Blood on Satan’s Claw – 1970 | 93 mins | Horror | Colour

Plot Synopsis

Vintage British horror with a strong period flavour that was a concerted effort by Tigon to recapture the former glories of Witchfinder General. Robert Wynne-Simmons three-part Victorian anthology was hastily fused into a single narrative at Piers Haggard’s insistence. For the first hour Haggard brings a strong sense of pace and tension to the exploitative tale, but from then onwards the sometimes confusing script begins to run away from him. Haggard’s tense direction and rapid cutting gives the film an unsettling, disorienting feel. Cinematographer Dick Bush films the story in glorious autumnal colours at Bix Bottom, an unspoilt Chilterns valley near Henley-on-Thames, and this lushness contrasts nicely with the darkness of the tale. Pouting Linda Hayden gives her best sultry screen performance, as does fellow horror/sex comedy crossover lead Barry Andrews.

17th century England. Ploughman Ralph Gower (Barry Andrews) uncovers the remains of a strange skull with one eye still working in a ploughed field. He rushes to call on the travelling magistrate (Patrick Wymark), and together they go out into the countryside to investigate, but when they reach the newly turned furrow there’s no evidence of any remains. Meanwhile, back in the local village, Peter Edmonton (Simon Williams) arrives at his aunt Banham’s house with his future wife Rosalind Barton (Tamara Ustinov). But during the night his wife-to-be becomes possessed, and is boarded up in her room whilst awaiting men from the madhouse to take her away.

Peter awakes in the night to be confronted by a fur-clad claw round his neck, he hacks away at it with a knife, but when the judge enters his room to determine what has taken place – he realizes Peter has chopped off his own hand! The local squire, Middleton (James Hayter), believes this to be the work of witchcraft, but the judge is at first dismissive and claims it to be the result of mere insanity.

The following day, the children of the local peasants are playing in the same ploughed field where the remains were supposedly uncovered, and sulky teenager Angel Blake (Linda Hayden) discovers something on the ground. Influenced by the malevolent power of the bones, Angel commences a back to nature coven of her own in the ruins of a disused church. Angel attempts to seduce the local clergyman, Reverend Fallowfield (Anthony Ainley), but when this fails she accuses him of sexually assaulting her. Having already killed Mark Vespers, the devil-worshipping coven next initiates his sister Cathy (Wendy Padbury).

As a result, the local children are beginning to grow patches of fur and the villagers gradually comprehend their community is being taken over evil in their midst. The judge meanwhile has been brooding at home on the matter, and when hearing of more deaths decides he is ready and prepared to return. When the judge finally catches up with Angel she now has all of the local children in her grasp, and together they have conjured up their master; the furry Behemoth.