A corrupt opportunist commits brutal crimes in the name of God and country in this atmospheric period horror tale. In 17th century England, as a people's uprising threatens Lord Cromwell's rule, superstition still rules the land, and the Royalists use this to their advantage by inaugurating a reign of terror in the name of .. Read more
| Starring | Vincent Price, Ian Ogilvy, Nicky Henson, Robert Russell |
|---|---|
| Director | Michael Reeves |
| Genres | Drama, Horror |
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A corrupt opportunist commits brutal crimes in the name of God and country in this atmospheric period horror tale. In 17th century England, as a people's uprising threatens Lord Cromwell's rule, superstition still rules the land, and the Royalists use this to their advantage by inaugurating a reign of terror in the name of wiping out alleged witches and agents of the dark arts. Matthew Hopkins (Vincent Price) has been appointed witchfinder by Puritan Royalists, and with the help of his thuggish assistant Stearne (Robert Russell), Hopkins travels from town to town, brutally interrogating those accused of witchcraft and using fire, drowning, and torture to extract confessions from the accused. Of course, Hopkins' opinions can be swayed with money and other considerations, and when Father Lowes (Rupert Davies), a priest whose sympathies do not lie with the Royalists, is arrested and tortured by Hopkins and Stearne, his devoted niece Sarah (Hilary Dwyer) is able to stay his punishment by sleeping with Hopkins. Sarah, however, is engaged to marry Marshall (Ian Ogilvy), a soldier in Cromwell's army, and once Marshall learns that the woman he loves has been seduced by Hopkins -- and raped by Stearne -- he becomes determined to expose the witchfinder and punish him for his misdeeds. Witchfinder General was released in the United States by American International Pictures, who in addition to arranging for Vincent Price to play Matthew Hopkins, changed the North American title to The Conqueror Worm, after a poem by Edgar Allan Poe which was read over the credits by Price, though the story bears no real relation to Poe's work.~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
| Starring | Vincent Price, Ian Ogilvy, Nicky Henson, Robert Russell, Rupert Davies, Patrick Wymark, Hilary Dwyer |
|---|---|
| Director | Michael Reeves |
| Studio | ODEON ENTERTAINMENT |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 22 mins Blu-ray: 1 hr 22 mins |
| Certificate |  |
| Genres | Drama, Horror |
| Language | DVD: English Blu-ray: English |
| Released | Production year: 1968 To Rent: DVD: 01 Sep 2003 Blu-ray: 13 Jun 2011 |
Savage, stylish minor horror melodrama with a growing reputation as the best work of its young director. Not for the squeamish despite its pleasing countryside photography.
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Good, but not as good as it should be
I admired this film and what it was trying to achieve, but I couldn't really enjoy it. Unlike a lot of the Hammer films, which this initially has a very ... read more »
[Highly rated reviewer]
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Blu Ray edition is a revelation
This was a landmark film in terms of the brutal violence it depicted when made in 1967. It is in a different league to the cosy Hammer films of the time. The ... read more »
[Highly rated reviewer]
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- 2
Very Good But Extremly Disturbing.
Witchfinder General has to be one of the most extremly disturbing film I have seen in my life. Vincent Price gives a chilling and brilliant pefomance as Matthew... read more »
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Cut, Cut, Cut...
As someone else noted, this is not the full 86 minute original version, this is the edited (15) version - with 4 minutes missing.
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