It is a very fictionalized story of matthew hopkins, who had been a 17th century lawyer. Michael reeves set in an england where the fighting between oliver cromwells men and royalists has torn the social fabric, allowing opportunists of all sorts to make sport, this cult horror film comes at the reallife tale of witchfinder matthew hopkins from a typically 1960s direction youth, sex and zoom. Price plays matthew hopkins, a sadistic 17thcentury witchfinder who uses barbaric methods to identify and invariably execute supposed witches. The group disbanded following the release of their.
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. Australia brazil canada china france germany india italy japan. Witchfinder general revels in despoiling the tranquil beauty of the english countryside with acts of appalling brutality. Like the devils, witchfinder general also called the conqueror worm is likely to disturb a lot of people through its portrayals of witch hunts. It is a british horror film starring vincent price. Witchfinder general 1968, is the last, and most famous, of the three horror films directed by michael reeves, the young british talent who tragically died at the age of 25. Oct 03, 2010 filming locations from witchfinder general 1968 starring vincent price and ian ogilvy. All we hear are her screams, the prayers of a priest and the wind.
Filming locations from witchfinder general 1968 starring vincent price and ian ogilvy. Witchfinder general article about witchfinder general by. Witchfinder general 1968 movie posters cinematerial. Rather than ghosts, vampires or zombies, or even plants or animals turning against the human race, the real horror is the human race itself.
The film suffered a further indignity in the 1980s when orion home videos lawyers could not locate the music clearances for a number. Nov 18, 2008 having said all that, witchfinder general is definitely first and foremost a horror film, just as much as the texas chain saw massacre and henry. An air of myth and mystery hangs over the film, partly due to its subject matter, and partly, too, because its 25 yearold director, michael reeves, died of a drug overdose just weeks after completing it. Witchfinder general is a bracing, even punishing film because it never allows you the release of campy enjoyment that it always seem to promise is due to arrive after just one more harrowing torture scene. Dating from the late 1960s, witchfinder general may not contain the pacey.
Witchfinder general film by reeves 1968 britannica. England is torn in civil strife as the royalists battle the parliamentary party for control. Witchfinder general while the film was recut, a new score added and called the conqueror worm in the us is a low budget film directed by the 24 year old michael reeves who suffered from depression and insomnia and who died in 1969 of an accidental overdose of barbiturates mixed. Witchfinder general, known in the usa as the conqueror worm, starred horror icon vincent price. They were wellknown for featuring topless witches on their album covers, one of which was the very popular model joanne latham. Witchfinder general the films title card is matthew hopkins. Before his death at age 25 robbed british cinema of a future mvp see the sorcerers, reeves gave vincent price, then mostly busy camping it up, the role of a lifetime, that of the witch hunter matthew hopkins, a sadist who gives vent to his sexual impulses under the guise of puritan purification. The screenplay by reeves and tom baker was based on ronald bassetts novel of the same name. Witchfinder general 1968 posted on 30 may 2018 by kevin lyons leave a comment.
Witchfinder general, a song by saxon, a british heavy metal band, on their 2004 album lionheart. On 30 january 1661, 12 years after charles i had been executed, cromwells body was dug up from westminster abbey and was subject to a ritual execution. The conqueror worm witchfinder general 2000 rotten. And now published by matthew hopkins, witchfinder london, 1647. A lawyer callously destroys innocent lives while performing his duties as a witchfinder, earning a terrifying reputation for.
Stream adfree or purchase cds and mp3s now on amazon. Matthew made a career out of discovering witches for a fee. Witchfinder general tells the story of matthew hopkins played by price, the reallife 17thcentury puritan lawyer and witchfinder. He claimed to hold the office of witchfinder general, although that title was never bestowed by parliament. The tortured distribution history of michael reeves witchfinder general has finally led to a proper video version.
