#The love witch tv
They also wonder, however, whether Elaine may be too self-obsessed for the good of their relationship with non-pagan locals, who only need a few rumours to form a traditional ‘burn the witch’ mob.įollowing Viva, a pastiche of late ’60s psychedelic sexploitation, all-round auteur Anna Biller here immerses herself in an artificial world inspired by early 1970s soap opera, TV movies, Italian and American horror films and post-hippie colour supplement Wiccan glamour to create a wholly engaging straight-faced melodrama with barbed feminist footnotes.īesides directing, writing and producing, Biller also edits, supervises the music (mixing her own compositions - including songs - with selections from vintage giallo soundtracks after the manner of Tarantino or Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani), acts as production designer and set decorator (down to hand-crafting props) and supervises the costumes. When Elaine meets her match in investigating cop Griff (Gian Keys), who is no less susceptible to her (literal) charms, the leading lights of the local coven pass their circle off as a renaissance fair to lure Griff into a form of binding ceremony. This leads, however, to legal complications, as those she seduces tend to disappoint her the next morning and her cast-offs are inclined to sudden death by heart failure or suicide.Īnna Biller creates a wholly engaging straight-faced melodrama with barbed feminist footnotes. Augmenting her natural attractions with love philtres and witch bottles (mystic artefacts which involve urine and used tampons), Elaine sets out to find a suitable new man. The community is open-minded enough to support a well-established witch coven among its quaint ladies’ tea-shops and go-go dance bars. Chic, poised and sensual Elaine (Samantha Robinson) - fleeing a relationship which has ended badly (especially for her lover) - settles in a quiet Northern California town.