Witchcraft V: Dance with the Devil (1993 Video) User Reviews

Witchcraft V Dance with the Devil: Please, make it stop

[Platypuschow · 2/10 · 11 February 2018]

I'm in the process of binge watching the Witchcraft franchise and am fast starting to think this is the worst movie series of all time.

Here in the 5th part we see the return of William the warlock, except now he's played by a different actor as I'm sure the last guy had enough.

He's spellbound by a rival warlock who uses him to collect souls for satan, or something.

With some of the worst overacting I've ever seen and sex/nudity in every other scene this really pushes for the title of worst Witchcraft movie. I'm not sure it is, but it's certainly on par.

I'd recommend the Witchcraft franchise thus far to people who like *Ahem*, people who are into *Hmmmm* guys and gals I don't like? *Shrugs*

The Good:

Boobs, what? I'm a simple man

The Bad:

SFX that hurt my brain

Antagonist is hammy to ridiculous levels

Cringe inducing

Dull plot

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

I didn't know Ronnie James Dio was a warlock

Poor girl, her top keeps falling off

It ain't brilliant but does the job

[Paynebyname · 4/10 · 19 April 2005]

I'm sure you've already read the plot so if you can look through the cheesy special effects and dreadful, monotonous music every time the bad girl gets it on it isn't bad. The chief warlock looks ridiculous and the bad girl can't act to save her life but she looks great in a see through nightdress so who's complaining.

For me I'm a sucker for big natural boobs and the blonde bad girl has them and we get to see them. I don't watch these kind of films for the plot or comment on society so a pair of big, non fake breasts being squeezed and covered in sweat works every time. Some of the other girls aren't bad. A shower scene between the good guy and his girl is OK but she's got fake ones and thus not for me that sexy.

as usual, nothing very special; Spanner seems more in denial about his powers than in others

[FieCrier · 4/10 · 26 September 2005]

Beautiful blonde Marta pretends to be a hooker, while her boyfriend knocks the john over the head so they can steal all his money. Unfortunately, he was hit too hard and killed, so they drag his body to their car. Unfortunately, they also get into an accident in which they hit a wino in the road. They speed off, but Reverend Meredith and his assistant were driving by in their limo and stop to help. Something flies out of the wino into the Reverend, possessing him.

Meanwhile, Marta and her boyfriend break down in the woods, and come across a man at a fire. He seems to be crazy, but in fact he's Cain, a powerful servant of Satan who collects souls of transgressors. He kills the boyfriend and makes Marta his servant.

Lawyer/reluctant warlock Will Spanner returns from previous titles in this series. He and his girlfriend/fiancé Keli (her first appearance in this series, I think, but a recurring character hereafter) go to a nightclub where Cain hypnotizes Will.

Cain has Marta seduce Will in his sleep, and thereafter is able to use Will to collect souls for him. Cain seems to be so powerful, it's unclear why he needs Will at all. Keli gets Rev. Meredith to try to help Will, since he's become violent with her. He brings along Anastasia, a German-speaking Christian gypsy witch of some kind. She's not very powerful, unfortunately, and while Will is a powerful warlock, he's deeply in denial about his powers and also about the fact that something is happening to him.

There are a number of nude and sex scenes, as usual. There's one in the shower of Will's home which is unusual if only for the size of the shower. It seems they're remodeling their home and haven't finished the bathroom, so the shower is really a showerhead attached to a wall in a big stonewalled room. The house, by the way, or at least the front hall of it, seems to be the same one used in Witchcraft 8: Salem's Ghost (1996), the only title in the series without any of the recurring characters or any reference to Will Spanner. Or perhaps there happen to be a lot of houses with front doors that have a large oval pane of glass in them, and a staircase with one turn in it.

Special effects are fairly cheap again as usual, although an effect with which the white of Will's eyes flash whiter is better than some of the other ones in which characters' entire eyes turn bring red or blue. The effect of souls being passed to Cain, however, is very cheesy.

Bad dialogue, acting, and story--but lots of nudity!

