christopher-underwood Fabulous and early English 70s horror, very much in the vein of Wicker Man and if it doesn't quite have that magical something the often inferior film does have, it does have considerable blood and guts. Set very much in the English countryside, this haunting and scary tale drags us into all sorts of horror, both perceived and actual. We never quite see the devilish being, cleverly avoided with harsh and frantic close-ups and discordant sound, but we get a wince inducing 'devil's skin' removal scene and many a violent act. We also get to see much more pleasant young female skin and some crazy and believable woodland set witchcraft scenes. I'm not sure I liked the 'oldie world' language moments and one or two of the births acting stalwarts were a bit lacking but overall everyone dealt very well with an excellent script and confident direction with splendid editing.

begob Good for a few laughs, but it's a weak effort even allowing for its vintage.The opening sequence fails to show what we're looking at in the ploughed earth so we have to be told. The direction of the actor breaking in to the attic to save his fiancée is terrible.The judge is well played, but there's confusion over who the hero is. A mother who's just lost her two children isn't allowed to play out any grief. Several scenes get lost in a thicket of Thee and Thou, and a few characters disappear or are irrelevant to the ending - no idea why the vicar wasn't central to the de-demonising.The score is far too chipper in the first half. Some of the continuity jumps are incompetent. And the monster is ... undescribabubble. That paw coming up from the floorboards? Fcuk me. And the final sequence? My sainted trousers.Can't understand why it's rated so high. Guess it's the headbangers - no distinction between bad and laughable.

Matt Kracht Personally, I thought this was better than The Wicker Man, the movie it probably gets compared to most often. I loved everything about this movie, though the frequent female nudity was somewhat cheesy (though not especially gratuitous, as it fit into the movie and plot well).The best part of this movie, I think, is the atmosphere that so many horror and thriller films seem to lack. It's the little things, like a brief glance of someone's fingers replaced by demonic claws, that put you in the mood to be creeped out and told a story of helpless village overcome by evil.I find it interesting that the children and young adults who rebel against the stern authority of the Church, frolic in the woods, and preach free love are essentially hippies, though they're portrayed as self-centered hedonists, rather than idealists and peaceniks. It's a sly attempt at social commentary in an exploitation movie, which may seem amusingly quaint to modern audiences, 40 years later.Highly recommended, especially for fans of classic 70s horror.

Dagon Tigon British Film Productions was a small company based out of London that was created in the middle of the 1960's, finding itself thrown into the mix of other established low-budget horror contributors like Hammer, Amicus, and American International Pictures. The collection of films produced by Tigon is not an extensive one - the most well-known film that exists in their filmography is 1968's Witchfinder General starring Vincent Price in a role many consider to be his best. This was made possible by a temporary collaboration between Tigon and AIP. Aside from this, Tigon's contribution to the genre only lasted a short time and eventually came to a halt in the early 1970's. Their efforts in the industry did not cease, however, continuing to act as a distribution company until 1983.The story takes place in 17th Century England where a farmhand uncovers a few skeletal fragments. He reports his findings to the local Judge who ignores the disturbing discovery, chalking it up to foolish superstition. Meanwhile the Judge's son, Ralph, introduces his potential wife Angel Blake (played by Linda Hayden who was featured in 1974's Madhouse alongside Vincent Price), who later becomes possessed during her overnight stay in the attic. As a result, the village's youth are slowly corrupted by the influence of the devil with Angel leading the coven.You really have to love a film like this. Even if the formula may be too predictable and the effects kept simple, the atmosphere usually brings everything together nicely; that's why I love Amicus and AIP so much...they all have a familiar air about them and Tigon is no stranger to recreating this effect. There are contrived moments of female topelessness but I mostly blame the era in which the film was created in - after all, the '70's were a time of ex/sexploitation in the genre and lower budget films fell victim to certain pressures enacted by corporate figure-heads. Featuring senseless nudity became part of a marketing strategy that would later develop into a full-fledged stereotype within the genre that still has a firm grip in modern times. Thankfully Blood on Satan's Claw contains rare glimpses of this and the moments are kept brief; not that I don't appreciate the female form, but if it's primary inclusion is to goad small-brained Neanderthals into watching a film they normally wouldn't't...then that is where I draw the line.Viewers should expect period costumes, the occult, and interesting set design. The majority of the film seems to have been shot outside while the sets used to portray the innards of each building the characters wind up in are constructed fabulously. Fans of the genre liken the plot to Witchfinder General but there are several differences; don't be easily mislead by their false rhetoric. This is yet another wonderful addition to any fan's collection - if you enjoy the material that was coming from the UK during the 60's and 70's, you'll love this one.