Like many films on the BBFC's "Video Nasty" list back in the eighties; The Witch Who Came from the Sea baffles the viewer because there really isn't anything in the film that should have lead to its banning. Sure, there's a little bit of blood and the suggestive child abuse scenes are a bit shocking, but this film is never going to corrupt or deprave. Anyway, while the shocks are disappointing, and I can understand why this isn't a widely liked cult classic; I've got to say that I really enjoyed it...and I should also mention that I'm not really sure why. The film features the age-old storyline of someone going insane and turning to murder, but it's surprisingly more relaxed in pace and content that many other similar movies. This one is also different because, rather than seeing a man butcher women; we've got a woman exacting violence against men. Molly is a young lady corrupted by memories of her seafaring father. She turns to drink, and soon becomes a killer after spending the night with two footballers. We then follow her on her dissent into alcoholism and insanity.

The film has that classic, gritty low budget look about it, which bodes well with the atmosphere presented. One of the main reasons why I liked this film is because it seems that writer Robert Thom and director Matt Cimber actually care about the plot and characters, and this is shown by the fact that a lot of the movie is spent building up the situation around the lead character. The movie remains interesting throughout because certain facts about the lead's past are fed to the audience bit by bit, and these help us to see why the character acts as she does. The lead role is taken by Millie Perkins, who actually does a really good job with it. It's easy to believe that she is the character we are seeing on screen, and her performance is above the average for this sort of film. The scenes of gore aren't all that shocking, and only the one that sees a man butchered with his razor is likely to provoke any kind of reaction from the audience. The castration sequences and the child abuse are what this film became notorious for, but I don't know why as they both are put forward in a very casual manner. Overall, however, I feel that The Witch Who Came from the Sea has been unfairly treated and should be remembered with a bit more respect.

THE WITCH WHO CAME FROM THE SEA is one of the films caught up in the UK's video nasties craze, where it was banned for many years due to the objectionable content. Thankfully that was long in the past and the film is now readily available both online and in the shops via a pristine Blu-ray print. As with many of these so-called video nasties, the most interesting about it is the controversy surrounding it, because it really isn't a very good film.

This is a slow, psychological drama about a woman going out of her mind. The main actress, Millie Perkins, was well known for playing the title role in 1959's THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK; it's quite a difficult and challenging role for her to play here but she does a pretty convincing job, as you can fully believe that there's madness lurking behind those bright blue eyes. The supporting cast are much worse, and rather amateurish, but 99% of the film is focused on Perkins alone so that's not too big a problem.

No, the main issue with THE WITCH WHO CAME FROM THE SEA is the slow nature of the script, which is given to introspection and the occasional outburst, but really isn't very interesting. The writer had the opportunity to get to the real heart of the matter by crafting an intense character study, but instead everything gets dragged out so that they can do a big reveal at the end instead. It doesn't work very well. The controversy comes from some graphic flashback sequences dotted through the narrative; the early threesome gone awry is wince-inducing indeed, but the childhood flashbacks are truly sickening due to what they reveal. As a result this is the kind of grubby film that makes you long for a shower after viewing.

A disturbed woman (Millie Perkins, best known for "Diary of Anne Frank") is haunted by memories of childhood abuse, which culminates in a murder spree.

The script came from Robert Thom, who wrote it for his then-wife Millie Perkins, though much was cut before it got to shooting because it would have run over four hours. Thom was already something of a legendary writer, coming out of AIP with "Death Race 2000" and "Wild in the Streets" (among others) under his belt. Interestingly, by the time the film was released, Thom and Perkins were separate, and Perkins was dating Jack Nicholson (another AIP alumnus).

Whether it was original in Thom's script or not, director Matt Cimber said "the MPAA almost had a hemorrhage when they saw this" because of the subject matter of child molestation, a taboo topic ever since Fritz Lang's "M" (1931). Cuts had to be made just to get the film an R, including blood spurts (and have unfortunately not been restored).

From the opening shots, this film is reminiscent of "Night Tide" (1961). Was this intentional? Probably not, and more likely they just both have that feel because they are horror films that revolve around sailors and the sea. The actual plots share almost nothing.

In retrospect, the most amazing thing about this film is that the cinematographer was Dean Cundey. At the time, he was just another cameraman, but within a few years he would be well-known as John Carpenter's go-to guy, and after that go on to bigger and better things with the likes of Steven Spielberg. Is his talent evident here?

Interestingly, this film is a "video nasty" that is actually quite good, unlike many on the list. One critic viewed the film as not being a horror film but actually representing a scathing indictment of child sexual abuse as well as a study of a troubled woman's descent into madness; "a study of a woman whose sanity teeters on the edge". While this is a great sentiment, it is still a horror film -- but perhaps a horror film with a deeper meaning than the average movie.

Arrow Video has gone to the ends of the earth to find the best elements possible to restore the film to glory. They also have a few special features, including an audio commentary with Dean Cundey, Matt Cimber and Millie Perkins. For some reason, it seems to have been recorded in a bathroom or echo chamber, but still fascinating just the same. In my estimation, Cundey is one of the all-time greats, and getting him on record is always wonderful.