Witchfinder general tells the story of matthew hopkins played by price, the reallife 17thcentury puritan lawyer and witchfinder. While i found the film to work for the intended subject matter, the witchfinder generaleven with restored scenes was pretty light fair for witch hunter style films. May 31, 2015 1968 price turns in one of his most chilling performances as the sinister, cynical, and obsessed hopkins, who prowls the 17th century english countryside already beset by civil war instigating witchhunts for both profit and pleasure. Zac bajjon never really played bass for witchfinder general. He claimed to hold the office of witchfinder general, although that title was never bestowed by parliament. Witchfinder general film by reeves 1968 britannica. Witchfinder general star ian ogilvy talks of films appeal bbc news. May 18, 2019 the original witchfinder general starred vincent price, ian ogilvy and hilary dwyer and was based on ronald bassetts novel. This one portrays england during its civil war in the 1640s. Jul 24, 2018 witchfinder general shows that when violence is unleashed, it becomes uncontrollable. By consensus, vincent prices finest performance among his gallery of horrormovie rogues comes in witchfinder general, the intense 1968 film that erased any hint of camp from the actors persona. The conqueror worm witchfinder general 2000 rotten. Witchfinder general is a 17th century depiction of what real human manifested horror is in the way bogdonovichs, targets is a 20th century true horror film. This an insane film, that deserves the recognition it has received over the years.
The film follows matthew hopkins vincent price, the proclaimed witchfinder general, as he travels through east anglia during the english civil. They were wellknown for featuring topless witches on their album covers, one of which was the very popular model joanne latham. Witchfinder general, known in the usa as the conqueror worm, starred horror icon vincent price as the notorious seventeenthcentury fanatic matthew hopkins, the eponymous selfstyled witchfinder general. They were part of the new wave of british heavy metal scene and have been cited as a major influence on the doom metal genre. As for the films numerous home video incarnations, the most complete version can be found on mgms 2007 dvd release.
Thought to be a former solicitor, matthew hopkins appointed himself as the witchfinder general, but was never directly employed by parliament. Witchfinder general 1968 for all his lengthy tenure as a horror film icon, rarely did vincent price have an opportunity to portray a character as unrelentingly evil as matthew hopkins in michael reeve s 1968 film witchfinder general released stateside as the conqueror worm. We publish indepth, high quality articles written by a diverse group of people. Filming locations from witchfinder general 1968 youtube. Using underhand methods, hopkins was able between 1644 and 1646 to secure the conviction and subsequent execution of 230 people for witchcraft. Matthew hopkins is paid according to how many confessions he can extract from witches.
Filming locations from witchfinder general 1968 starring vincent price and ian ogilvy. Without ceremony or dramatic pause, she is hung and the townsfolk turn away. I liked the film and i feel every film lover should see a film that shaped horror films at the moment and time. The refn production was initially announced at cannes back in 2016 as a passion project for the auteur. The film takes the trial and execution of a real priest, john lowes, as its starting point, adding on a fictional love story between lowess ward.
The former solicitor matthew hopkins entitled himself the witchfinder general. Witchfinder general 1968 ian ogilvy in witchfinder general 1968 witchfinder. Both audiences had been privy to the work of the films masthead star, vincent price, who was at this time enjoying his most varied and widespread renown as a genre actor. The extreme violence of witchfinder general was controversial for its time, and although the film was released moreorless intact by british censors, it was heavily cut for its initial us release. Starring vincent price as reallife witchhunter matthew hopkins ca. Witchfinder general remake finds director in john hillcoat. Witchfinder general is a startling film given its parallels to contemporary political events. Witchfinder general is the story of the infamous matthew hopkins, a lawyer from suffolk who set himself up as a freelance interrogator. Its about what real people do to others thats not good and anyway you slice that that is far more terrifying than any supernatural threat that may or may not have ever occurred. Sep 24, 2008 witchfinder general is accurate enough, save for the lack of a greyhound with the head of an ox that could turn itself into a fouryearold child with no head.
Nothing is nastier than folk and witchfinder general finds horrors that only mortals would choose to create. One of his earliest trials took place in 1645 at chelmsford, essex before the justices of the peace and robert rich, earl of warwick. Witchfinder general 1968, 20 shocking facts you never knew. A suspected witch is taken from her village to be hanged. An exhibition at colchester castle about the witchfinder general reveals why essex became the witching county of britain during the 17th century. John hillcoat to helm witchfinder general remake from.
Written by tom baker and michael reeves, based on the novel by ronald bassett. The best, and regrettably the last, of too few films directed by michael reeves before his untimely death. At first, the film certainly managed to receive the worse sort of popular attention, as well as neglect. Images of the thriller movie posters i have in my collection. Witchfinder general 1968, directed by michael reeves film. I am talking about the witchfinder general, this for me was the ultimate horror film, it had an interesting storyline contained great performances from its leading actors and for me had a beautifully haunting musical score by composer paul ferris who also made an appearance in the film. Witchfinder general, known in the usa as the conqueror worm, starred horror icon vincent price. Witchfinder general 1968 on a hillside a man is building a gibbet. Found by martin skipper and confirmed by richard m, this lane leads from the green in kersey, suffolk. Filmed on location in the countryside of norfolk and suffolk on a modest budget, this portrait of backwoods violence set in 1645, it deals with.
