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11 out of 11 people found the following review useful: Virgin on being good (boom boom), 15 March 2004 Author: LewisJForce (gunghomonro@yahoo.com) from Wolverhampton, England
This is a nice piece of time-wasting British exploitation cinema with the delectable Michelle sisters becoming embroiled in witchcraft and various sexy shenanigans in a picturesque country-house setting ('filmed on location in Surrey, England').There's a good score by Ted Dicks, including a rather seductive little tune called 'You go your way', performed by Helen Downing. And effective turns by old-hands like Neil Hallett (as the lecherous head of the coven) and Keith 'Excalibur' Buckley as the excitable investigative boyfriend. A highpoint is the scene-stealing performance by the lovely Patricia Haines ('The Night Caller') as the lesbian boss of a dodgy model agency. She, along with the sisters, disrobes in the hilarious 'initiation ritual' sequence.Get hold of the 1993 Redempton VHS - a good, colourful print.
8 out of 9 people found the following review useful: The Horrors of Swinging Surrey, 26 March 2004 Author: gavcrimson from United Kingdom
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Warning: spoilersVirgin Witch hails from an era when witchcraft was depicted as a new novelty in the world of swinging suburbia. The topic had already spawned several sex paperbacks sold from the back pages of Continental Film Review. Filmmakers were also quick to get in on the act, the enigmatic Malcolm Leigh directed the documentary The Legend of the Witches (1969) while Wife Swappers auteur Derek Ford helmed Secret Rites (1971) a 47 minute featurette on 'witch king' Alex Sanders. If the still sets are anything to go by the two reoccurring themes in the Ford film are bald men in face make-up and female pubic hair. This sub-genre also got its own magazine in Witchcraft,the 'monthly chronicle of Horror,Satanism and the Occult'. Witchcraft was a mixture of surprisingly literate articles on vampires and witch hunting alongside pictorials of recognisable sexploitation actresses posed in satanic tableau. One article 'Initiation into an Essex Coven' features shots of swingers with blacks bars over their eyes to protect their identity and drawn on Y-fronts to protect their modesty. Virgin Witch replays the contents of an issue of Witchcraft within a traditional horror film narrative. It's an early 'Elton Hawke' production;Hawke was the appropriately occult-sounding pseudonym of Crossroads creator Hazel Adair and wrestling commentator Kent Walton.'Made on location in Surrey, England' the film features Vicki and Ann Michelle as two girls fresh from the provinces looking to break into modelling. Despite warnings to avoid 'backstreet photographers',Ann goes to a casting call in which she's required to go nude for the head of an advertising agency. In a gender twist the person in question isn't some salivating bloke,but Sybil Waite a stern and intimidating middle aged lesbian. Using her position of power to prey on young models,Sybil insists on taking Ann's measurements all the while trying and failing to feign apathy with statements like 'just for the record'. As a reward for playing along with the scenario Ann gets a modelling gig shooting a cider advert at a country house,Vicki tags along too.The ad involves Ann sprawled naked over a car. Peter a sexually desperate looking photographer with a comb over snaps away trying to get the right shot. And there's not a drop of cider in sight..funny old game advertising. Sybil,who goes through the film with fixed scowl on her face,reminds Peter of his low end of the pecking order status within the household. If anyone's getting their hands on the sisters during the weekend it's either her or the house's owner Dr Gerald Amberley 'an authority' on the subject of witchcraft played by the extremely likeable Neil Hallett. The inquisitive sisters eventually discover Gerald,Sybil and Peter are all part of a witch's coven in which Gerald is the chief white witch. Over dinner Gerald reassures the girls that the coven only use their powers for good,dropping swinger expressions like 'friendship' and 'give pleasure' as other attributes to his lifestyle. Ann wants in on the sexy scene. As Gerald, Hallett is the epitome of the charming,non-threatening English gent with a raised eyebrow for the ladies. While Gerald is seemingly serious with regards to his lifestyle and religious beliefs you suspect stripping off and 'initiating' giggling virgins into the coven by having sex with them on altars have great appeal for the old fox as well.A fairly mellow horror film (compare and contrast to Satan's Slave shot several years later on the same country estate),Virgin Witch's intensions aren't far removed from that of the Hallett character. It has a shamelessly leery fixation on its lead actresses and is perfectly in touch with the Dirty Mac sensibility. The Michelle sisters spend most of the film in a state of undress or in a state of just about to get undressed. In rare occurrences when they are allocated a costume,it includes some of the shortest skirts in cinema history. Ann's considerable coolness in handling advances from both genders means she's much more than a mere sex object though. The need for a dramatic plot thread sees upstart Ann trying to knock Sybil off her position of power within the coven. Ann has hither to unsuspected psychic powers and uses them to naturally defend younger sibling Vicki against creepy men and give Sybil a taste of her own medicine. The film subscribes to the wishful fantasy of young vulnerable girls eventually