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IMDbPro

The Blood on Satan's Claw

  • 1971
  • 18
  • 1h 37m
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
8.4K
YOUR RATING
The Blood on Satan's Claw (1971)
In seventeenth-century England, the children of a village slowly convert into a coven of Devil worshipers.
Play trailer2:42
1 Video
50 Photos
Folk HorrorHorror

In early 18th century England, the children of a village slowly convert into a coven of devil worshipers.In early 18th century England, the children of a village slowly convert into a coven of devil worshipers.In early 18th century England, the children of a village slowly convert into a coven of devil worshipers.

  • Director
    • Piers Haggard
  • Writers
    • Robert Wynne-Simmons
    • Piers Haggard
  • Stars
    • Patrick Wymark
    • Linda Hayden
    • Barry Andrews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.4/10
    8.4K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Piers Haggard
    • Writers
      • Robert Wynne-Simmons
      • Piers Haggard
    • Stars
      • Patrick Wymark
      • Linda Hayden
      • Barry Andrews
    • 104User reviews
    • 68Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:42
    Official Trailer

    Photos50

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    Top cast42

    Edit
    Patrick Wymark
    Patrick Wymark
    • The Judge
    Linda Hayden
    Linda Hayden
    • Angel Blake
    Barry Andrews
    Barry Andrews
    • Ralph Gower
    Michele Dotrice
    Michele Dotrice
    • Margaret
    Wendy Padbury
    Wendy Padbury
    • Cathy Vespers
    Anthony Ainley
    Anthony Ainley
    • Reverend Fallowfield
    Charlotte Mitchell
    • Ellen
    Tamara Ustinov
    • Rosalind Barton
    Simon Williams
    Simon Williams
    • Peter Edmonton
    James Hayter
    James Hayter
    • Squire Middleton
    Howard Goorney
    • The Doctor
    Avice Landone
    Avice Landone
    • Isobel Banham
    • (as Avice Landon)
    Robin Davies
    Robin Davies
    • Mark Vespers
    Peter Ardran
    • The Devil
    • (uncredited)
    John Ash
    • Coven member
    • (uncredited)
    Peter Avella
    • Villager
    • (uncredited)
    John Clifford
    • Villager
    • (uncredited)
    Les Conrad
    • Villager
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Piers Haggard
    • Writers
      • Robert Wynne-Simmons
      • Piers Haggard
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews104

    6.48.4K
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    Featured reviews

    ffolkes

    Better than Witchfinder General!

    Quite simply, 'Blood On Satan's Claw' is the finest horror film produced in Britain in the Seventies. Haunting, horrific and hopelessly compelling it deserves far greater recognition than it currently warrants. Linda Hayden, the most talented actress working in British exploitation films at the time, delivers her finest performance in the film, and it is one light years ahead of the standard in the genre. Patrick Wymark, in his last film role, is also excellent, and music, direction and art direction are all of an exceptionally high standard. Interestingly, the film was shot as 'The Devil's Touch', and originally released late in 1970 as 'Satan's Skin'. For some reason business wasn't too good and it was rereleased the following year on a more succesful double bill with 'The Beast In The Cellar'. Don't miss it!
    7Theo Robertson

    A Cult Film That Deserves To Be Better Known

    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
    8fertilecelluloid

    Almost lurid shocker

    See this for Linda Hayden's sexually charged performance as Satan-loving teener Angel Blake, one of British Cinema's more memorable portrayals of pure evil in a petticoat.

    Possessing a WITCHFINDER GENERAL-type atmosphere, helped immeasurably by Mark Wilkinson's truly beautiful score, this tale of superstition and a Satanic contagion that exhibits itself as an ugly, hairy patch on the skin (motivating alternate title SATAN'S SKIN) is evidence of solid horror-making afoot.

    Patrick Wymark as the pseudo-Witchfinder anchors a mostly youthful cast who become victim to the spreading "disease".

    The climax is a ballsy one for director Piers Haggard (who also helmed the taut VENOM) as he dares to portray Satan himself. It's always a risk serving up a visual absolute of a universal concept, but it works surprisingly well here because Haggard knows just how much to show.

    As noted earlier, Linda Hayden is dynamite as the sexually provocative Angel and makes it easy to understand how many a fool would follow her to the depths of hell just for a taste of her own brand of heaven.

    BLOOD ON SATAN'S CLAW, an evocative title if ever there was one, accomplishes everything it sets out to do.

    It comes close to being delightfully lurid at times, and that's what gives it an edge.

    Also worthy of applause is Dick Bush's striking, atmospheric cinematography.
    6Xstal

    The Demon's Patrons...

    It's a bit like Never Let Me Go, but instead of donating parts for others, it's Diablo's parts you grow, as you're young and quite untainted, the beast takes hold and gets acquainted, growing on you as you grow, the parts he needs to take a hold, having been ploughed up all broken, he's not much more than a token, but his powers of persuasion, quite soon leads to a pervasion, of youths rising up in rage, against traditions that have caged, all perpetually conditioned, brainwashed, pressured and conditioned. Alas, the patriarchy of middle aged men cannot allow this to take place and the rebellion is curtailed and quelled, sadly, but not for the first time and definitely not the last.
    7InvasionofPALs

    A Horror Film in the Classic Tradition

    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.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The film was originally conceived as three stories that would play out separately, but all have the unearthed remains of Satan being the linking factor between them. The stories of Peter Edmonton and his mad fiance, the possessed village children, and the Judge's battle with evil were all at first supposed to take place independently. However, when the script was rewritten, it was decided that the plots should be combined to create one central story.
    • Goofs
      There are two spelling errors in the opening titles: the production company is called Tigron instead of Tigon (in the copyright notice beneath the main title), and screen veteran James Hayter is billed as James Hoyter.
    • Quotes

      The Judge: I give you His Catholic Majesty King James III, may God bless him and keep him in exile

    • Crazy credits
      The date on the opening credits is 1970, despite the 1971 release.
    • Alternate versions
      The UK cinema version was cut by the BBFC to edit the rape scene and shots of a naked girl dancing in front of a knife-wielding boy. The cuts were fully restored in the 2003 Anchor Bay DVD release.
    • Connections
      Featured in Movie Macabre: Blood on Satan's Claw (1982)

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    FAQ15

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 16, 1971 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Satan's Skin
    • Filming locations
      • St James's old church, Bix Bottom, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, UK(the worshippers' meeting place)
    • Production companies
      • Tigon British Film Productions
      • Chilton Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • £82,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 37 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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