Scary movies # 16 - Witchfinder General

Year: 1968 Director: Michael Reeves

Throw them in the lake - If they float they are witches and must be hung, if they sink to the bottom and drown they are innocent. That's justice - medieval style.

Set during the English Civil War the film is very loosely based around the escapades of a real witchfinder Matthew Hopkins (played here by Vincent Price) who during his three year career from 1644 to 1647 executed up to 400 witches - making him that periods MVW or Most Valuable Witchfinder.

Price skillfully portrays the utterly ruthless character of Matthew Hopkins to perfection. The film has a hard edge focusing the action towards genuine horror (scenes of axe murdering, hanging and burning, all in a medieval style, originally cut by the censor have been restored to the movie in the recent DVD releases).

Click to read our full synopsis and review of Witchfinder General.

Witchfinder General is the final film in our list and stands at number 16 in our interactive Haunted House of Horror list of our favourite scary movies. Hope you enjoyed it.