real. While I was still one of those kids that fully thought wrestling was real, I never bought into the hype that The Blair Witch Project was real. My argument was always that if people really died would they be showing it in theaters? When I finally watched it I remember thinking it didn't live up to the hype but it wasn't the worst movie that I had seen. My biggest problem with the film was the lack of witches. I was looking forward to a film centered around a witch and all I got was three assholes arguing with one another for an hour or so. The horror genre rarely gets films that are worth a damn centered around witches in a traditional sense. We may get one every couple of years to enjoy and that may be pushing it. That's why I was so fucking excited to see A.J. Chamber's Lust, Magic, and the Witches' Sabbath. An indie horror film about witches starring one of my favorite indie horror scream queens Morrigan Milam (Thompson). I want to thank A.J. for sending this one over!

      The film follows a young woman who moves out of her family home wanting to get her life started without her mother's help. She befriends a witch in her new town and is invited to join her coven. However, another young woman in the area has turned to religion after a traumatic childhood. Now she has plans of eradicating the witches from her hometown. 

      I knew very little about Lust, Magic, and the Witches' Sabbath prior to watching it aside from what the title suggested. I went into this one blind, and I found myself struggling until the last half of the film. I didn't care for the film during the first 30 minutes or so but once the film gained traction, I found myself really digging it. The acting in this one is very well done. Morrigan is one of my favorite indie actresses and she never disappoints. This film is no exception. I struggled with the characters and found myself not liking most of them, but her character was very down to Earth and grounded. I also liked Attack of the 50 Foot CamGirl's Ivy Smith. She is almost unrecognizable here and does a phenomenal job. In fact, her performance is probably the best in the film. With that being said, the remainder of the characters are lacking in development. The cast does a great job with what they were given but the characters are flat and not that likable. The story for this one is exactly what I'm looking for when I hit play on a horror flick about witches. We have the witches' holding ceremonies in the woods, nudity, Satan, and heavy religious elements. I absolutely loved this story, but it is a little back end heavy. The last half saves the film while the first half is a bit difficult to finish. Some editing a little more action in the first part would have helped the flow of the film. Also, a little more time on developing the characters would have gone a long way as well. Finally, this isn't a bloody film. It focuses mor on the characters and their interactions more than blood and gore. We go get a fair bit of nudity so that is a plus. Overall, Lust, Magic, and the Witches' Sabbath is a sexy yet extremely slow film about witches and deep seeded religion. I enjoyed it and I think you will too if you stick with it. Check it out.