gaining the upper hand over sexual predatorily casting agent types. It all ends with a psychic showdown between Ann and Sybil amidst the rest of the coven madly shagging away in the bushes. Virgin Witch was directed by Ray Austin,a former bit part actor of 'bruiser' appearance,who had helmed episodes of The Saint and Randall and Hopkirk Deceased. He approaches Virgin Witch very much like a horny ITC episode. His talent lay in creating atmosphere whether it's the hero's bright red sports car thundering down dark country roads,a blues music interlude,or the psychedelic flavoured orgies. Austin also shows a flare for offbeat compositions such as a scene framed by a milk float.Very much directed from a heterosexual male perspective the film views lesbianism as somewhat abhorrent,yet hilariously at the same time has no hang ups with regards to young girls embracing the occult. Ann reacts to the news that she's been accepted into the coven with all the hop, skip and a jump of a brownie who has just received her first badge. `Now I'm a witch, now I can please myself',she tells a male acquaintance. The film was the first in the 'Elton Hawke trilogy' of Virgin Witch,Can You Keep It Up For a Week and Keep It Up Downstairs,three films loosely linked and greatly benefited by Neil Hallett's reoccurring performances as the genre's most suave and charismatic swinger. In turn the film also kick started Ann Michelle's mini British horror film career,still a working actress she leaves Virgin Witch off her CV these days and refers to the film as an experience she doesn't care to remember.
5 out of 5 people found the following review useful: Underneath the Nudity, Do I Sense a Plot?, 4 May 2007 Author: Gavin Schmitt (gavin6942@yahoo.com) from Kaukauna, Wisconsin
A girl gets a job for a modeling agency, only to later discover that it's all a cover to recruit young girls for a coven of witches. Her sister and her sister's boyfriend get dragged along on the adventure.The plot here is a little shaky. While the goals of the coven aren't really revealed, and the modeling agency may or may not be real (they never explicitly say), there is a definite story. Whether or not it's enough story to really matter is up to the viewer, I suppose.The obvious reason this film was made was not to make a horror film or a classic film or any other type of film except one: a movie where two sisters (as well as many others) are naked in approximately 90% of the movie. In the modeling agency, in a field, on a car, in a witch's ceremony, in bed... I didn't time it, but to say that 90% of the film has nudity is really not much of a stretch.According to Wikipedia, "The film has subsequently been disowned by its sibling stars Ann and Vicki Michelle. Vicki's website makes no reference to the film, while Ann's cryptically refers to it as 'not an experience Ann cares to remember'." I suppose this shouldn't surprise me. Although one (if not both) of the girls became known from this film, it's not really something you want to say was your crowning achievement.The witch aspects were done very well, with the ceremony and explanation of the high priest's role very believable. The topic of magic was very minimal, which I guess is unfortunate, but it didn't take away from the witch storyline as much as you might think.On a personal note, my biggest disappointment with this film is the choice of the leading actress. The sister is far more attractive than the lead, so I would have rather their roles were reversed. This way, the attractive one would have more on-screen nudity. Although, if you're watching this to get turned on (as the tagline implies) you might be let down: after the first fifteen minutes, the nudity was so pervasive it wasn't even that odd anymore (like living in a nudist colony).If you're into exploitation films and horror films, this is worth checking out. The plot is thin, the acting decent and the nudity excessive. Hey, some people go for that -- they made a whole market of the stuff. I expected much worse from this, so I guess I can't complain and would not even be opposed to owning it if it was available for a reasonable price.
5 out of 6 people found the following review useful: Rampant 1970's nudity, 19 July 2000 Author: zombie-41 (rdl@casino.com) from Stevenage, England
It seems this was made as an excuse to show plenty of nudity from two highly attractive sisters and some poorly constructed witchcraft scenes. Unlike many Hammer releases, it at least portrays sex with more then a childish giggle. Overall, this takes itself too seriously and the plot becomes too confusing towards the end. However, the dated fashion is worth a look as is the sleazy fashion photographer. Not to mention the main sisters involved, (later to be seen in the popular UK TV series 'Allo Allo').
4 out of 5 people found the following review useful: It's pretty, it's English and it moves along, 17 January 2007 Author: christopher-underwood from Greenwich - London
Hardly very 'extreme' but I have a soft spot for this. Anne Michelle stars (with her sister) and through the course of the film develops from a mini skirted dolly bird to a rather convincing coven priestess. The girls look great in their tiny skirts and without their clothes so the fact the plot line is not up to much barely matters, as it were. We get sex, lots of nudity, witchcraft scenes indoors and out and a girlie magazine shoot. That's about it really and there are slight threads involving the deposed priestess's lusting for young Anne and a young man's attempts at rescuing the younger sister from the Sabat. It's pretty, it's English and it moves along. Can't say fairer than that.
