La Nuit du maléfice

This film is just as bonkers as it sounds. Another Tigon production, it was massively influenced by Witchfinder General and is just as unflinching if not the depraved masterpiece that its predecessor is.

All the ingredients of a great 'folk horror' staple are here- witch trials, a country setting, Olde English magick and buxom wenches showing off their voluptuous delights.

Joe Dante says this is one of the best horror films of the 70's. I agree with him.

The British horror boom of the 60s and 70s was dominated by Hammer, but a couple of other studios, Amicus and Tigon, tried their best to make their mark. Amicus are probably the better remembered of the two, with a few well loved anthologies to their credit (e.g. 'Asylum'), but Tigon actually made the better movies, especially the now classic 'Witchfinder General', directed by doomed cult figure Michael Reeves, as well as 'The Creeping Flesh', and 'The Blood On Satan's Claw', which is what 'Satan's Skin' is best known as. This movie frequently gets compared to 'Witchfinder General', but apart from being set in a similar era, and even having one actor in common (Patrick Wymark who plays The Judge here had a small cameo as Oliver Cromwell in 'Witchfinder General') they are quite different in approach and execution. Piers Haggard is no Michael Reeves but he's had an interesting career which has included the underrated final 'Quatermass' series (which starred Sir John Mills) and the entertaining Oliver Reed/Klaus Kinski exploitation thriller 'Venom', as well as working with Dennis Potter on 'Pennies From Heaven'. I still don't think 'Blood On Satan's Claw' is as good as 'Witchfinder General', but it's an excellent chiller nevertheless, and one of the most underrated British horror movies of all time. Like Reeves Haggard knows how to make the most of a small budget, and he manages to create an unsettling and creepy atmosphere. Also like Reeves he makes brilliant use of the English countryside. Patrick Wymark sadly died shortly after completing this movie, but it's a good testament to his talent. He gives a terrific performance. Also look out for his work in 'Repulsion' and 'Journey To The Far Side Of The Sun'. Seventies sex siren Linda Hayden ('Baby Doll', 'Madhouse', 'House On Straw Hill') is also memorable as Angel Blake, the leader of a Satanic group of young villagers. She looks absolutely stunning, and has one unforgettable nude scene. The supporting cast includes a few familiar faces, most notably Michelle Dotrice ('Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em') who plays Margaret, and Wendy Padbury (Zoe from 'Dr Who') who plays Cathy. The only thing I can really fault with this movie is the ending, which is a bit rushed and anti-climactic, but apart from that it's one of the best British horror movies of the early 70s, and highly recommended viewing.

This 1970 British horror pic is just oozing with atmosphere. It takes place in England in the 1600s where life was harsh and the appearance of weird bones in a farmer's field sets off a chain of demonic activities when a group of farm children discover them. They then begin to worship a mysterious evil entity and start sacrificing other children to it. The music score is appropriate for the movie and there were some scenes that made my skin crawl (no pun intended). I would recommend this movie for connoisseurs of classic horror pictures where the characters don't act like total fools when confronted with evil. If you're squeamish, don't watch this in the dark.

In 17th Century England a man ploughs a field and comes across the skeletal remains of something . Summoning a judge he tells him that the remains belonged to a fiend and takes the judge to the field only to find the remains have disappeared

This acquired a cult following in DOCTOR WHO fandom circa 1990 when the fan press revealed it contained a scene where Wendy Padbury ( 60s companion Zoe ) appeared topless in a scene . Knowing this no one bothered to ask about the rest of the film but the major problem was trying to track it down . It was a time before the internet and Britain was confined to four TV channels and despite Hammer horror movies being broadcast on a fairly regular basis BLOOD ON SATAN'S CLAW was made by an entirely different film company and no one could recall it being broadcast or released on video . In other words it became something of a cult film and a cult film no one had seen but it eventually turned up on Channel 4 a couple of times along with the occasional screening on satellite channels

It'd be all too easy to dismiss this a Hammer clone full of lowbrow thrills and historical hokum featuring witchcraft but this would be slightly unfair to the film whose central idea revolves around Satan trying to reassert himself on Earth by using a 17th Century English village as his bridgehead . Realistic ? Of course not but my disbelief was totally suspended for the entire running time . There's quite a few themes going on at the same time such as the abuse of authority , of scapegoating , sexual repression and sexual awakening and the hypnotic power of sexuality

Piers Haggard doesn't have a massive budget to work with but he does the absolute best with what he's got . Where he succeeds best is in the production design . This isn't the expensive looking interiors you'd find in a big budget historical movie but far more cramped and drab interiors befitting of the times which comes over as being totally realistic . The cast too are very good especially when you compare to these all too good looking and sassy teens we've seen over the decades in American horror movies . Their accents might be a bit too cod regional but this is a minor flaw . The ending itself might be a too silly for its own good where the supernatural comes to the fore but this is always the problem featuring the supernatural . Up until then the human aspects is enough to keep the story going in a horror film that remains something of a cult but perhaps deserves to be better regarded in horror circles

This eerie film is set circa 1640 , when is earthed by a farmer (Barry Andrews) a weird human remains located in an British small village . Later on , a farming community is haunted by the demon himself . Children and adolescents being possessed by hairy demon and becoming them into a coven of witches practicing exorcisms and witchery . The teens led by a nasty young girl (Linda Hayden) are worshipping the devil , raping , and sacrificing other young people . Meantime , a judge (Patrick Wymark) investigates the rare events .

The film packs gruesome images , grisly killings , thriller and intense horror sequences . Magnificent detail period is perfectly set in 17th century . Somewhat nudism at times in charge of Lynda Hayden and pagans ceremonies . For its US release the nudity was censored, particularly in Linda Hayden's seduction scene , by darkening the footage to avoid an X rating . Enjoyable casting by Patrick Wymark (a role ¨Witchfinder general¨-alike) who died slowly after making the film , a gorgeous and erotic Linda Hayden (Taste of Dracula blood) , Barry Andrews (Dracula has risen from grave) , Michele Dotrice(who married to Edward Woodward) and Tamara Ustinov (daughter of Peter Ustinov and niece of Angela Lansbury) . It's produced by Tigon , usual in terror movies and richly atmospheric in Pinewood studios . The movie displays a weird and creepy score musical by Marc Williamson . Evocative and imaginative cinematography by Dick Bush , Hammer films ordinary (Twins of evil , Dracula 72 , When dinosaurs ruled earth). The motion picture was well directed by Piers Haggard (Venom , Quatermass conclusion) . The flick isn't for the faint-hearted , however to be liked for horror fans.