Shocktober 2024 - The Blood on Satan's Claw (1971)
I thought I’d kick off Shocktober 2024 in style, with this cult classic from 1971, produced by Tigon Films, which I’ve always considered an under-rated company. They were around during the late sixties to mid-seventies and were in competition with rivals Hammer and Amicus. I’d say that time has been a bit kinder to both Amicus and Tigon than it has to Hammer, whose output seems quaint and genteel these days, while the rivals still carry their intended punch, though they were wildly exploitive in their day.
This was produced a couple of years after Tigon’s Witchfinder General (1968) and plays into pretty much the same kind of setting. In watching it this time, the first time in a few years, I was struck by how it seems like the logical predecessor to The Witch (2015) that was featured in Shocktober 2021.
The Blood on Satan’s Claw is very much folk horror, set in early 18th century rural England, though the exact location isn’t known. The original concept was to have three interlinked stories, set here, with the link being a demonic presence in the area. The title was to have been Satan’s Skin, describing the rough, coarse fur that is seen on the victims of the possession. This idea was scrapped and the three stories were amalgamated into one, which makes for a busy and atmospheric 93 minutes.
We start off with Ralph Gower (Barry Andrews), a farmer ploughing one of his fields, when he uncovers a deformed skull with patches of fur. Duly alarmed, he reports the discovery to the local Judge (Patrick Wymark) who dismisses the story as the superstitious ramblings of a simple peasant. However, he is persuaded to go and see for himself, but by the time they reach the field, the skull has gone.
Meanwhile, young Peter Edmonton (Simon Williams) brings his young fiancé to meet his Aunt, Mistress Banham (Avice Landone) who, along with the Judge who’s her house guest, sneeringly disapproves of. Poor Rosalind (Tamara Ustinov) is relegated to the draughty and not too clean attic to sleep. She goes up, understandably upset and distraught, something happens in the attic and her mind snaps. Investigating her screams, Mistress Banham is struck by Rosalind, and injured. Rosalind is committed by the judge and Mistress Banham falls ill and disappears, wandering off somewhere.
Peter, in the meantime goes to the attic, and is attacked by a creature with a furred hand. He defends himself with a knife, severing the hand, but discovers that it’s his own hand he has amputated.
What’s causing all this? Well, let’s take a look at the local kids, who are being less than respectful in their scripture classes at the local church. In fact, they’re being downright insolent, led by their ringleader a young girl named Angel Blake (Linda Hayden). She leads them to truancy, and lures a young boy out of the class to play a game, which leads to his murder at the hands of the other children. Angel then tries unsuccessfully to seduce their teacher, The Reverend Fallowfield (Anthony Ainley). Later, she convinces her father and the local squire that the Reverend molested her, and implies he also killed the boy.
Things move along at a rapid pace, while gathering flowers for her murdered brother’s grave, young Cathy Vespers (Wendy Padbury) is lured to the ruins of an old church, where the kids ritualistically rape and sacrifice her in a black mass, as they summon the demon Behemoth. The same furred skin as we saw on the clawed hand which attacked Peter Edmonton is growing on Cathy’s back, and is played off by the children as part of the ritual.
Okay, here’s a bit of Doctor Who trivia for the Whovians out there. Wendy Padbury was a companion during the Troughton years and Anthony Ainley played The Master in the eighties – but, one of the girls who lures Cathy, (Padbury’s character) to her death is an uncredited Roberta Tovey, who played Doctor Who’s granddaughter Susan in the two Peter Cushing features of the sixties.
Ralph, the farmer from the first segment discovers Cathy’s body, which immediately clears the Reverend of all suspicion, soon after, Ralph then happens upon a group of men who have thrown a young girl in the river to test if she’s a witch. Well, she doesn’t float so she passes the test, she’s recued and resuscitated, but – she has some of that devilish furred skin, and she is indeed a disciple of Behemoth. She escapes, but is caught and interrogated. As Ralph persuaded the local doctor to cut away the Devil’s Skin, Angela has abandoned her and under duress, she reveals that Angela is planning another ritual this very night. Meanwhile, Ralph, steady dependable Ralph, has discovered that he too has started growing the Devil’s Skin on his leg.
The Judge returns to dispel the coven, killing Angela in mid-ritual which also has the effect of curing Ralph of his hairy leg affliction in a typical early seventies freeze-framed abrupt ending.
It may well be a low budget movie with some gratuitous nudity to seal the exploitation deal, but it’s also atmospheric and eerily effective, just as in 2015, The Witch was. Sadly, it doesn’t tend to do the rounds on television any more as it did when I first saw it, years ago – but it’s easily available on disc and well worth parting with a few hard-earned pennies.
A worthy start to the Halloween season, and a great first Scream. Where do we go from here? Wait and see – I have twelve more of them lined up, ready and waiting.