The Blood on Satan's Claw (1971)

Touches You

good back-story, and good acting

As Good As It Gets

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

When I was younger I greatly preferred Hollywood's slick approach to horror- these 70s British films always seemed to me rough and amateurish. In hindsight, I much prefer the British product and what I mistook for roughness, I now see as a mark of authenticity.BOSC is one of the very few films of the sub-genre which Mark Gatiss in his history of Horror calls "Folk Horror" which also includes the more famous Wicker Man.BOSC is probably the finest film in this genre. There is a strong feeling of pagan England desperate to burst free from the thin veneer of Christian morality, something that is made metaphorically visible at the very start when the plough exposes the demonic claw beneath the surface.From then on, the film remains unsettling through out. Some scenes are somewhat confusing, inasmuch as they remain unexplained, but explanations here would be a hindrance.It must be said, however, that BOSC rather runs out of energy towards the end, maling the finale less impressive than it might have been. Nevertheless this remains one of the creepiest British films ever made.

(55%) Hard to believe that not that far back in 1970's Britain one could quite legally watch, and even make/distribute movies with completely nude 16 year old girls in them, and yet porno (both hard and soft) featuring over 18's was pretty much illegal everywhere besides a few "private clubs", and even then the bobbies still could raid at any time they felt like. But I digress. This well made devil based period horror flick that in all honesty highlights how shoddy Hammer movies had become once the 70's came round. The direction and production is pretty damn good, it's just a shame the movie is a little dry and pointless. For fans of classic British horror this is a must watch, but it's hardly anything fantastic for a general audience.

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.

**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!