Witchfinder general actually achieved very little during the bands lifetime, with two albums being given a generally poor media reception and live work infrequent. Witchfinder general filme wikipedia, a enciclopedia livre. Matthew hopkins 1620 august 12, 1647 was an english witchhunter whose career flourished during the time of the english civil war. 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 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. The video quality is quite acceptable for a film this old. With vincent price, ian ogilvy, rupert davies, hilary heath. Conqueror worm, edgar allan poes conqueror worm the conqueror worm, matthew hopkins. Witchfinder general music, videos, stats, and photos. Vincent price stars as the selfproclaimed witchfinder matthew hopkins roaming. Witchfinder general 1968 is a cult classic that tells the true story of the witchhunt conducted by mathew hopkins in east anglia, during the english revolution. The film is set in 17th century england during the battle for control between the.
A sort of east anglia western in english civil war guise, with ian ogilvy as the. Unlike many of their new wave of british heavy metal peers who injected their music with a certain punk attitude, witchfinder general drank strictly from the black sabbath fountain. Witchfinder general is only available for rent or buy. During the english civil war and the time of cromwell, selfappointed witchfinder, matthew hopkins vincent price roams the countryside as an opportunist using his position to obtain wealth, sex and power. Witchfinder general band, a british heavy metal band witchfinder general, a song on witchfinder generals 1982 album death penalty. Vincent price, witchfinder general, 1968 stock photo. The most famous film by british 1960s horror studio tigon british film productions even though everyone assumes that it must have been by hammer. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Witchfinder general 1968 where to watch it streaming online. This one portrays england during its civil war in the 1640s.
Brazil, canada, colombia, cote divoire, egypt, france, germany, hong kong. Read the official history of witchfinder general as told by phil cope, along with answers to some popular questions. Rent witchfinder general 1968 on dvd and bluray dvd. Their 1982 debut, death penalty, is a celebration of all things sabbath from the plodding rhythms of burning a sinner and r.
The opening scene, as gorgeously photographed by johnny coquillon as any other in the film, features the hanging of a helpless old woman by. Witchfinder general full movie watch online, stream or download. Cult nwobhm band named after the 1968 vincent price 2 film formed 1979 in stourbridge, england. Cathedral live at bloodstock open air 2011 hopkins the witchfinder general. Stourbridge doom metal band formed in 1979 by vocalist zeeb parkes, guitarist phil cope and drummer steve kinsell credited as kid rimple. Rent witchfinder general 1968 starring ian ogilvy and patrick wymark on dvd and bluray. Witchfinder general biography, albums, streaming links. Based on the 1968 vincent price movie of the same name, witchfinder general is a historical horror film about reallife figure matthew hopkins, and the terrible, torturous deeds he performed in the name the post witchfinder general remake coming from john hillcoat and nicolas winding refn appeared first on film.
Witchfinder general were an english heavy metal band from stourbridge, england. The screenplay was by reeves and tom baker based on ronald bassetts novel of the same name. Witchfinder general 1968 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Without ceremony or dramatic pause, she is hung and the townsfolk turn away.
Witchfinder general by michael reeves michael reeves. Witchfinder general titled onscreen as matthew hopkins. Hopkins described himself as a witchfinder and as witchfinder general on the frontispiece of his book the. Get notified if it comes to one of your streaming services, like netflix, on. They were named after the 1968 british horror film witchfinder general. Released in may 1968, as unrest fomented in paris and the hippie dream began to darken, witchfinder general tapped into the swelling antiauthority mood of its time in its tale of matthew hopkins, whose reallife counterpart roamed a civil wartorn east anglia, inflaming superstition and exploiting mistrust, abetted and generously paid by. Zac bajjon never really played bass for witchfinder general. The conqueror worm street date september 11, 2007 14. May 30, 2018 like all good folk horrors, witchfinder general revels in despoiling the tranquil beauty of the english countryside with acts of appalling brutality. In november 2006, witchfinder general reformed minus the original vocalist zeeb parkes. Well, the so called digitally restored special edition dvd of witchfinder general odeon entertainment odnf 329 arrived today friday, october 11th, 2019 from an amazon market place seller, two days late for it to have arrived on the 51st anniversary of my going to see the film at the now long gone alhambra, normacot, in 1968.
