Witchfinder General (1968)

Enjoy the hauntingly beautiful theme tune.


Michael Reeves' minor classic is the stuff of legend. A young director, who showed so much promise but would die at his own hand; a star (Price) who resented the director's non-directorial approach (but would give his best film role, ever); a film so filled with blood that, while the audience lapped up the gore, the censors hacked it to pieces, etc...

You all know the story - Vincent is at his villanious best as Matthew Hopkins, the 1640's Witchfinder who roamed England's East Anglia in search of prey. Not since Christopher Lee's Dracula had there been such a malevolent screen monster as Price's Hopkins.

The 1968 film was released with major cuts, and the master prints are said to be missing. A DVD has been released with an alternative version - whereby the nudie bits destined for the European release are included.

According to Starburst, Volume 4, Number 10, 1982, the censored bits included (1) a substantial reduction of the spiking of Lowes in the back and his screams; (2) the removal of a woman being hit and half strangled in a cell; (3) a reduction of the ducking of Lowes and the two women who went under with him; (4) a reduction of the burning of Elizabeth Clark (including shots of her being dragged to the gibbet); (5) a reduction of Sara being tortured with a spike and screaming and (6) a substantial reduction in the number of shots of Richard chopping up Matthew with an axe.

LEAVE THE CHILDREN AT HOME... If YOU are squeamish stay home with them!

Enjoy this fab music video from Cathedral, featuring VP as Matthew Hopkins.





Directed by Michael Reeves
Adapted from the Ronald Bassett novel by Tom Baker

CAST
Vincent Price as Matthew Hopkins
Ian Ogilvy as Richard Marshall
Hilary Dwyer as Sarah Lowes
Robert Russell as John Stearne
Nicky Henson as Tropper Swallow
Tony Selby as Tom


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