RyothChatty ridiculous rating

Aneesa Wardle The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Mehdi Hoffman There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

Logan By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

nightroses It's the symbol throughout this film, of wild flowers all picked either for someone's grave, as gifts or worn as a crown during a Satanic ritual. Scenes of these wild white flowers are in the countryside of the rural village where the film is set. It's got a handsome lord's son Peter who takes home his fiance, a peasant girl who's disliked by Peter's aunt. She's forced to sleep in the attic, where she screams and goes mad then carted off, giving Peter a dozy smile. Peter's uncle is the judge who acts as the official and also skeptic on matters of weirdness. Things have happened among the kids after a strange body was discovered by Ralph the young strong farmer and hero. The local school teacher is the vicar and he's never pleased while the kids pass around objects that look sinister. I disliked the rape scene and yet there was some form of evil influence going on among the people involved. The film isn't as big as "The Wicker Man" or "Witchfinder General" although it's far more earthy, grubby, sore and quieter.

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.

Nigel P As British horror films entered their twilight years, there were some underrated gems released with little fanfare. This is one.Peter Edmonton (Simon Williams) brings home his intended bride Rosalind (Tamara Ustinov). Sadly for her, aggressive snobbery is prevalent in this 'folk horror' – as she is just a serving wench, she is condemned to spend the night in the dreaded attic, wherein she is disturbed by something that sends her hurtling into insanity. As she's bundled off to the bedlam by the local judge (an excellent Patrick Wymark in one of his last films), Edmonton too succumbs to the curse of the attic and chops off his hand believing it to be the appendage of a devil. At around the same time, wholesome Ralph Gower (Barry Andrews on top form) discovers a malformed skull that subsequently disappears when the authorities are alerted. This was originally conceived as an anthology of three stories, which may explain the staggered nature of the narrative – characters come to the fore and then disappear into the background again, creating a choppy flow to the proceedings. It is possible this contributes to the film's great feeling of unease as events become increasingly nasty and demonic.And nasty they are indeed. Unsightly growths of animal-like hair on the bodies of the victims, the distressing rape and murder of local youngster Cathy (Wendy Padbury), and the briefest glimpse of the ghoulish demon behind it all. All this is conveyed convincingly by a tremendous cast determined to make things as real as can be. Marc Wilkinson's mournful score is suitably organic sounding and atmospheric. And yet it is 17 year-old Linda Hayden who all but steals the show as the possessed Angel. Expertly flicking between innocent vulnerability and genuine sensual wickedness, it is surprising she didn't go on to find greater acclaim as befits her talent. Rather ungallantly, Director Piers Haggard has said he had to use her because she was under contract to Tigon supremo Tony Tenser. She shares top billing, alongside Wymark, and deservedly so.Filmed almost entirely on location in wintry woodlands, complete with a constant soundtrack of rooks and farmyard animals to heighten the lack of modernity. There is an authentic feeling that this cut-off village is a law unto its own pagan superstitions, and as such, is dangerously easy prey to legendary evil such as the demonic Behemoth (wisely kept to the shadows most of the time). With such an enigmatic premise, the climax seems comparatively perfunctory. Still, this is a tremendous film.

sol1218 **SPOILERS** Atmospheric 17th Century horror movie involving the emergence of the Devil-Satan-in a small out of the way English town. Satan was awaken from his slumber when local plowman Ralph Grover, Barry Andrews, unknowingly dug him, or some part of him, up.Getting himself into action in no time at all Satan started to corrupt the local community by somehow getting 17 year old Angel Blake, Linda Hayden, to do his evil bidding. He had already drove newlyweds Simon Williams, Peter Edmonton, and his soon to be bride Rosalind Barton, Tamara Ustinov, mad just to get himself into shape for the much bigger and better, for himself, things he had planned for the unsuspecting villagers. Angel's job was to get the youth of the village to disrespect their God fearing parents and elders by forming a Witch's Coven where all the evil and detestable things involving Satanism was preformed;Like all day and night sex orgies as well as human and animal sacrifices.It was the wise and incorruptible village pastor Reverand Followfield, Anthony Ainley, who saw through Angel's sweet and innocent act in corrupting his church, made up mostly of teenager, members which had him targeted by her, and her boss Satan, for elimination. The deceitful Angel tried to get Reverand Followfield defrocked if not burned at the stake in accusing him of raping her. The fact is that Angel tried to throw herself, bear a** naked, at the shocked Revernd Followfield who then kicked her out of his congregation! ***SPOILERS*** The films fiery climax has the outraged villagers track down Angel's followers as well as the dismembered Satan who's, since we first saw him, been glued plastered and pasted back together for the final showdown between good and evil in the movie. Disrupting the Satanist's nightly sacrificial orgy that involved the attempted murder as well as corruption, by a naked and very well endowed member of the Witch's Coven, of the God fearing Ralph Grover the mad as hell members of the village finally take action against this unspeakable evil. The villagers lead by the local judge, Patrick Wymark, put an end to this evil in their mist in a slow-mo impalement of the Devil with his followers, including Angel, totally helpless and unable to prevent it from happening!