The Blood on Satan's Claw

The Blood on Satan's Claw
The Blood on Satan's Claw
	U.S. theatrical release film poster
Directed by	Piers Haggard
Written by	Robert Wynne-Simmons; Piers Haggard;
Produced by	Malcolm B. Heyworth; Peter L. Andrews;
Starring	Patrick Wymark; Linda Hayden;
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	15 April 1971 (New York City); 16 July 1971 (London);
Running time	93 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Budget	£82,000

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.

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 Newpsapers.com.
^ Hamilton 2005, pp. 181–185.
^ Cite error: The named reference simpson was 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.

Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).

[nydn-1] Guarino, Ann (15 April 1971). "Horror Duo Lacks Chills". New York Daily News. p. 39 – via Newspapers.com.

[les-2] "Showtimes: New Victoria". Evening Standard. 16 July 1971. p. 17 – via Newpsapers.com.

[FOOTNOTEHamilton2005181–185-3] Hamilton 2005, pp. 181–185.

[simpson-4] Cite error: The named reference simpson was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[5] "The Blood on Satan's Claw French Movie Poster". Mauvais Genres. Archived from the original on 23 September 2021.

[BFIsearch-7] "The Blood on Satan's Claw". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 11 May 2024.

[FOOTNOTEEvans-Powell20219-8] Evans-Powell 2021, p. 9.

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