| The Blood on Satan's Claw | |
|---|---|
 U.S. theatrical release film poster | |
| Directed by | Piers Haggard |
| Written by |
|
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Dick Bush |
| Edited by | Richard Best |
| Music by | Marc Wilkinson |
Production companies | Tigon British Film Productions Chilton Film and Television Enterprises |
| Distributed by | Tigon Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 93 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | £82,000[3] |
The Blood on Satan's Claw[a] is a 1971 British supernatural period folk horror film directed by Piers Haggard and starring Patrick Wymark, Linda Hayden, and Barry Andrews.[6] Set in early 18th-century England, it follows the residents of a rural village whose youth fall under the influence of a demonic presence after a local farmer unearths a mysterious deformed skull buried in a field. It is widely regarded as one of three films that introduced the folk horror aesthetic to British cinema, an "unholy trinity" whose other entries are Witchfinder General (1968) and The Wicker Man (1973).
The screenplay for the film was originally written by Robert Wynne-Simmons as an anthology of horror stories set in a small village, and had the working title of Satan's Skin. After director Haggard was hired for the project, he and Wynne-Simmons reworked the screenplay into a singular cohesive narrative. Principal photography took place in 1970, mainly in the Chiltern Hills region of England.
The Blood on Satan's Claw premiered in New York City in April 1971, and was subsequently released in London on 16 July 1971. It was met with middling reviews from critics, and underperformed at the box office. In the intervening years, however, the film has gained a cult following, and has been cited by several film scholars as a progenitor of the folk horror genre, along with its contemporaries Witchfinder General (1968) and The Wicker Man (1973).[7]
- ^ a b Guarino, Ann (15 April 1971). "Horror Duo Lacks Chills". New York Daily News. p. 39 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Showtimes: New Victoria". Evening Standard. 16 July 1971. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Hamilton 2005, pp. 181–185.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
simpsonwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "The Blood on Satan's Claw French Movie Poster". Mauvais Genres. Archived from the original on 23 September 2021.
- ^ "The Blood on Satan's Claw". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
- ^ Evans-Powell 2021, p. 9.
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