Witchfinder General

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

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, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Subtitle: Eng/Spa/Fre
• Audio: Dolby Digital Mono
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 (Theatre Wide Screen)
• Features:
  • Witchfinder General: Michael Reeves' horror classic
  • Audio commentary with co-producer Philip Waddilove and actor Ian Ogilvy

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Vincent Price - Matthew Hopkins
       Ian Ogilvy - Richard Marshall
       Rupert Davies - John Lowes
       Hilary Dwyer - Sara
       Robert Russell - John Stearne
       Michael Beint - Capt. Gordon
       Nicky Henson - Trooper Swallow
       John Trenaman - Trooper Harcourt
       Tony Selby - Salter
       Beaufoy Milton - Priest
       Patrick Wymark - Oliver Cromwell
       Alf Joint - Sentry

• Director:

  Michael Reeves

• Producer:

  Louis M. Heyward, Arnold Louis Miller, Philip Waddilove

• Screenwriter:

  Louis M. Heyward, Michael Reeves

• Book Author:

  Ronald Bassett

• Screenwriter:

  Tom Baker

• Cinematographer:

  John Coquillon

• Composer (Music Score):

  Paul Ferris

• Editor:

  Howard Lanning

• Art Director:

  Jim Morahan

• Executive Producer:

  Tony Tenser

• Set Designer:

  Andrew Low, Jimmy James

• Costume Designer:

  Jill Thomson

• Sound/Sound Designer:

  Paul LeMare

REVIEW:

• The last and most accomplished film from British director Michael Reeves (who died in 1969 at the age of 25), Witchfinder General feels like the work of a talented filmmaker just starting to hit his stride; while it's overstating the case to call it a great movie, it's a very good one, and it's not hard to imagine (as more than one critic has speculated) that Reeves could have been a potent force in British horror had he lived. In Witchfinder General, Reeves achieved a cold, bleak look and feel that perfectly captured the rugged landscapes of the North of England (as well as the flinty heart of its leading character), and while the film was scandalous in its day for its violence, seen more than three decades on, the bulk of Witchfinder General's brutality seems to be inflicted upon the audience rather than the characters onscreen -- there's little relish in the torture scenes, and a plentiful share of outraged disgust that's unusual in the genre. Reeves also managed to draw fine performances from his cast, especially Vincent Price as Matthew Hopkins; Reeves persuaded Price to tone down the campy mannerisms that had crept into his work with Roger Corman, and the result is a portrait of steely, self-righteous evil that ranks with the actor's most effective performances, while Ian Ogilvy and Hillary Dwyer offer fine support. Though obviously shot on a low budget and sometimes inconsistent in its pacing, Witchfinder General remains both powerful and unnerving, and certainly merits the cult following it has gained over the years; as a look at the dark side of Puritan England, it's nearly as strong and certainly more realistic than Ken Russell's not-dissimilar The Devils. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi