Hey gang, Valkor here. If you haven't had the chance to check out Roger Sampson's “The Forces of Horror: Vol. 1”, then do yourself a favor and give it a go by clicking that link. Well, Roger is back behind the camera with his latest short “The Witches of the Watch”. And just to cut to the quick it's an awesome piece that's definitely worth checking out.
The Witches of the Watch centers on new to the neighborhood mom Holly (Gwendolyn Murphy) and daughter Cameron (Gracie Whitton – Revelations), who were invited to a “neighborhood watch” party by a couple of sassy women. It turns out that the five women who run the event are also a part of a Wiccan covenant aka their witches. But they're about to learn, real quick, what true power they let in their midst.
The Witches of the Watch is a fast-paced 15-minute piece that sets the stage for Sampson's next anthology series “The Forces of Horror: Vol 2”. When will it ultimately release? Only time will time. But I do know one thing, good things come to those who wait. And I'm OK with waiting on Sampson's next entry into the fold.
The Good:
I enjoyed The Witches of the Watch way more than I expected. It's not too heavy on the scares, but what it lacks in that department, it makes up for it in strong on storytelling. By comparison, Witches is more lighthearted and fun than the previous Sampson offerings... until that reveal. And then things get a little disturbing. From the first film Revelations up until now, you can see how much Sampson has grown; the pace of this film is smoother, the actors appear right at home with the script and looked to have had a great time with the process, and visually, the film looks and feels more cinematic. Now, I can't give the guy all of the credit as this is the product of a solid cast and crew contribution that shows. As far as performances go, I think everyone did a wonderful job. But I have to give Gwendolyn Murphy tops honors; she does an excellent job of starting off timid and confused but then flips the table on the group with her confidence. Overall, The Witches of the Watch was a real treat to see and worth checking out when it gets a wider release.
The Bad:
N/A
The Ugly:
N/A
The Witches of the Watch will probably be making the film festival rounds, but you can expect it to be tacked on to “The Forces of Horror: Vol 2” when it gets released. And let me just say, this one might be my new favorite of all Sampson's films. I say "might" because I haven't seen the others... yet. But this one is gold in my book! So, out of TOV 5 stars, I'm giving “The Witches of the Watch” a solid 5.
