All Rise...

Judge David Johnson and a bunch of sorcerers went out last night. Sorcerer Number 3 was the designated driver.

The Charge

Do that voodoo that you do so well.

Opening Statement

This low-budget goofy Spanish horror movie sees its first release on home video and brings with it whipping, decapitations, voodoo possession, awkward sex in a river, incessant nudity, more whipping and, best of all: slow motion leopard girls running!

Facts of the Case

A group of explorers journey deep into the African wilderness to study extinct animals. What they are unaware of, however, is the dark history associated with this particular real estate. Years ago, a flock of voodoo priests terrorized the jungle by abducting attractive white women, whipping their clothes off, strapping them to a sacrificial altar, chopping their heads off and working their voodoo mojo to transform the girls into leopard demons that roam the woods looking for additional victims.

It's not long before our heroes set up camp that the drum beats start. And like that, one of the lovely ladies in the group (who knew women who look like supermodels would be drawn to a hellish march into a godforsaken jungle wasteland?) is promptly abducted, whipped, beheaded and transformed into a prancing leopard princess.

And so on and so forth.

The Evidence

The Night of the Sorcerers is cheap exploitation crap. But on the other hand, it's cheap exploitation crap. If this kind of gruel floats your boat, then consider this a glowing recommendation to check out this under-the-radar import. Really, these Sorcerers have it all: sleaze, a nonsensical supernatural storyline, horrifyingly cheap special effects and flogging. Let's break this down further:

• Sleaze
A prerequisite of course for '70s Spanish exploitation (Spanploitation?). The Night of the Sorcerers is loaded with comely beauties who think nothing of disrobing at a moment's notice. A certificate of achievement should be given to actress Kali Hansa for nearly appearing in as many scenes topless as she did fully clothed as well as braving God knows what scary exotic nipple-chewing organisms during that river love scene.

• Nonsensical Supernatural Storyline
So after these girls are decapitated they become leopard demons? Mmm hmm. The particulars of this dandy voodoo sacrifice are never expounded upon but who cares when you get to witness endless sequences of hot Spanish ladies prancing through the jungle in slow motion wearing a leopard print ensemble one might find at the neighborhood Big Lots.

• Horrifyingly Cheapo Special Effects
The kills are fairly unimpressive (drowned in two inches of developing fluid? Please) and are aided in their underperformance by the budget gore effects. But that adds to the charm, does it not? The biggest offender is the guy who came up with the beheading gag, little more than mannequin heads rolling off a spinal column that looks more like a building piece from a Construx set. If that's not corny enough, the disembodied heads come to life and snarl atop what is obviously a shabbily-made fake stone pedestal that bounces around as if it were made of foam. "As if;" ha!

• Flogging
What's with the whipping? There is no logical reason why there should be whipping in this film, besides its ability to give the filmmakers the chance to expose breasts. And in the end, kids, that's pretty much what this entire movie is about.

The DVD special edition is actually a half-decent release. Remastered from the original print materials the picture quality (full frame, alas) looks remarkably clean. Two stereo tracks, Spanish and English-dubbed, accompany. The dubbed mix will offer some cheap laughs thanks to the questionable talents of the voice actors, but the Spanish gives the more authentic experience. The extras are fairly useless, though: an alternate Spanish credit sequence, a still gallery, liner notes (the highlight, actually) and alternate "clothed" scenes. That last one will move some product I'm sure.

Closing Statement

Trashy and cheesy. A winner is you!

The Verdict

Not guilty. Someone give these ladies a heaping bowl of Iams.

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