1970 Directed by Gordon Hessler
In seventeenth century England Lord Whitman wages unending war on what he sees as the ever-present scourge of witchcraft, and many local villagers have suffered at his hands. But one victim uses her occult powers to curse his family, enlisting unknowing help from one of the household.
Vincent Price Essy Persson Hilary Dwyer Carl Rigg Stephan Chase Marshall Jones Andrew McCulloch Michael Elphick Pamela Moiseiwitsch Joyce Mandre Robert Hutton Guy Deghy Elisabeth Bergner Patrick Mower Pamela Farbrother Quinn O'Hara Jane Deady Hugh Griffith Jan Rossini Sally Geeson Godfrey James Gertan Klauber Peter Benson Richard Everett Louis Selwyn Micky Baker Carol Desmond Ann Barrass Nancy Meckler Show All…
Κραυγές που Σκοτώνουν, Το Ουρλιαχτό της Κολάσεως, El crit de la bruixa, Volání smrti, Hævnens ånd, Der Todesschrei der Hexen, El grito de la muerte, Les Crocs de satan, Satana in corpo, 밴시의 울음소리, O Uivo da Bruxa, Плач Банши, เจ้าชายหมาป่ามหากาฬ, 鬼泣女妖
USA
UK
Germany16
USA
USAR
France12
France
Germany
UK
USA
Vincent Price, Hilary Dwyer and Patrick Mower star in Gordon Hessler’s horror about a cruel magistrate in Elizabethan England who is cursed by a witch, which causes unexpected consequences for his troubled family.
There’s some great period flavour that really does well in conjuring up the era, but unfortunately the film just ends up feeling like a lifeless retread of Witchfinder General, but without any of Michael Reeves’ clear vision to bring something extra to the story. Here, the blandly unlikeable characters are barely more than cardboard cutouts, and so there was no point that I ever really felt invested in what happened to any of them.
The story instead just trudges along disposing of each family member in a scattershot…
June Horror 2020, Day 15, challenge #14 - a folk horror film
Apparently if you were a woman in old timey times, your second biggest concern was having to constantly repair your ripped bodice. Your biggest concern was, of course, being raped and/or killed by said bodice rippers, and maybe also the plague but mostly issues of the bodice.
Despite Vincent Price and the witchy stuff, I just couldn't vibe with this. Maybe I wasn't in the mood to endure the unending misery of everyone in this thing? Not a fun watch, but some decent atmosphere I guess.
I’m not the biggest fan of the whole Witchhunter-like sub-genre. But I am the biggest fan of its star Vincent Price. He is always an immense joy to watch even, or should I say especially, when he plays a ruthless murdering bastard like in Cry of the Banshee. I watched the uncut Version which can be quite cruel and nasty (especially towards women) at times. Not many heroes to be found in this story. Just a bunch of evil people going their way and doing evil tings. Well shot and acted, it was enough for me to enjoy it for 90 minutes and give it a recommendation. It should definitely please fans of this particular kind of Horror sub-genre.
"Bend Satan to my will so I can bring down the house of Whitman!!!"
"What about rapists who use the persecution of evil to sheild their heinous acts?"
"Them, too."
"And how about people who, when I politely tell them i plan to watch ALL the horror are like, 'nevermind that noise; move my reccommendation to the top of your list cause I say?'"
"What is this...movies?"
"Um, it's like a play."
"But the heathan caravan has already been through our hills this past May."
"Please, Oona?"
"Fine. It is done."
"And people who, seeing I have already watched a three-hour movie, refuse to give me film cred and instead, tell me there is a special, htf, four-hour version and…
Another Edgar Allan Poe-inspired, Vincent Price-starring, American International Pictures-produced horror romp, "The Cry of the Banshee" is decidedly un-PC costume chiller that finds Christians and witches battling it out for English countryside supremacy. The lavishly appointed film is bawdy, violent, and has just enough crazed energy and atmosphere to make it stand out. Like some of its AIP brethren, the film is a little dry; but it picks up speed and entertainment value as it progresses.
Revolving around a coven and an upper-crust family to which that coven has taken exception, "Cry of the Banshee" bears all the histrionic cries of "withcraft!" and associated tortures. The narrative is solid and compelling, while not necessarily casting witch or Christian in a…
Now House on Haunted Hill might be Vinny’s best character, but I think his Lord Edward might be my favorite. And who the fuck knew Terry Gilliam did the opening credits artwork?!?! 😈
#137
Day 2 a movie about witches
Bully boys in tights, of course I wanted to see them get a bit of Karma.
I felt like it was bouncing all over the place. Monty Python probably did a sketch on this I'm sure. Less crying banshee and more biting please.
Hooptober 6, #29: 6 Decades (Plus Personally I Gotta Have One Vincent Price Movie)
Even with a resume comprised almost exclusively of villains, knaves and ne'er-do-wells, Lord Edward Whitman is still one of Vincent's nastier roles, similar to his Matthew Hopkins in "Witchfinder General" (coincidence that both are witch hunters from the 1600s? Is that just the bleakest of all eras according to horror cinema? Food for thought). Rather than macabre with a twinkle in its eye, this is feel-bad historical ugliness with a supernatural twist.
Like much British and low-budget horror from this decade, the movie bears nominal credibility in tech categories and the acting is aptly feverish (Price himself, needless to say, really goes for it at the…
Title credits were incredible and everything just sort of went downhill from there. I want to meet the guy who did the barking for this. One whole star is for Vincent Price's evil laugh.
Director's Cut
As the opening credits began I was thinking to myself that they looked like they belonged in a Terry Gilliam movie. Turns out he was responsible for them. So that was a good start.
This is kind of like The Conqueror Worm meets a werewolf movie...it's not a werewolf but pretty similar.....but with more women's tops being ripped open. The story is told in a strange, convoluted way that left me wondering what was going to happen next a lot of the time. That's not necessarily a bad thing though. Vincent Price and his family are all pretty much evil, even the ones that seem like they're going to be good. The witches are the good guys but…
Vincent Price as a landowner and magistrate in 16th century England uses the classic witch hunt to one find nubile young ladies to rip off their bodices after accusing of them of being witches, and two use fear to keep the public in a docile state. It's a usual role for Price by this time of his career, a mix of cruelty and haughtiness until the banshee starts howling in the night and then he and his family are cursed.
Normally I'm cool with it when movies go to absurd lengths to establish which characters we're supposed to dislike, but why is there so much damn rape in this movie? Pretty sure I could have figured out not to root for the cruel aristocrats without the five sexual assaults in 45 minutes this film serves up.
Aside from that, this is a well-made and rather compelling anti-establishment folk-horror about the frailty of Christianity in the face of older forces. Not as good as the film it's clearly inspired by (which only has one rape!) but it makes an interesting supernatural companion piece.
Cf. Witchfinder General
