For my latest contribution to the Philm Phreaks series at Wormwood Chronicles, I’m looking at the blu-ray release of “Coven of the Black Cube.” 

This is a very unique movie. There are some things about it I love. For one thing, it has a great, almost punk rock, VHS aesthetic that is so cool. Secondly, there is also some killer heavy metal as part of the film – including some live performances from real bands. 

Now, there are things here that either sold me on the movie or bothered me, but that might be a draw or a detriment to some viewers. For one thing there is a lot of nudity, and it’s more extreme than you see in a lot of films. There is also a detailed male bit of nudity (that includes torture that is likely to cause some cringe moments for men in the audience). It didn’t really bother me because it was obviously fake, but it was quite explicit. 

I suppose all the lesbian content might also turn some viewers away, but again, personally, it wasn’t an issue for me. The movie is often described with the term “queer” right in there, so it seems that the people who will be turned away by that are duly warned. 

I should also mention that there is a lot of gore and just plain gross content in the movie. Again, it wasn’t an issue for me because it didn’t look all that realistic, but if you don’t have the stomach for that kind of stuff, you are hereby advised. 

Now, there were a few things that did cause me some pause. For one thing, I think the film could have used some more editing. There were a number of scenes that just went on too long, basically riffing on the same thing. That tended to cause some problems with pacing for me. I also found the story a little hard to follow at times. Some of it didn’t make a lot of sense, but maybe it’s just me. 

None of that matters, though, I enjoyed the movie. The story is focused on a group of witches who help women get rid of their bad husbands and boyfriends. A young woman gets drawn in when she falls for one of the women in the group. I’m not going to reveal more about the plot to avoid spoilers. 

In terms of bonus materials, basically we get trailers and some behind the scenes footage. I’m always a fan of BTS footage, so I enjoyed that part. Overall, this really captures a vintage aesthetic very well. The story, although I found it at times a little confusing, has some real intrigue and surprises. Overall this is an entertaining movie, although it does drag at times, particularly early.