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The film was part of a wave of features produced and distributed during the late 1970s and early 1980s that transitioned from theatrical screenings to the growing home media market.
By the time Come Under My Spell began circulating heavily in 1981, its aesthetics were already charmingly anachronistic. It heavily retains a mid-to-late 1970s aesthetic, flooded with swinging San Francisco culture, oversized collars, and lingering post-hippie sensibilities.
—she isn’t seducing a lover. She is seducing the listener’s memory. The 1981 Exclusive mix emphasizes a repetitive, arpeggiated Roland Jupiter-4 bassline that feels hypnotic, almost dangerous. BPM clocks in at a lethargic 98, which was commercially suicidal for dance floors at the time.
: Inside Carlos Tobalina’s Absurdist B-Movie Satire come under my spell 1981 exclusive
For decades, Come Under My Spell remained a forgotten relic of the early 1980s VHS boom. However, the film found a brand-new generation of viewers when cult film preservation company gave it an exclusive physical media rescue.
Let’s step into the time machine and set the dial for 1981.
(played by Fernando Fortes), a hapless foreign exchange student who struggles to find success with women. His luck changes when his friend Dave gives him a used book on The film was part of a wave of
We look back at "Come Under My Spell" not because it is a lost masterpiece of technical perfection, but because it is a mood piece. It captures the anxiety and the liberation of the early 80s. It represents the "midnight movie" culture that has largely been lost to the algorithmic nature of modern streaming.
Unlike the slashers that dominated the decade, films like this relied on the uncanny . The threat wasn't a man with a knife; it was a loss of control. The "spell" in the title suggests a surrender of the will, tapping into the era's fascination with hypnosis and the occult (a trend solidified by films like The Legacy or The Fury ). It is a film that asks the audience to give in to its bizarre logic, offering a trance-like experience rather than a narrative puzzle.
The song "Come Under My Spell" was released as a 12-inch single in 1981, a period of significant creative experimentation for The Stranglers. The band was exploring new sonic landscapes, incorporating elements of funk, reggae, and pop into their music. This experimental approach yielded a distinctive sound that was both refreshing and captivating. —she isn’t seducing a lover
The "exclusive" modern release is most commonly found on the Vinegar Syndrome Double Feature Blu-ray/DVD , where it is paired with another Tobalina film, Lady Dynamite Letterboxd : Restored in 2K from original 35mm camera negatives. : NC-17/Adult. Letterboxd cult films or more information on the Vinegar Syndrome preservation collection?
If you are tired of modern horror that explains every plot point in the first ten minutes, Come Under My Spell is a palate cleanser. It is dreamy, disjointed, and entirely hypnotic.
"Bumbling, desperate, and libidinous foreign exchange student Fernando isn't having any luck scoring with the ladies until his best friend Dave hooks him up with a used book on how to seduce women through using hypnotism."
: The restoration was scanned in 2K from the original 35mm camera negatives, though some shots remain naturally out of focus due to original production errors.
: The film follows Fernando (played by Fernando Fortes), an incredibly awkward, libidinous foreign exchange student living in San Francisco. Fernando has zero luck with women, with his backstory comically hinting that he has only ever found companionship with farm animals.