1 out of 1 people found the following review useful: An enjoyable British soft-core horror romp, 6 November 2009 Author: Woodyanders (Woodyanders@aol.com) from The Last New Jersey Drive-In on the Left
Brash young Christine (a deliciously saucy performance by the comely Ann Michelle) and her sweet innocent sister Betty (a winningly perky portrayal by equally fetching Vicki Michelle) are invited to a swanky palatial mansion in the country by lascivious lesbian Sybil Waite (a perfectly snippy turn by Patricia Haines) for a fashion modeling shoot. Unbeknownst to the girls, the place is really a front for a diabolical coven of witches. Director Ray Austin and screenwriter Beryl Vertue concoct a compellingly naughty and racy little outing that manages the remarkable feat of showing decadence and sexual perversity in a surprisingly tasteful and fairly restrained manner that never degenerates into outright crudely leering sleaze. Austin and Vertue also do a credible job of astutely capturing the wickedly enticing allure of the black arts. Fortunately, there's a pleasingly plentiful amount of tasty female nudity (the Michelle siblings look positively smashing in their birthday suits) and the hot basement orgy rituals are suitably wild and uninhibited with dancing nude people, crazed chanting, pounding music, and virgins being deflowered. Moreover, Christine's conversion into the cult as a high priestess is genuinely chilling and leads to a truly dark and upsetting conclusion. The capable acting from the sturdy cast rates as another major asset: The Michelle sisters make for attractive and appealing leads, Haines portrays her haughty character with lip-smacking snooty aplomb, plus there are fine supporting contributions by Keith Buckley as Betty's concerned boyfriend Johnny, Neil Hallett as kindly physician cult leader Gerald Amberly, James Chase as lecherous photographer Peter, and Paula Wright as creepy housekeeper Ms. Wright. Gerald Moss' lush and bright color cinematography makes the most out of the beautifully verdant English countryside scenery and boasts several nifty fades and dissolves. Ted Dicks' shivery score likewise hits the shuddery spot. Good bawdy fun.
1 out of 1 people found the following review useful: what a yawn, 2 August 2008 Author: tony93666 from United States
this movie is lame... I'm an absolute rabid Hammer horror fan, and this little movie comes nowhere near their great quality(this is NOT a Hammer production). Some of the attraction of B-movies is the cheezy horror, unrealistic premises, and downright bad acting... well, the bad acting is here - and the requisite breasts & bums, but there's no actual conflict going on. Again, we don't expect fabulous scriptwriting in these films, but come on, throw us a bone here, please! Something happen already! How about the witch cult kidnaps nubile daughters from the local villages for their 'infernal rites'? Nope, no such luck... Two sisters want to break free of mum & daddy, go to the big city - one finds a modeling agency, modeling agency has witchcraft rites... that's it! Then one sister decides she wants to be High Priestess after one day in the coven, using a magic spell to kill the lesbian HPs that's been hitting on her the whole weekend(she learns fast, eh?). It's basically a few terribly inaccurate occult trappings as an excuse to show some Brit boobies... don't waste your time.
