Witchfinder General
1968 Directed by Michael Reeves
Synopsis
He'll hang, burn, and mutilate you. He's the witchfinder general!
England is torn in civil strife as the Royalists battle the Parliamentary Party for control. This conflict distracts people from rational thought and allows unscrupulous men to gain local power by exploiting village superstitions. One of these men is Matthew Hopkins, who tours the land offering his services as a persecutor of witches.
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Vincent Price gives one of his best performances in this surprisingly dark and sadistic horror film. The ending might come off a bit rushed but it's also pretty damn brutally awesome.
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Gothic imagery and superstitious paranoia inhabit this surprisingly violent piece of cult horror. Set in the 17th century during the English Civil War where it chronicles a fictionalized portrayal of Matthew Hopkins' exploits as a witch-finder and persecutor. Directed by Michael Reeves, who would pass away before the film's release, who brings the unsettled, tense atmosphere of civically divided England to life. Although it isn't particularly conscious of historical accuracy, it does focus intently on the shocking traditions that went into witch-hunting. The execution scenes are visually haunting and emotionally evoking. Its quality and campy plot are quite aged, the love story and acting are real distractions. With that said, the main reason to check it out is for Vincent…
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Nasty brutes terrorizing peasants. No actual witchcraft. Quite a letdown indeed.
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[pass] (21min)
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From the Tigon stable
Not as good as the likes of Blood on Satan's Claw or Mark of the Devil but nevertheless worth a watch
:)
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Vincent Price gives one of his best performances in this surprisingly dark and sadistic horror film. The ending might come off a bit rushed but it's also pretty damn brutally awesome.
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Lives up to its badass title.
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A cruel, mean-spirited horror movie with Vincent Price, in a departure from his usual roguish characters, playing the brutal and coldly sadistic Matthew Hopkins, Witchfinder. This movie goes farther than most Price movies, showing violence without the dashes of fun that keep them from being too horrific. Witchfinder General shows what depths a man can sink to when he is given enough power.
For heavy metal fans, check out the track Witchfinder General from English doom metal band, Cathedral. The audio clips from the movie used in this song are what led me to the movie in the first place. You can find the official video on YouTube.
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Obra maestra de Michael Reeves.
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I know, I know. Kids these days. But for such a revered and referenced flick I actually found Witchfinder a bit dull. If you manage to stay awake and if you are interested in the period then sure it's worthwhile but apart from some interesting scenes, it all amounts to a costume drama. There are better films about the same subject. Vincent Price is the Drawcard though
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Truly horrific: Rape, abuse of power/privilege, the abandonment of dependents by virtually all pillars of authority: religion, government, military. A power vacuum filled with opportunists.
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After waiting to see this for a while, it turned out to be a bit of a non-event.
No witches. Nothing particularly creepy. Nothing overly gory (even the scenes returned to the film now that the censorship rules have been loosened were not that graphic).
I was hoping for something along the lines of The Blood on Satan's Claw but no such luck. This is more of an historical drama than anything in the horror vein.
Price was reasonable though.