Bruce Kessler (1936–2024)

This is a demented and groovy slice of occult cinema from the pen of Robert Phippeny, apparently a practicing warlock. Phippeny's story sees the charismatic, storm-drain dwelling warlock Simon Sinestrari (Andrew Prine) who's gig appears to be entertaining posh clients and hippies at society parties. When District Attorney Willard Rackum (Norman Burton) and head narc John Peter (Richard Ford Grayling) start busting Simon's hippie pals for low-grade pot-dealing Simon uses his black magic powers to stop them, while also using his powers to take revenge on those who scoff at his mastery of the black arts. Director Bruce Kessler delivers a fun, offbeat film that is full of strange moments, such as Simon directly addressing the audience at the start of the film and odd interludes such as a fantastic weird Wiccan ceremony. It has a very deliberate pace and plenty of black, left-field humour, most of which comes from Robert Phippeny's cool, sly, occasionally absurdist dialogue. The film delivers a wild, trippy, stormy finale and a circular ending - death, apparently, is not the end. David L. Butler provides some nice cinematography while Stu Phillips delivers some quasi-psychedelic noodlings on the soundtrack. The cast is pretty good: Andrew Prine throws himself into proceedings with gusto; Brenda Scott is cool as the lovely Linda and Ultra Violet makes for a fine cult leader. "Simon, King of the Witches" is a bit of a singular effort, full of counter-cultural oddness and some fantastically weird black arts philosophy. It has a freaky, teetering on edge feel running throughout it, all of which adds up to a great piece of (ironic?) Satanic exploitation weirdness.… (más)

“Angels from Hell” is a decent wee biker-flick from AIP, in which writer Jerome Wish lays down a script around the theme of cops having to protect and serve outsiders as well as the “squares”. Tom Stern is Vietnam vet Mike who returns from the war determined to take over his ex-bike gang “The Madcaps” and make them the top outlaw biker gang in the area. After seeing-off the existing president he leads the gang into an ever-escalating feud with the local cops which inevitably ends with a showdown with Sheriff Bingham (Jack Starett) and his men. The film is directed with plenty of low-budget snap by Bruce Kessler who gives the story pace, energy, fights, boozing and drugging while allowing the central theme to develop. That theme is well-handled with Sherriff Bingham coming across as a decent, thoughtful cop who (for a time at least) defends Mike and the bikers from the more aggressive antics of his men. The film has a nice bright look throughout thanks to cinematographer Herman Knox’s straight-forward, but highly effective shooting style. Tom Stern is good as Mike, the damaged vet, who gets progressively more psychotic as the film goes on. His gang is made up of a decent, well differentiated bunch of characters including Ted Markland as the chilled-out “Smiley”; Paul Bertoya as the well-named lunatic “Nutty”; Jimmy Murphy as fun runt “Tiny Tim” and Stephen Oliver as the spaced-out “Speed”. Arlene Martel provides solid, curvy support as biker-chick and Mike’s love interest “Ginger”. The film has a groovy score from Stu Phillips interspersed with five or six hippish songs performed by The Peanut Butter Conspiracy and The Lollipop Shoppe. Best of these is the Phillips composed (along with Guy Hemric and Byron Cole) theme song which is both widely inappropriate and great fitting fun at the same time.… (más)