There’s a warning notice on the back of the Blu-ray of Witchtrap that “This Motion Picture is not a sequel to Witchboard.” This warning was originally on the VHS box back in 1989. In a time when film distributors were eager to crank out sequels or change the title of a film to fake being a sequel, it’s refreshing to see a touch of truth on a box cover. The film was written and directed by Kevin Tenney who also made Witchboard so there could be confusion. Although when you press play for the movie, you’ll think this is a totally different film since the print features the original title The Prescense. It is strange the film was released as Witchtrap. This is about people trying to trap an evil spirit although the ghostly presence belongs to a warlock and not a witch. J.P. Luebsen plays the dead warlock and had played a creepy character in Witchboard. This made a quite a few people think they were seeing a sequel. The only warning you need to have is that Witchtrap will have you scared to visit a Bed and Breakfast.
Devon Lauder (director Kevin Tenney) has a serious problem with converting the family’s country estate into a bed and breakfast. One side of the property has a vineyard that’s bound to please people who want a vacation in wine country, but the other side is an old cemetery. Making matters worse is the property might be haunted by the spirit of Avery Lauter (J.P. Luebsen). Things don’t look good when an investigating psychic goes flying out a top floor window. Instead of burning the property to the ground, Lauter hires the Goldbergs. The husband and wife team of Felix (Rob Zapple) and Agnes (Judy Tatum) aren’t going to be take chances in the notorious Lauter House that’s nicknamed the Slaughter House. They lure in reluctant clairvoyant Whitney O’Shay (Kathleen Bailey) to help them investigate. Ginger Kowowski (Night of the Demons‘ Linnea Quigley) is their video technician recording the ghostly encounters. Seeing how destructive the dead warlock can be, they’ve brought in three guys as skeptical bodyguards (James W. Quinn, Jack W. Thompson & Clyde Talley II). They believe they are ready for all that can be dished out. The spirit gets rough right of the bat when they stage a seance. They spirit isn’t happy. No one is safe inside the house. This includes Ginger when she attempts to take a peaceful shower. There’s a sense that Avery Lauter has zero plans to let his house be occupied by weekend getawayers.
Witchtrap is the predecessor to the Conjuring films with a husband and wife paranormal investigation team entering a haunted property and dealing with a supernatural terror. Much of what happens in this film as far as the investigation goes is the meat and potatoes of the various ghost hunter shows that air on cable TV. The Goldbergs use various blinky light devices to detect supernatural presences and video cameras to spot movement. They attempt to connect with the ghost with their supernatural powers. These so much to embrace in this haunted house flick. The cast is mostly unknowns so everybody seems destined to get flung out a window like the first psychic. You can’t be too sure the married couple will survive as opposed to the folks in The Conjuring films. The haunted house looks like cursed piece of real estate even before you see the upside down cross in the attic. The movie keeps amping up the violence including a head explosion and a head melting. You’ll want to cancel any quaint vacation reservations before the finale. This is not a sequel. Witchtrap is its own supernatural nightmare.
The video is 1.85:1 anamorphic. The 2K transfer is from the 35mm Interpositive. It looks a lot better than the VHS release. The audio is LPCM 2.0 Mono with the levels just right for the synth score and Leanna Quiggly’s screams. The movie is subtitled.
Audio Commentary track with: Director Kevin Tenney, Producer Dan Duncan, Cinematographer Tom Jewett and Actor Hal Havins. They remember the low budget production. There’s a bit of discussion about editing the shower scene to meet the MPAA guidelines.
Interview with Director Kevin Tenney (23:36) has him explain how he split film school before receiving his Masters degree to make Witchboard. He skipped doing his thesis project to make a real feature film. They also hired him to direct Night of the Demons. He and a pal wanted to make a low budget film so they could do more than just direct. He missed adjusting the lights. They raised $400,000 and he hired a few people who had acted in his films at University of Southern California. He gets into how they were able to do the special effects shots on a shoestring budget.
Interview with actress Linnea Quigley (13:40) has her talk about how she didn’t quite want to be an actress when she arrived in Los Angeles. She went to work at a gym and a few models there helped her get into acting. She was an extra and as she got comfortable and took acting classes, she went for bigger roles. She did a lot of horror movies because she liked them and they were getting made in the ’80s. She became a Scream Queen. She admits to accepting the part without reading the script because she trusted Kevin after making The Night of the Demon.
Interview with Cinematographer Tom Jewett (15:09) recounts going to film school at Los Angeles City College. His teacher was roommates with Jim Morrison during his school days. He worked on That’s Incredible and In Search Of… with Leonard Nimoy. He met Kevin on The Cellar when he replaced the original director. Tom feared he was getting fired originally. He got along great with Kevin. He gets into the balance of business and art during a production.
Interview with Special Effects Supervisor Tassilo Baur (17:11) tells him how he got into special effects because he fixed a film projector which led him to a job offer which led to USC. However the school catalog listed special effect classes that didn’t exist so he learned from others. He met fellow student Kevin Tenney to work on his student film. The two went on to work on quite a few projects. He gets into working on Witchtrap with a tighter budget than their previous work on Witchboard and Night of the Demons.
Witchtrap VHS Version (91 mins) is a standard definition version of the film in 1.33:1 full frame. It looks just like you would have rented it from Video Plaza. This actually has the Witchtrap title in the credits. It also has a on-screen warning that it’s not a sequel to Witchboard. Although the trailer for Witchboard opens up the “tape.”
Photo Gallery (1:06) includes behind the scenes snapshots, the billboard for the video release, a production announcement when the film was called The Haunted and more.
Original Trailer (2:31) immediately mentions the films is from the writer and director of Witchboard. This seems to be for the video release.
Trailer Gallery includes The Dark, House on Sorority Row, One Dark Night, Mortuary and Forbidden Zone.
Collectible Mini-Poster suitable for framing.
Limited Edition Slipcover (First Pressing Only) that makes the Blu-ray feel like a rental VHS.
MVD Rewind Collection presents Witchtrap. Directed by Kevin Tenney. Screenplay by Kevin Tenney. Starring James W. Quinn, Kathleen Bailey, Judy Tatum, Rob Zapple, Jack W. Thompson, Clyde Talley II, Hal Havins, Linnea Quigley and Kevin S. Tenney. Running Time: 92 minutes. Rating: Not Rated. Release Date: June 13, 2023.
