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The Witches Mountain

Original title: El monte de las brujas
  • 1973
  • Unrated
  • 1h 26m
IMDb RATING
4.3/10
588
YOUR RATING
The Witches Mountain (1973)
Horror

A photojournalist traveling through the Pyrenees on assignment with a beautiful writer stays overnight at an ancient Spanish castle and hears that the adjoining mountain is occupied by a cov... Read allA photojournalist traveling through the Pyrenees on assignment with a beautiful writer stays overnight at an ancient Spanish castle and hears that the adjoining mountain is occupied by a coven of witches.A photojournalist traveling through the Pyrenees on assignment with a beautiful writer stays overnight at an ancient Spanish castle and hears that the adjoining mountain is occupied by a coven of witches.

  • Director
    • Raúl Artigot
  • Writers
    • Raúl Artigot
    • Juan Cortés
    • Félix Fernández
  • Stars
    • Patty Shepard
    • Cihangir Gaffari
    • Mónica Randall
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    4.3/10
    588
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Raúl Artigot
    • Writers
      • Raúl Artigot
      • Juan Cortés
      • Félix Fernández
    • Stars
      • Patty Shepard
      • Cihangir Gaffari
      • Mónica Randall
    • 35User reviews
    • 23Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win total

    Photos76

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    Top cast12

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    Patty Shepard
    Patty Shepard
    • Delia
    Cihangir Gaffari
    • Mario
    • (as John Caffari)
    Mónica Randall
    Mónica Randall
    • Carla
    Guillermo Bredeston
    Guillermo Bredeston
    • Óscar
    Soledad Silveyra
    Soledad Silveyra
    Luis Barboo
    Luis Barboo
    • Hombre Encadenado
    María Eugenia Calleja
    Ana Farra
    • Santa
    Carmen Herrera
    Víctor Israel
    Víctor Israel
    • Posadero
    Conchita Linares
    • Guerda
    Inés Morales
    • Mujer Gato
    • Director
      • Raúl Artigot
    • Writers
      • Raúl Artigot
      • Juan Cortés
      • Félix Fernández
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews35

    4.3588
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    Featured reviews

    7Zeegrade

    Not as bad as you might think

    Witches' Mountatin begins with an exasperated woman who is driven to burning her admittedly bratty daughter. This woman is the wife of Mario, who looks as if he walked off a porno set, a newspaper photographer who is so turned off by spending time with her that he calls his boss and demands that he cancel his vacation and send him on any assignment available. He gets his wish in the form of a mountain community that is supposedly haunted. As Mario travels to the mountain he comes across a blued-eyed, raven haired beauty, Delia played by Patty Shepard. After a quick introduction that began by Mario photographing her topless, a shot not afforded the viewer much to my chagrin, she agrees to accompany him to the mountain. Once they arrive both Mario and Delia realize that there is truth to the rumors. All does not end well.

    What turned me on most about this movie was how smart it was written. Too many times the lead characters remain stupid just to advance the plot. When Mario comes across something that seems odd he doesn't accept it as face value but rather questions why it so. The face Delia sees in her second floor window prompts just such an example. The use of the music was very effective as well as it added to the eerie atmosphere. The Witches' Mountain doesn't offer anything new or original and is very tame (no nudity and PG level violence) but what it does well is present a quick paced story that kept me interested to the end. A true surprise indeed! Give it a view.
    5Tera-Jones

    Odd But Strangely Watchable

    The film is like other reviewers have said: Odd, strange, mesmerizing, does not make a lot of sense, watchable, weird and captivating. It's one of those European films one would have to watch to understand what is meant by watchable yet does not make a lot of sense.

    Great atmosphere, appropriate music, acting not too bad, some interesting scenes, and bizarrely entertaining with a questionable script. OR maybe it's just loosing something in the translation into the English language instead of being a questionable script? I'm not sure which it is.

    Anyway, if you like the older Euro-Horror films and/or movies about witches you might find something entertaining about this film as others and myself did.

    The movie is NOT bloody nor gory - it's a Gothic piece with lots of eerie imagery as eye-candy.

    5/10
    6ma-cortes

    An eerie and horrific Spanish movie shot on spectacular locations in Picos de Europa , Asturias and Cantabria

    After an angry break-up with his fiancee : Mónica Randall , a news photographer : Gaffari , takes an assignment by the Northern Spain traveling throughout Picos de Europa (Asturias) . Along the way he meets an attractive young : Patty Shepard on the beach , whom he accords to join at the suspenseful journey across the mountains by jeep . The couple stops at a ruined hotel run by a suspicious man: Victor Israel . By the way they hear rumours that there is a nearly mountain where inhabits a coven of haunted witches.