Witchfinder general were highly influenced by black sabbath and rode in on the nwobhm. David brooks witchfinder general 1968, vinyl discogs. Witchfinder general is also called the conqueror worm. Witchfinder general was a landmark horror film in its day, shattering audience complacency while also garnering kudos from critics. 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. 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.
Witchfinder general is a 1968 horror film directed by michael reeves that stars the legendary vincent price. Biography a nwobhm band, which released 2 albums death penalty and friends of hell and several singles in the period of 1979 to 1984. Hopkins the witchfinder general, a 1996 ep by cathedral, a british heavy metaldoom metal band. Witchfinder general 1968 on a hillside a man is building a gibbet. Americaninternationals original release disguised it as part of their vincent price edgar allan poe series, retitled the conqueror worm. By all accounts he was a genuinely nasty piece of work who exploited the climate of fear and suspicion during the english civil war for personal gain. Classiclady although price wasnt as menacing as ive seen him before, it was a different price for me. Having said all that, witchfinder general is definitely first and foremost a horror film, just as much as the texas chain saw massacre and henry.
Filming locations from witchfinder general 1968 youtube. Singularly lacking in haunted castles, creepy forests and scary pointy teeth, the film may display the usual 1960s obsession with technicolor tits and ass at inappropriate moments, but otherwise witchfinder general is surprisingly unsensationalist, especially given its potentially titillating subject matter. The sun, as it glances through the branches of a forest of leafless trees, forms the appearance of a glowing crucifix illuminating a serene english autumn sky. That is the haunting opening shot of michael reeves masterpiece, witchfinder general a film quite unlike any other in the annals of the british horror film, altho. Witchfinder general full movie hd film england is torn in civil strife as the royalists battle the parliamentary party for control. Hes the witchfinder general england is torn in civil strife as the royalists battle the parliamentary party for control. Witchfinder general free country lyrics genius lyrics. His body was then hung on chains at tyburn now marble arch and his head was displayed on a pole outside westminster hall for the following 25 years. Witchfinder general religion, spiritualism, and occult the unofficial title adopted by matthew hopkins, the son of james hopkins, minister of wenham in suffolk, england. The opening scene, as gorgeously photographed by johnny coquillon as any other in the film, features the hanging of a helpless old woman by a baying mob amid the rural beauty.
Witchfinder general soundtrack from 1968, composed by paul ferris. Witchfinder general death penalty releases discogs. The conqueror worm, edgar allan poes conqueror worm matthew hopkins. Hopkins had claimed that parliament had appointed him a witchfinder general to track down sorcerers. Mar 27, 2018 uk witchfinder general 1968 vincent price stars as the selfproclaimed witchfinder matthew hopkins roaming britain at the time of the english civil war in search of innocent. This dvd restores longlost footage censored by the bbfc. Steve, phil and rod hawkes had been in a school band called electrode and zeeb parkes was the roadie, with the late rob hickman and singer david potter. 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. Vinyl 7 david brooks witchfinder general 1968, vinyl discogs. Vincent price, witchfinder general, 1968 rp58b0 from alamys library of millions of high resolution stock photos. A young soldier seeks to put an end to the evils caused by a vicious. Pdf download step up chillers tales of terror stepup classic chillers. 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 band, a british heavy metal band witchfinder general, a song on witchfinder general s 1982 album death penalty.
Rent witchfinder general 1968 on dvd and bluray netflix. Witchfinder general is a 1968 british horror film directed by michael reeves and starring vincent price, ian ogilvy, and hilary dwyer. 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. Gallery of 37 movie poster and cover images for witchfinder general 1968. Witchfinder general aka witchfinder general aka conqueror worm the 1968 hell hang, burn and mutilate you. 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 is a 1968 britishamerican historical horror film directed by michael reeves and starring vincent price, ian ogilvy, hilary dwyer, robert. Matthew hopkins the selfproclaimed witchfinder general of the title was a real man who lived in the first half of the 17thcentury. Watch witchfinder general 1968 hight quality movie with english language.
1447 309 609 29 450 629 1154 372 1491 442 1557 396 808 1044 240 501 608 342 1154 775 1293 454 547 1257 552 1405 1452 903 685