The Conqueror Worm (Witchfinder General) (1968)
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83% of critics liked it
(12 reviews) -
66% of users liked it
(4,717 ratings)
A corrupt opportunist commits brutal crimes in the name of God and country in this atmospheric period horror tale. In 17th century England, as a people's uprising threatens Lord Cromwell's rule, superstition still rules the land, and the Royalists use this to their advantage by inaugurating… More A corrupt opportunist commits brutal crimes in the name of God and country in this atmospheric period horror tale. In 17th century England, as a people's uprising threatens Lord Cromwell's rule, superstition still rules the land, and the Royalists use this to their advantage by inaugurating a reign of terror in the name of wiping out alleged witches and agents of the dark arts. Matthew Hopkins (Vincent Price) has been appointed "witchfinder" by Puritan Royalists, and with the help of his thuggish assistant Stearne (Robert Russell), Hopkins travels from town to town, brutally interrogating those accused of witchcraft and using fire, drowning, and torture to extract "confessions" from the accused. Of course, Hopkins' opinions can be swayed with money and other considerations, and when Father Lowes (Rupert Davies), a priest whose sympathies do not lie with the Royalists, is arrested and tortured by Hopkins and Stearne, his devoted niece Sarah (Hilary Dwyer) is able to stay his punishment by sleeping with Hopkins. Sarah, however, is engaged to marry Marshall (Ian Ogilvy), a soldier in Cromwell's army, and once Marshall learns that the woman he loves has been seduced by Hopkins -- and raped by Stearne -- he becomes determined to expose the witchfinder and punish him for his misdeeds. Witchfinder General was released in the United States by American International Pictures, who in addition to arranging for Vincent Price to play Matthew Hopkins, changed the North American title to The Conqueror Worm, after a poem by Edgar Allan Poe which was read over the credits by Price, though the story bears no real relation to Poe's work. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Directed By
- Michael Reeves
- Written By
- Tom Baker, Michael Reeves
- Genres
- Drama, Action & Adventure, Horror, Classics
- In Theaters
- Jan 1, 2000 Wide
- Studio
- MGM Home Entertainment
Critic Reviews
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J. Hoberman, Village Voice
It remains contemporary, and even frightening, in its evocation of cynical Puritanism and mass deception.
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Lucius Gore, ESplatter
With no supernatural elements to speak of, it is as much an historical drama as a horror film.
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Steve Biodrowski, ESplatter
... a must-have for any fan of Vincent Price, '60s British horror, or [director] Michael Reeves.
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Brian Holcomb, PopMatters
This is not the kind of horror that comes from cobwebs and creaky doors. Its horrors are all too human and impossible to cast off with a simple fade out.
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Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
It's an interesting indictment of blind piousness, but it's not much of a scare film for Halloween time.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Vincent Price
as Matthew Hopkins
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Ian Ogilvy
as Richard Marshall
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Rupert Davies
as John Lowes
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Hilary Dwyer
as Sara
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Robert Russell
as John Stearne
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Michael Beint
as Capt. Gordon
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Nicky Henson
as Trooper Swallow
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John Trenaman
as Trooper Harcourt
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Tony Selby
as Salter
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Beaufoy Milton
as Priest
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Patrick Wymark
as Oliver Cromwell
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Wilfrid Brambell
as Master Loach
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Paul Dawkins
as Farmer
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Peter Haigh
as Lavenham Magistrate
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Godfrey James
as Webb
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Morris Jar
as Paul
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Bernard Kay
as Fisherman
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Maggie Kimberley
as Elizabeth Clark
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Jack Lynn
as Brandeston Innkeeper
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Bill Maxwell
as Trooper Gifford
- Margaret Nolan
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Hira Talfrey
as Hanged Woman
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Alf Joint
as Sentry
- Philip Waddilove
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John Kidd
as Magistrate
- Derek Ware
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Sally Douglas
as Girl at Inn
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Edward Palmer
as Shepherd
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Michael Segal
as Villager
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Terry Martin
as Hoxne Innkeeper
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Anne Tirard
as Old Woman
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Peter Thomas
as Farrier
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David Webb
as Jailer
- Hilary Heath
- Hillary Dwyer
