Le terrible secret

I saw this movie as a child...i have always had a thing for witches..and there were many witchcraft related movies in the late 1960s /early 70s...i can not BELIEVE there are others who remember/ love this movie as i do! What i wouldnt do..for a VHS copy of the movie. That little girl was so beautiful and EERIE! Her eyes had that fairie-ish pale blue color...she was like a living (but evil) doll!I love that scene where "Maggie" runs into the night to hear voices on the wind...you can truly feel the spirit of ancient folk magic...in this dark and highly atmospheric movie! Anyone got a copy?

I agree with everyone below who remembers this movie from their childhood as being very scary. There are a couple of vivid images - and story lines - that have stayed with me these 30-odd years. I've sometimes wondered if this is where Sting got the idea for the darker connotations of the song title "I'll Be Watching You"! Whew. The whole Salem thing; the whole story line in Salem; and the whole story line in the present, and how they inter-link. The resolution still chills me, even as I write this. Hope Lange of course is great in it; her husband and the girl on the road. Chilling performances. DOES ANYONE HAVE THIS ON TAPE / KNOW HOW TO GET IT ON TAPE?

There was some good stuff made for television during the seventies, and while Crowhaven Farm doesn't stand tall as one of the best horror films ever made, it's a very decent one that is certainly worth seeing. The plot doesn't really offer anything new, and simply follows the idea of a coven of witches, centred around the sinister Crowhaven Farm. The plot focuses on Ben and Maggie Porter, a couple that inherit the farm after the death of her father. Their marriage is tainted by the fact that Maggie cannot bear children, and the couple move to the farm in the hope that the change of scenery will help to pick up their relationship. Under the direction of experienced TV director Walter Grauman, a good cast gives way to a thoroughly interesting tale of witchcraft. Grauman does well with the atmosphere, and while most of the film is build up for the ending; things such as the haunting music score and numerous plot revelations ensure that the film never dries up. Of course, all this build up needs a good climax, and the film gets just that with an ending that definitely justifies getting there. Overall, this is obviously a little thin and it won't be winning any 'greatest horror film ever' awards...but it's good stuff and comes recommended.

I too saw this movie when I was very very young. I remember it scared the heck out of me! The most memorable thing for me was the door being placed on her and the stones on top of that door. I would love to see it released on DVD. Or even on TV again. I remember feeling the terror Hope Lange's character felt trying to get people to listen to her. Lets face it John Carradine is a classic classic actor. Right up there with Lon Chaney, Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee, Vincent Price. Would love to see this movie released on DVD or shown on TV as they show some of the old HAMMER movies. (Frankenstein/Dracula Movies)These movies they make now may have great special effects and graphics but some of them are so gruesome it makes me ill. I prefer the older movies from when I was younger where your imagination works harder just seems more frightening that way. Does anyone else agree? I guess you would have to be closer to my age to understand what I am trying to say.

While Crowhaven Farm was not the BEST made-for-TV chiller of its era, it does rank up there with the dozen or so that tend to stand out in the minds of baby boomers raised during TV's golden age. Forget the special effects that seem so essential to the success of today's horror movies; this one forces you to rely strictly on your imagination (remember that thing in your head???) to understand its premise. This movie was made in 1970, during the final season of "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir", and, like several typecast actresses of the period, Hope Lange attempted to "break away" from her sitcom character much like Elizabeth Montgomery did in "The Victim" (remember THAT one???) and did it quite effectively. Crowhaven Farm is simply chilling, with the grainy film grade and squealing violins in the soundtrack adding to the unsettling feel of the film. This genre of film will probably never see a comeback, due to the all the computer-technology wars in horror films made today, but at least we'll always have them to look back on. EIGHT STARS.