John lowes rupert davies was the priest at brandeston, ten miles northeast of ipswich, who really was tried by water and executed for witchcraft. Witchfinder general religion, spiritualism, and occult the unofficial title adopted by matthew hopkins, the son of james hopkins, minister of wenham in suffolk, england matthew made a career out of discovering witches for a f. The film, though, uses st johns church, rushford, about three miles east of thetford in norfolk. Lovecraft as poe the haunted palace and used a few lines from one of poes poems to create a fantasy comedy the raven, but nothing quite compares to what they did to witchfinder general, the third and greatest film from tragic and gifted young british director michael reeves the shebeast. Witchfinder general were highly influenced by black sabbath and rode in on the nwobhm. Matthew made a career out of discovering witches for a fee. Cary edwards is a film studies lecturer in lincolnshire, uk. He and his associates are believed to have been responsible for the deaths of 300 women, accused of witchcraft, between 1644 and 1646. Out of all the exciting news currently coming out of the cannes film festival, the news that john hillcoat the road, lawless will be directing the nicolas winding refn drive, only god forgives produced remake of witchfinder general definitely ranks as some of the most exciting. Witchfinder general were an english heavy metal band from stourbridge, england. Both hopkins and stearne are hypocrites, stearne is seen in. The original witchfinder general starred vincent price, ian ogilvy and hilary dwyer and was based on ronald bassetts novel. Witchfinder general 1968 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more.
Witchfinder general is a 1968 british horror film directed by michael reeves and starring vincent price, ian ogilvy and hilary dwyer. Like the devils, witchfinder general also called the conqueror worm is likely to disturb a lot of people through its portrayals of witch hunts. Set in 1645 norfolk, england, it was a fictionalized study of real. The choice of victims, generally young and pretty, allows hopkins to exploit them sexually. Based on a factual but rather dry historical account of the reallife witchfinder general, written by ronald bassett, director michael reeves film aims for realism in both period detail and the depiction of violence. 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. The cruel civil war between royalists and parliamentarians that is ravaging the country causes an era of chaos and legal arbitrariness that allows unscrupulous men to profit by exploiting the absurd superstitions of the peasants. Witchfinder general article about witchfinder general by. Witchfinder general religion, spiritualism, and occult the unofficial title adopted by matthew hopkins, the son of james hopkins, minister of wenham in suffolk, england. Religion is used entirely as a rhetorical construct to justify violence, mostly against women. Film inquiry is a progressive, independent film magazine that aims to redefine film journalism.
Nov 09, 2009 colchester castle was the base hopkins used to imprison and interrogate many witches. Witchfinder general is a 1968 britishamerican historical horror film directed by michael reeves and starring vincent price, ian ogilvy, hilary dwyer, robert russell and rupert davies. Witchfinder general is accurate enough, save for the lack of a greyhound with the head of an ox that could turn itself into a fouryearold child with no head. 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 poes work. Witchfinder general is a 1968 british horror film directed by michael reeves and starring vincent price, ian ogilvy, and hilary dwyer. Film locations for witchfinder general 1968, in suffolk, norfolk and buckinghamshire. Based on a true story, the film uses the landscapes around suffolk in east anglia. The screenplay by reeves and tom baker was based on ronald bassetts novel of the same name. Witchfinder general titled onscreen as matthew hopkins. As for the films numerous home video incarnations, the most complete version. Witchfinder general film wikipedia republished wiki 2. Witchfinder general, british horror film, released in 1968, that is noted for vincent prices sinister portrayal of its main character. Price plays matthew hopkins, a sadistic 17thcentury witchfinder who uses barbaric methods to identify and invariably execute supposed witches. Witchfinder general debuted in britain in may of 1968 and in the u.
For a much stronger, evil, and macabre version, youd be better off with the film mark of the devil. Winners best picture winners golden globes emmys san diego comiccon new york comiccon sundance film festival toronto intl film festival awards central festival central all events. The movie was shot at locations across suffolk and norfolk including lavenham, kersey, st johns church in rushford, and kentwell hall in long. Witchfinder general is a film of social collapse, one of a world weaponising belief to justify violence in a pastoral english setting. Theres lots of screaming when theres this much at stake.
Witchfinder general titled the conqueror worm in the u. The screenplay was by reeves and tom baker based on ronald bassetts novel of the same name. Because it stars vincent price, its therefore classified as a horror film. Witchfinder general star ian ogilvy talks of films appeal. An unexplained suicide, at 24, within a few months of witchfinder generals release, has often been linked to reeves masterpieces blighted release history. They were named after the 1968 british horror film witchfinder general. The movie was shot at locations across suffolk and norfolk including lavenham, kersey, st. Witchfinder general is a 1968 britishamerican horror film directed by michael reeves and starring. All we hear are her screams, the prayers of a priest and the wind. The conqueror worm witchfinder general 2000 rotten tomatoes. Witchfinder general is a 1968 britishamerican historical horror film directed by michael reeves and starring vincent price, ian ogilvy, hilary dwyer, robert. A star of the cult film witchfinder general has spoken of its enduring appeal, 50 years after its release. His career flourished during the english civil war, when suspicion and fear amongst the local communities was intense.
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