Twin sisters Mira and Mara (Leigh and Lynette Harris) must stop their evil sorcerer father Traigon (Roberto Ballesteros) before he can summon the wicked god Caligara and an army of zombies. However Mira and Mara were raised as warrior boys and on their journey, with the help of some friends, they must not only learn the differences between men and women but also how to use their magical abilities for justice. Thus is the premise of Jim Wynorski’s script.
Sorceress (1982) was penned by Wynorski, directed by Jack Hill and produced by Roger Corman for New World Pictures. As was typical at the time Corman had the film shot in Mexico using mostly Mexican actors and crew so there is some horrendous ADR in Sorceress. There are also some pretty lousy special effects, particularly during the climax where the gods battle above in the heavens.
Despite these usual limitations of a Corman production Jack Hill’s direction still gives Sorceress some energy. Hill is excellent at shooting sword fights and the sequence in the catacombs is wonderfully eerie and gross. Ultimately Sorceress feels more like Wynorski’s project than it does Hill’s. Wynorski’s penchant for reviving antiquated genre motifs with an exaggerated sense of sleaze is what defined his own films Not Of This Earth (1988) and Dinosaur Island (1994) and it’s all over Sorceress.
Even by the standards of New World Pictures Sorceress is pretty awful. It has a few superficially entertaining moments peppered throughout but for the most part Sorceress feels like vintage porn with all the sex cut out. Of course those who count themselves a part of the New World Pictures cult will find plenty to enjoy, but the average viewer is probably safest staying away.
