Hammer Films...

[Cyril Tourneur]

'what about starting a metathread on one of the best things that ever came out of britain' or so i have thought to myself today...

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here's my starter on that topic and one of their finest films...

The Conqueror Worm: a.k.a. Witchfinder General ...

YouTube - The Conqueror Worm / Witchfinder General (1968)

"Surely the most immoral thing in any form of entertainment is the conditioning of the audience to accept and enjoy violence. Violence is horrible, degrading, and sordid. Insofar as one is going to show it on the screen at all, it should be presented as such — and the more people it shocks into sickened recognition of these facts the better." - Michael Reeves, co-writer/director, Witchfinder General

Undoubtedly, this is one of the best horror films of the 1960s though, being a historical - and largely realistic - piece, it isn't scary (unlike, say, its supernaturally-infused blood-brothers, THE BLOOD ON SATAN'S CLAW [1970] and CRY OF THE BANSHEE [1970]). Vincent Price may not have enjoyed working on the film - and Reeves himself may have preferred Donald Pleasence - but, in retrospect, it's impossible to envision anyone else in the role; and, as it turned out, Price himself was eventually grateful to the young director for giving him one of his signature roles (though Matthew Hopkins isn't quite his most evil character as it's been claimed - that has to be the Devil-worshipping Prince Prospero in Roger Corman's THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH [1964]).

Reeves (whose favorite film-maker was Don Siegel) basically approached the plot as if it were a Western revenge drama and, indeed, the film's numerous passages showing hero Ian Ogilvy traveling on horseback through the beautiful yet gloomy English countryside on the lookout for Price and his equally sadistic henchman (played by Robert Russell) certainly feels like it; still, in no way does he flinch from showing the hypocrisy of the Church's 'ministers' and the callous agony they inflict (both physically and emotionally) on the gullible, God-fearing village-folk - resulting in about 1½ minutes of cuts imposed by the British censor (and which had to be culled from prints several generations removed from the original negative in order to compile this complete version!).

The script is unusually literate for the genre (WITCHFINDER GENERAL had the distinction of being at once an art-house and exploitation flick!), and the film also features outstanding cinematography from John Coquillon and an exquisite score by Paul Ferris (unaccountably replaced with one composed by Les Baxter on its original U.S. release, to go along with a new title - THE CONQUEROR WORM - and the film itself be passed off as yet another Poe adaptation!!). The cast also features Hilary Dwyer in her best role as Ogilvy's sweetheart, who gives herself to Price in order to save her uncle's life; the latter, then, is played by Rupert Davies; Patrick Wymark puts in a brief appearance as Cromwell; and Wilfred Brambell is amusing in a one-shot bit(!) as a sarcastic horse trader.

One logical conclusion can be made as well...It's a damn shame that director Michael Reeves died at such young age. This was only his third full movie and he passed away at the young age of 24. Delivering such a masterpiece at the age of 23...how many directors can say they've done that??

[G. S. Carnivals]

Tobias, I needed this like a Hammer on my head. What's next? Wrenching me from some other preoccupation? Screwing with my sanity? Sawing me in half?

Awl the best,
Phil

[Ligeia]

I will come back with more..Thanks T.

[hopfrog]

Quote Originally Posted by Ligeia

I will come back with more..Thanks T.

My favourite Hammer Film is Brides of Dracula. The scene wherein the vampire woman breaks out of her coffin and creeps toward the heroine, asking, "Let me kiss you..." Ah, so sinister sexy scary. I used to correspond with Roy Ashton, who did the makeup for most of Hammer's classic films. A lovely gent, so he was.

[Nemonymous]

Was 'Witchfinder General' a Hammer film? When I saw it in the cinema in the late Sixties it was a Tigon film, *I think*.
des

[Odalisque]

Quote Originally Posted by Nemonymous

Was 'Witchfinder General' a Hammer film? When I saw it in the cinema in the late Sixties it was a Tigon film, *I think*. des

Yes, Witch Finder General was most certainly a Tigon film. I have it on DVD, so I should know.