Mark of the Witch (2014)

Instant Favorite.

How sad is this?

Don't listen to the negative reviews

There are better movies of two hours length. I loved the actress'performance.

SPOILER: Jordyn (Paulie Redding) is an orphan raised by a woman who kills herself on her 18th birthday. Jordyn's birthday wish is find out who her real parents are, which is a bitch when you are the devil's daughter. Now this is not new. The Dark Lord has had an unholy daughter for a while now, as they give birth to another and then another because they can. And the woman has to be naked to give birth because the child comes out of her mouth.Not to give too much away, but there are two Jordyns, a good one and evil one, just like there were two Kirks (The Enemy Within) except that was simply a transporter malfunction and not something designed by the Unholy Master. Jordyn has these out of body, out of focus episodes and a non-Asian roommate named Kym (Lillian Pennypacker) also spelled with a "Y" so you know its like real Magick with a "K."In one scene Jordyn talks to Aunt Ruth (Nancy Wolfe) without a "y" and it is clear she needs a big helping of Jesus and an even greater helping of acting lessons. Aunt Ruth's confrontation with Maria Olsen was the epitome of a bad scene with idiotic special effects and terrible lines and deliveries. About all the scenes with Aunt Ruth were not entertaining. Using a cheap voice enhancer for a demon's voice is ineffective and only makes a film look sadly low budget. It is only effective on Saturday morning cartoons.Now I did like the Bird scene with the eye etc. and the baby/mouth special effect although I am not sure why that was done or what it was supposed to represent.Guide: sex and nudity (Paulie Redding or double)

Paulie Rojas stars as Jordyn, a delicate young orphan celebrating her 18th birthday. This celebration opens up a journey of apparent demonic possession as Jordyn attempts to learn the truth about the mother who abandoned her all those years ago.The very stylised slow-motion imagery and set-pieces contain some eerie moments, such as glimpses of a hooded figure watching Jordyn as the chemists where she works, but the onslaught of further jaunts into the supernatural threaten to become tediousness because of their determination not to progress the narrative in any way.I love films that strive to do something different to tell a familiar story. I am also very fond of certain 'arthouse' films. 'Mark of the Witch' ticks both of those boxes, but unfortunately soon becomes dull viewing, with a plethora of threatening predictions directed towards Jordyn. Jason Bognacki deserves kudos for his immersive directional skills, and whilst I embrace the fact that arty films such as this dwell more on style than substance, his script for this might have benefitted from a few more actual incidents rather than a relentless see of beautiful looking obfuscation.

Besides the crow motif, this film is nothing like the Omen films. It is at best, artistic soft porn - without much porn. The plot and the acting are atrocious. Don't waste your time. Antichrist - with William Defoe is a much better horror film.Besides the crow motif, this film is nothing like the Omen films. It is at best, artistic soft porn - without much porn. The plot and the acting are atrocious. Don't waste your time. Antichrist - with William Defoe is a much better horror film.Besides the crow motif, this film is nothing like the Omen films. It is at best, artistic soft porn - without much porn. The plot and the acting are atrocious. Don't waste your time. Antichrist - with William Defoe is a much better horror film.

A young woman called Jordyn learns that she may be the spawn of Satan soon after she celebrates her eighteenth birthday. Soon she starts to have strange visions and encounters and becomes embroiled in a world filled with possession and desire as she learns her role in ensuring her family's curse continues........Anybody who is a fan of Argento's work will know all about the wonderful genre that is Giallo horror. Try explaining what it is to someone without coming across as a total snobbish film lover is a whole different kettle of Inferno.Giallo makes the insane sublime, the horrible ever so sexually charged, and after seeing movies such as the aforementioned Inferno, you wonder what on earth you watched, and what kind of mind it sprung from.Mark Of The Witch is a film much like that, beginning in the most uncomfortable way, and not letting up for the proceeding eighty minutes. And then it finishes, without so much as a warning.A mix of The Omen, and the work of Noé and Argento, the film doesn't conform to normality by having your atypical three acts, we follow Jordyn from each bizarre scenario, to the next, and all the while, not any character appears to be what they are.It looks beautiful, to give the film it's biggest compliment and it's Giallo's biggest cliché, it's like looking at a work of art. The camera work is beautiful, adding a depth of mystery and subliminal eroticism to the movie.My only gripe is the scenes between the aunt and the mother are something right from a really bad episode of Buffy. But it only adds to the charm.But it's not for everyone, and I fear that many people will be mislead by the cookie cutter DVD cover for the film that is obviously aimed at the masses rather than the eclectic market it should be aimed at.But who knows, some will find a gem of a movie hidden in there, but I fear that many casual horror fans will dismiss it for being action and scare lite.But it's not always about that. This is about a girl coming of age, and the split personality side of the story is about choosing which path to follow for he rest of your life, the light path, or the dark.After all, there is something pretty life affirming and mystical about your eighteenth birthday, a lot believe that when you turn that age, your life is set,and what you do in the next few weeks will beset in stone for your eternity.It's an amazing achievement of a film, one that will get under your skin for days.