When it comes to the genre of folk-horror, there are three titles often referred to as key canonical texts: Witchfinder General, The Wicker Man (original) and The Blood On Satan’s Claw (1971). The latter was also used as the main promotional imagery for the recent documentary about folk horror, Woodlands Dark And Bewitched directed by Kier-La Janisse, mainly images of the bewitched village girl, Angel Blake (Linda Hayden), blonde, wearing a white dress and tree-sticks for a make-shift crown. Set in rural 18th century England, this movie takes us back to a time when people looked like Roger Daltrey and spoke like Samwise Gamgee, when a gormless farmer uncovers a creature’s remains while plowing and unwittingly sets off a chain of events where people start sprouting patches of fur and becoming slaves to Satan. As paranoia sweeps the villagers and the church-going children start playing evil games on each other, the uptight town judge (Patrick Wymark) rides off to gain more knowledge and let terror run its course. The forces that want to rid the land of evil don’t seem that heroic as townsfolk throw women into the lake and the bewigged judge starts an inquisition (though a lot less vile than Vincent Price’s character in Witchfinder General). The Blood On Satan’s Claw has that eerie banality that I find with British horror, particularly from the 70s – like you’ll be watching pastoral imagery, thinking it’s all very quaint, like a pleasant midday TV movie, until something absurdly violent or absolutely grim happens. While a little bit slow, taking its time to establish this bizarre satanic curse presided over by an unclear figure in the mist, the movie is ultimately effective and kooky. Directed by Piers Haggard who also co-wrote it with Robert Wynne-Simmons. Available to stream on Tubi in Australia. Recommended, particularly if you’re into folk-horror.
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