    Thrilling and frightening pic with atmospheric sets , creepy happenings , blood-curling scenes, twists and turns. It is an acceptable movie with some terror moments striking without warning. A passable horror movie that makes you shiver and quiver , being made during the best period of the Spanish Fantaterror in early 70s , when Jacinto Molina or Paul Naschy created his unforgettable horror flicks. The picture displays an eerie and mysterious musical score by Fernando García Morcillo , with plenty of medieval , religious and choral sounds that cause real fright and extreme fear . However , cinematography results to be lousy and worn-out , being necessary a perfect remastering because of the film copy is faded . And the locations are fantastic and gorgeous : Desfiladero de la Hermida , Cantabria , Asturias , Picos de Europa and Lagos or Lagoon de Covadonga : Enol and Ercina .

    The picture was regularly directed by Raúl Artigot , but he creates nice terror images and atmosphere enough . Raúl Artigot was a notorious cameraman who photographed a lot of films such as : Requiem para un campesino, Plaza del Diamante, La Chica del Pijama Amarillo, La Espuela , Manuela , Los Demonios, Semana del Asesino, El Buque Maldito . And wrote/directed a few films as Bajo en Nicotina, Cabo de Vara and this El Monte de las Brujas .Rating : 5.5/10 . The yarn will appeal to Spanish terror fans
    8andrabem

    odd and trippy Spanish horror

    "El monte de las brujas" (The witches' mountain) is a strange and compelling film. I've found it casually in ebay and ordered it. The transfer of the film, made from a VHS tape, is not good, and the film obviously suffered cuts, but even so I've quite enjoyed the film.

    We are introduced to Carla (Monica Randall) arriving at a house. In the house, a hysterical little girl has stabbed some dolls and killed the cat. Carla tries to calm down the girl but all to no use. The little girl (so it seems) takes a snake out of somewhere. The snake slithers slowly through the girl's hair. Carla watches everything and crouches a little. Suddenly, Fire! The beginning credits of the film start to roll followed by a weird and loud chanting. What really happened is anybody's guess.

    Next scene: Mario (John Gaffari), a photographer writing for a newspaper/magazine, arrives at home. When he turns the lights on, guess who's waiting for him? Carla. She wants to resume their relationship. He says no. Carla says to Mario that he'll regret his decision. Cut.

    Mario starts off for Witches' Mountain. His assignment is to take good pictures of the area. On the way there, he meets a beautiful girl on a beach. She is sunbathing topless. He takes some pictures from her and invites her to go with him to Witches' Mountain. She's Delia (Patty Shepard). She accepts his invitation, and both of them head for Witches' Mountain in Mario's car. This is, very briefly told, the beginning of the film. From then on strange small things begin to happen to them (warnings?).

    The more they approach Witches' Mountain, the more ominous things become, and when they arrive there.....

    The film is very atmospheric. If you like off-the-beaten-track eurohorror, this film is a must. The beautiful mountainous scenery, the dreamy night scenes in the woods haunted by dark silhouettes and weird chantings, old ruined houses, fog....

    "El monte de las brujas" transmits a feeling of total spontaneity. The cameras, the actors, the landscape, the wondrous soundtrack seem to belong together. John Gaffari, as Mario, and Patty Shepard as Delia, as well as all the other actors, are excellent. "The witches' mountain" is very creative and... trippy. But if you only like horror films with lots of scares and blood, then avoid this one at all costs.
    7Red-Barracuda

    Badly edited but strangely atmospheric

    A photographer with a heroically 70's 'tache travels to a supposedly haunted mountain to get some interesting pictures. Along the way he somewhat randomly picks up a girl to accompany him. Once in the mountain vicinity, spooky things begin to happen.

    Without doubt this film is confusing and illogical. Much of the reason is that it seems to have been edited together with a hacksaw. Scenes are linked together in a very haphazard way indeed. While some events really make no sense whatsoever, such as the prologue with the mother and little girl – a sequence that doesn't really seem to bear any relevance to the rest of the film. Another example of senselessness is the part where the photographer hears weird music that only he can hear – this happens well before he even reaches the haunted mountain so it just doesn't make a whole lot of logical sense.

    Having said all that Witches Mountain does have a certain something going for it. What it has is a very strange atmosphere. The photography is pretty good; the mountainous region looks very mysterious and evocative. There are some interesting side characters such as the goggle-eyed inn-keeper. The music is pretty spooky. While the scene where the photographer captures mysterious images of the witches in the mountain village is very well done. So really, despite the obvious structural problems inherent in this film, the atmospherics make up for it. Just don't expect a water-tight plot or really something that makes much sense at all. But as an off-kilter moody horror flick it's not too bad really.

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    Related interests

    Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby (1968)
    Horror

    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      One of 13 titles included in Avco Embassy's Nightmare Theater package syndicated for television in 1975.

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • March 5, 1975 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • Spain
    • Language
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • Witches' Mountain
    • Production company
      • Azor Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 26m(86 min)
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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