[RishOut · 6 January 2000]

This was a simple and stupid film. An evil warlock tries to collect enough damned souls (using naked women in various ways to achieve this means) to bring the devil to earth. He uses this super-hot blonde lass (one of many throughout) to get a young warlock to do his bidding, and... Do I have to describe this to you? Many times the dialogue was laughably bad, and the special effects were cry-ably bad. The plot was so thin many times I forgot what was supposed to be happening. But there was a lot of naked, gyrating flesh, and be honest, that's why someone would check this out. Isn't it? It was all so rushed and amateurish and cheap, but, unlike the first "Witchcraft" (which had all those qualities), I kinda liked this one. And why not? It wasn't unspeakably bad. The women were attractive. I didn't go into looking for "Halloween," or even "Halloween 5," so I enjoyed the heaving bosoms and barely-memorized lines. If you're one of those people who like this kind of stuff, you will too.

Good for a few laughs

[mattymatt4ever · 2/10 · 4 January 2002]

I can go on and on and on about what's wrong with this film, but why bother? It's no fun pointing out the flaws of a movie that's supposed to be bad. And if the makers of this crap thought they were doing a masterpiece--may God have mercy on their souls.

I am just gonna be frank. I read a review for the movie in my Blockbuster Video Guide saying that it contains "exposed breasts galore." Well...they were right. Lots of gratuitous shots of large, surgically-enhanced (I'm guessing) breasts. What's a crappy horror movie without the gratuitous nudity? Exactly!

The acting and f/x (if that's what you call 'em) are so inexplicably bad that I had to wrestle my hand off the "Stop" button. Maybe it's because I'm an aspiring filmmaker and actor myself. A low budget is no excuse. Look what Kevin Smith did with the micro-budget comedy "Clerks." John Carpenter's pockets weren't exploding with cash when he made "Halloween." But when he did the killing sequences, instead of explicitly showing us the blood and gore, he left it up to the audience's imagination. And he still scared the pants off many viewers! In one scene of this movie, the villain sticks a sword through this guy's stomach and we suddenly cut to this stupid close-up shot of the blood dripping off the sword, as if we're supposed to believe it actually got pushed through his body. As for the computer-generated f/x...what the hell was that! They must've stole 'em off someone's screensaver!

If I have anything good to say, this film is good for a few laughs. Unintentional laughs, that is. They should've at least used a tongue-in-cheek approach. That way we can be laughing WITH them. And of course, if you wanna watch some good nude scenes that's a plus. But you can always save yourself the trouble and rent a flick from Surrender Cinema. That way you won't have to wear out the "Fast-Forward" control as much.

My score: 2 (out of 10)

Boring supernatural soft-core crap.

[BA_Harrison · 2/10 · 16 October 2017]

The acting in the previous four Witchcraft films hasn't been anything to write home about, but David Huffman's turn as Satanist Cain in part five is the worst performance yet, every line delivered as though he were a pantomime villain. It's quite fitting, then, that he looks like a pantomime villain, with his long, receding hair, manic grin, wild eyes and silvery sequined cape; hell, in one scene he even appears on stage in a puff of smoke (oh no he doesn't! Oh yes he does!).

Cain's dastardly mission is to collect enough souls to release Satan from Hell (or some such nonsense), and for this he enlists the help of big-breasted blonde Marta (Nicole Sassaman) and white warlock William Spanner (now played by Marklen Kennedy, Charles Solomon Jr. having wisely jumped ship). Under Cain's hypnotic power, William is sent to kill those who owe Cain a debt and harvest their life-force, all of which puts a strain on his relationship with big-breasted blonde Keli (Carolyn Taye-Loren).

Though none are quite as terrible as Huffman, the acting throughout this chapter is pretty bad, the special effects are pathetic, and the direction by Talun Hsu is extremely poor, with even the frequent soft-core sex scenes proving rather tiresome. For the record, Marta has sex with William twice, William has a steamy romp in a leaky basement with his girlfriend, and some old, possessed dude bangs his personal assistant (who also happens to have big breasts).

I didn't buy this film, I was given it, I have now killed the person who gave it me.

[BigSquirrel · 1/10 · 5 November 2005]

There are some films you watch and think that was bad and you forget them. After being forced to watch this I can say the effects of viewing this are still haunting me several months on.