2 out of 3 people found the following review useful: Entertaining Euro sleaze, 29 February 2008 Author: slayrrr666 (slayrrr666@yahoo.com) from Los Angeles, Ca
"Virgin Witch" is a rather fun and sleazy exploitation film with some good points to it.**SPOILERS**Answering a want ad, Christine Lane, (Ann Michelle) accepts an invitation to pose for a photo shoot over the weekend at a country mansion, and takes along her younger sister Betty, (Vicki Michelle) for a modeling career. When the head of the agency, Sybil White, (Patricia Haines) shows up to oversee the shoot, she starts to suspect that something is wrong with the place. Despite her sisters protestations, she investigates anyway and soon finds that her and the house's owner, Gerald Amberly, (Neil Hallett) are involved with a coven of witches that has been spawned by the clients of the agency as the newest members of the society. Stuck between furthering her career or becoming involved in their plans, she has to decide which area she wants to follow in order to leave.The News: This here was a relatively enjoyable and entertaining exploitation film. One of the things it gets right is by playing the sex and nudity angles for all their worth. The sex is mild and limited to just one scene out in the forest, and that has hardly any real erotic charge. By contest, the nudity, almost all of which comes from the sisters with only some brief glimpses of the other naked male and female witches during the Witchcraft ceremonies, keeps the viewers interest to a certain extent. Fun can also be had with the 'crazed madness and lust' that takes over the Witches during the final ceremony. No one keeps their dignity or their clothes as they all go into spasmodic body movements sporting supposedly wanton and lustful facial expressions. The scene where she bends down in front of the naked sister to take her measurements for the agency's records is charged with a genuinely erotic atmosphere. The seductive look before diving in and the utter thrill at which she reads off the numbers are the main reasons. Most of the goodness that comes from it, though, because of the plot. Both sisters go to a mansion for a photo shoot, and this requires that the new model lounge around naked on the top of the car while the other one parades around in her micro-mini-skirt and attract all the male attention. The model then is initiated into the witch's coven, which requires that she strip naked and be rubbed with oils, and then everyone else strips naked for the orgy, providing even more opportunities for nudity. Aside from the nudity present, the most inventive sequence has an 8x10 head-shot of one of them changing to a painful expression after ritually being set ablaze by the vindictive sister. It's a marvelous scene and comes off very well. However, there is some flaws present. The biggest one regards how the plot unfolds. For this type of film to work, there has to be something wrong at the estate, and how it does this doesn't produce one. After being assured that this coven never practices the dark arts, and even argues about it demanding it stay that way, it never really paints them as something to be feared. There never seems to be a credible threat to the young girls in the house. It keeps waiting for someone to feel threatened, for someone to start getting that uneasy feeling that all was not right with their too-friendly and accommodating hosts, but it never happens. One sister seems to be at one with the house immediately upon her arrival, and there's no struggle, from either her or her hosts, that she will eventually become a witch. The witches and warlocks in the house keep saying they don't want to harm anyone and they don't. The other sister, once figuring out that something is going on in the house, willing agrees to become a witch in the final ceremony. Again, no big threat is seen at the house. This basically paints a picture of a little witchcraft movie with no horror at all from the setting, making it seem like there's not even much horror at all present. The other flaw is that, once the girls arrive at the witches house, the pace slows to a crawl. There's very little in here once that happens which gets the movie rolling along, switching gears to the witchcraft story and losing the modeling angle, which was providing all the nudity and excitement up until then. It also screeches to a dead stop during the scene in which, back in London, listens to an ex-girlfriend perform a lame song in a nightclub, the whole song. It's not there for any reason but to enhance the running time, and it serves no purpose. Otherwise, this here is a really entertaining entry.The Final Verdict: A rather enjoyable sexploitation film, hitting all the required notes with enthusiasm and fun, giving it a great appeal. Highly recommended to the fans of the genre or those interested in the film while those who have no interest in the exploitation it offers will be best advised to skip the film.Rated R: Full Nudity, Violence and several sex scenes
1 out of 2 people found the following review useful: More talk than action, 22 March 2009 Author: jfgibson73 from United States
The main problem with this movie is that it doesn't show you, it tells you. Characters explain everything, so no one has to actually do much to move the story along.It's about a pretty young girl and her twin sister spending a weekend at a country estate and entering the world of witchcraft, but as other posts have pointed out, you don't really see much magic. At the very end, the main character suddenly starts using her powers, but this is mainly just shown with a close-up on her eyes. The only weird, exploitive occult image is a pagan ritual which, since it was their only idea, is shown twice.It ends with the young girl who just discovered her powers eliminating the lead witch from the coven to presumably take control. That seems like a fine enough idea, but the build-up was just too mild. Very English, very relaxed. In one scene, they soothingly discuss last night's virgin sacrifice ritual over morning coffee. When the leader of the coven asks the recently deflowered inductee, "Will you pour for me?" (referring to the pot of coffee), it really hits home just how effete this group is. It's not what you want from characters in a horror/thriller.
2 out of 4 people found the following review useful: Virgin Witch, 23 September 2006 Author: timm_collins2002 from United Kingdom
Wot a brilliant movie and a chance to see Vikke Michelle as a 22 year old girl.Vikki became a household name in the UK in her 40s by playing Yvette the saucy French waitress in the hit comedy series Allo Allo In Virgin witch she is a gorgeous 22 year old , starr ing in the movie with her real life sister.Patricia Haines is gorgeous too as the older woman, a lesbian who has the hots for these two sisters who are spending a weekend at the country house where witchcraft ceremonies are practiced.It is a visual treat, the house , the lovely garden, and Vikke Michelle a guest at the house, exploring and learning all the wicked secrets and ceremonies that go on there.The film is of its time, the early 70s when Hammer Horror and occult movies were still in vogue,This film is another one in that genre, a treat, a delight and a showcase for the lovely Vikki Michelle..... sigh !
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