WITCHFINDER GENERAL Blu-ray Review

Odeon Entertainment:

England is in civil war as the Royalists battle Oliver Cromwell's Roundheads for control. This conflict distracts people from rational thought and allows unscrupulous men to gain power by exploiting village superstitions. One of these men is Matthew Hopkins (Vincent Price), who tours the land offering his services as a persecutor of witches. Aided by his sadistic accomplice John Stearne (Robert Russell), he travels from town to town and wrenches confessions from "witches" in order to line his pockets.

Witchfinder General finds two incredible talents crossing paths and creating a work that stands out among the oeuvres of both.  Wunderkind director Michael Reeves took on Witchfinder General as his third directing project at the age of twenty-four.  He'd already made two films that stand out among their types, Revenge of the Blood Beast (The She-Beast), and The Sorcerers.  The former was a horror film, while the latter was a swingin' sixties styled psychedelic fantasy film that was very effective, an starred the aging Boris Karloff in one of his last roles.  Starring in Witchfinder General, hot off a run of hits with American International Pictures and Roger Corman was the preeminent horror icon of the sixties, Vincent Price. Price's acting style from those earlier AIP films was much too over the top for Reeves, who clashed frequently with Price in their approach to the film.  Ultimately Reeves won that battle, and for that he extracted what is, hands down, the most sinister, sadistic, and truly menacing performances of Vincent Price's illustrious career.

The film shocked many audiences, both in its native England and in the States, where it was released as The Conqueror Worm, as an attempt to conjure the success of Price's Poe series.  Very seldom had a film shown such brutality as was on display during the torture sequences,  and certainly not in a film with a star as big as Price was at the time.  Notably, nearly all of the truly brutal stuff is handled by Price's assistant, with Price's Matthew Hopkins not onscreen at the time.  It makes one wonder if he knew what was going on with the other filming unit.  This nastiness led to scathing reviews all over the territories in which the film was shown, but today, the film stands as a classic of late sixties horror, and a gateway to the grittier horror and thriller films of the seventies and beyond.

Between Michael Reeves remarkably assured direction and Vincent Price restrained but threatening presence onscreen, Witchfinder General is an amazing example of the transition from the sixties to the seventies and what it meant for horror films.  Reeves took the formality of the gothic horror and mixed it with the exploitative features from AIP's growing counter-culture film sector.  Unlike many of Price's AIP films, in which his characters are menacing in a mostly demure fashion and by implication, this is a film in which he is the aggressor and instigator of horrible cruelty and sadism.  A role to which he is suited surprisingly well. 

Though its content led it to be bashed and shunned when it was released, it is that same content and style that has led Witchfinder General to be a classic among horror aficionados.  Of course, the critical response did nothing to deter the audiences of the day from flocking to the film.  In a year that would become later synonymous for reckless violence, audiences were ready for a little escapism, and perhaps a bit numbed to the carnage on screen.  In the annals of Price's film catalog, Witchfinder General holds the distinct place of being possibly the only film in which his villain holds no charm at all, unlike his previous AIP films in which his characters are often beguiling to the victims.  This alone makes the film worth watching, because Price never did evil this well before or after Witchfinder General.

The Disc:

Odeon Entertainment are not a label I was particularly familiar with, but with this release I have taken notice.  Their release of Witchfinder General is incredible.  The picture quality is outstanding.  The film has a crispness and detail that I have never seen before, certainly not on the other 2 versions I have in my collection.  The image is wonderfully filmic, with a beautiful sheen of grain that mimics the theatrical experience nicely.  This release far surpasses both the previous UK and US DVD editions handily, and if you have either (or both, like me) you can feel safe in passing them on to a friend. 

Odeon have also done a fantastic job loading this disc up with extras, some of which are exclusive and well worthwhile.  First is a commentary with Michael Reeves' biographer, Benjamin Halligan and director Michael Armstrong, who made another classic witch hunting film, Mark of the Devil.  The commentary is informative, if a bit dry.  Unfortunately, the feature has no English subtitles, so you have to watch with the commentary without context.  That is a pet peeve of mine.   If you're going to add a commentary track, add subtitles for the feature so we can follow along while listening to the commentary.  Anyway, I digress, also included are a few alternate shots for the US version: a nude scene in a tavern, as well as changed credits sequences to note the altered title.  Rounding out the minor extras are a trailer for the film and a picture gallery.

There are three substantial extras, all of which make this an exemplary package.  First up is Blood Beast, a 25 minute documentary on Michael Reeves life and career, initially from the Metrodome DVD release of the film in the UK, it traces Reeves career and life long obsession with films and is a wonderful and charming look at a man who had a bright future and threw it away with a handful of pills.  Next up is a short film from Reeves title Intrusion, the film is minor, but its inclusion is exclusive and it has never appeared anywhere else before.  The final, and most charming of the extras, is a ten minute segment featuring Vincent Price as a guest on UK chat show Aspel and Company. The appearance is from the 80's and not directly related to Witchfinder General, but it shows what a charming, quick witted, eloquent, and approachable man Price was.  He acknowledges his career in all of its unevenness, and plays to the crowd wonderfully.  Vincent Price was truly a man who appreciated the career he had and the opportunities it gave him and gave back to the audience every chance he got.

Odeon Entertainment has done an excellent job presenting a definitive edition of Witchfinder General.  Between the beautiful image quality and the comprehensive extras package, this is the only copy of Witchfinder General you'll need.

Odeon Entertainment present Witchfinder General on Blu-ray in Region ABC, however, the extras are in PAL format, so they will be problematic for many North American players.