I watched this on the off chance it was some cheap slasher series but in turned out to be some crappy low budget soft-core sex romp.

Strange weird warlock dude takes over some people and makes them do what he wants, which seems to be engaging in soft porn rituals. I think someone killed him at the end, or perhaps that was the shock of waking up when the movie had ended.

To think they have made another 8 after this.

Better than parts 1 and 2, not seen any others

[Stevieboy666 · 5/10 · 7 January 2024]

A powerful Satanist called Cain uses a young busty blonde and an innocent warlock to gather souls and help bring his Master back to Earth, Witchcraft is the longest running horror franchise, sadly only parts 1, 2 and 5 to the best of my knowledge have been released in the UK so I have had to skip 3 and 4. Young warlock William Spanner is back again but thankfully no longer played by Charles Solomon. This time he is played by Marklen Kennedy, he can actually act. He's a lucky fella too because he gets to take part in several sex scenes that seem to go on forever (and that's no bad thing!). Caine is played by little known actor David Huffman, he really overacts and his hammy performance is quite funny. This movie has far more sex and nudity than 1 or 2, in fact I would say that it as much as softcore adult movie as it is a horror. The gore consists of several stabbings, a man's heart ripped out and a decapitation, the effects are nothing to write home about. This movie is obviously low budget and some of the acting is bad but it's fast paced and fun.

In a word? Dreadful

[Leofwine_draca · 2/10 · 3 November 2016]

I've just watched four WITCHCRAFT films in a row and I'm pleased to say that this was the last one for now. I'm glad as I don't think I could take much more of this nonsense without wanting to tear my eyeballs out. DANCE WITH THE DEVIL ties with a couple of the others as the worst this pointless series has to offer; you know it must be had when even the main star, Charles Solomon Jr., doesn't come back and has to be played by somebody else.

DANCE WITH THE DEVIL tells the usual nonsense story about the devil collecting souls via an evil warlock with murder in mind. The young Chinese guy who directs it seems to have little idea about the basics of film-making because this is a near-unwatchable mess with poor lighting and hardly any kind of sets throughout.

The script is particularly awful, full of pointless swearing which the wooden cast members shout at every opportunity. I was tempted to watch it on mute. Once again there's barely any kind of horror to speak of, instead the director is more interested in shooting his actresses in various topless scenes. Some of them are unsurprisingly sporting scars from their plastic surgery so it's not really very erotic, just a chore to sit through.

So underrated

[jacobjohntaylor1 · 9/10 · 1 March 2019]

Okay Witchcraft IV is a better movie. But it is hard to top Witchcraft IV. This is a good movie. It is very scary. It has a great story line. The acting was okay. It a really good movie. See it.

Look at all that blue!

[herbpassion · 6/10 · 17 September 2010]

Rather than comment on the lack of (insert any number of obvious points on what makes for a 'good' film here) as so many people often do with this flick, I shall try and elaborate on it's luster. Don't get me wrong, I'm not defending it's honour, since it doesn't have any. On the other hand, 'Dance with the Devil' is slammed so often that it just breaks my heart. I am, as some may know, a real and in-the-flesh fan of this film series but I do not expect anyone to sympathize with me for any of my kind words towards these pictures. I'm simply exercising my right to free speech and so now I shall...

Forget about the story, the acting & dialogue, the FX (as they would be called were this a film with any sort of budget) and the myriad of other distractions. The focus here is very evidently on the sex and the copious sex scenes which drive the movie (right into soft porn land).

In addition to said sex element, what I find delightful and most memorable about this movie is it's tone- especially in the early scenes- where the use of soft (mostly blueish) colours and what I find to be a VERY, VERY seducing musical score by Miriam Cutler (yes, really, I am actually a fan and know who did the music. Just lay off me man!) create a mood & finesse that the earlier instalments simply didn't have.

The costumes in the movie are brilliant, from Marta's slutty tight dress and sheer night gown to 'homo-esque Hoffman's' see-it-to-believe-it Warlock garb. It's a visual orgasm I tell you. And that's before we arrive at the sex scenes... believe it!

The movie barely hangs together as it chugs along, but the intermittent sex scenes do provide a timed release of interest in an otherwise drab muddle of what is either ultimate camp or just sad film-making... maybe both.

But with scenes that feature lines like "I bet what you've got is real nice too!", how can you beat up on such a lovable mess of sexy entertainment? Somebody please, tell me?? And check out that artwork on the VHS box cover- it's f*****g lovely!!! (Check out my review of Witchcraft X too!)

If you are looking for a review of this film, you're pretty desperate.

[bigpappa1--2 · 31 May 2000]

They just keep getting worse and worse. This offers all the bad direction, acting, script, special effects, poorly plotted situations, etc. that one could ever want. But it does offer two good things: plenty of naked blond haired women and a whole lottaaaa sex. If you don't like either one of these two things ( is something wrong with you if you don't find that appealing? )avoid this at all cost. Rating: 3 out of 10.

* out of 4.

[brandonsites1981 · 29 May 2002]

Satan's assistant uses a hunky warlock to help him open the gates of hell and release Satan. Big breasted, hot looking and often nude women figure into the plot somehow or another. Cheaply made direct to video sequel takes the series in a whole new direction, by just tossing plot, performances, and direction out the window and just squarely focusing in on the sex. Unrated; Strong Sexual Content, Nudity, Violence, and Profanity.

Huge improvement over part 4

[aaronzombie · 12 April 2000]

Lets just forget part 4 ever happened and say this film picks up after #3. This time lawyer Will Spanner(From parts 2-4.)is enslaved by evil warlock Kane who wants to open the gateway to Hell. Spanner's girlfriend and a few others try to help him resist this evil power, but at the cost of their own lives. Good story, and o.k. acting. *** out of *****.

For What It's Worth...The Best in the Series So Far

[Michael_Elliott · 15 October 2012]

Witchcraft V: Dance with the Devil (1993)

** (out of 4)

I'm not even going to try and give a plot outline for the first 18-minutes of this movie but if there was a "B" Movie Hall of Fame then they'd certainly be inducted. Once we get past this the film centers on Will Spanner (now played by Marklen Kennedy) who comes under the hypnotic spell of Cain (David Huffman) who has bought a rock bar so that he can steal the souls of people with the help of a sexy blonde (Nicole Sassaman). WITCHCRAFT V is without question the best of the series so far and I was really surprised at how entertaining it actually is (as long as you can put up with this type of film). The movie really changed the pace from the previous four by clearly hiring women based on their breast size. Yes, this one here is going for a lot more of the softcore sex stuff but I'm not going to complain because most of the scenes are extremely sexy. This is certainly the case whenever Sassaman is on the screen as she's certainly incredibly beautiful and her body speaks for itself. Another plus comes from the before mentioned 18-minutes that start things off. I'm not going to try and explain what happens but there are about five different events that take place and each of the five must tie together or else there'd be no story here. The way all of these events just happen to take place and connect everyone together is just so silly and so campy that "B" movie fans will be howling. The William character here is certainly the least interesting of the five films but thankfully for him there's a pretty fun villain. Huffman is actually pretty good in the role of the villain and I must admit that I got a big chuckle out of his evil speeches. The film offers up several sex scenes and like most skin-flicks that appeared on Cinemax back in the day, there's really no story around them, women just get naked. Those wanting the work of Bunuel or Welles would probably be best served to stay away from this movie but in regards to what the series has offered so far, it's a mini miracle.

A Huffman Classic, Cain hits all the right notes in comedy show

[hifreeze_im_batman · 30 March 2008]

David Huffman steals the show in an amazingly hilarious performance as Campy Cain the warlock. A bizarre mix of homoerotica and strange facial expressions combined with odd stances ( the bar scene ) and dialouge - " I need to get some more coffee", " I do magic - hypnosis".

The special effects are diabolical.

How there are 14 of these films is beyond me.

I love the soft core porn elements.

David Huffman, who went on to do absolutely nothing else after this Oscar worthy performance, really should hang his locks in shame.

Pretty awful film, but saved by the blonde bad girl.