I love this movie so much

Simply Perfect

Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

(55%) Hard to believe that not that far back in 1970's Britain one could quite legally watch, and even make/distribute movies with completely nude 16 year old girls in them, and yet porno (both hard and soft) featuring over 18's was pretty much illegal everywhere besides a few "private clubs", and even then the bobbies still could raid at any time they felt like. But I digress. This well made devil based period horror flick that in all honesty highlights how shoddy Hammer movies had become once the 70's came round. The direction and production is pretty damn good, it's just a shame the movie is a little dry and pointless. For fans of classic British horror this is a must watch, but it's hardly anything fantastic for a general audience.

Personally, I thought this was better than The Wicker Man, the movie it probably gets compared to most often. I loved everything about this movie, though the frequent female nudity was somewhat cheesy (though not especially gratuitous, as it fit into the movie and plot well).The best part of this movie, I think, is the atmosphere that so many horror and thriller films seem to lack. It's the little things, like a brief glance of someone's fingers replaced by demonic claws, that put you in the mood to be creeped out and told a story of helpless village overcome by evil.I find it interesting that the children and young adults who rebel against the stern authority of the Church, frolic in the woods, and preach free love are essentially hippies, though they're portrayed as self-centered hedonists, rather than idealists and peaceniks. It's a sly attempt at social commentary in an exploitation movie, which may seem amusingly quaint to modern audiences, 40 years later.Highly recommended, especially for fans of classic 70s horror.

Having never seen this film until a few weeks ago at a drive-in revival, I was taken aback by how powerful it really is. Considering its relative obscurity, "Blood on Satan's Claw" contains a great deal of disturbing material. Set in 1600s era England, the plot involves a young farmer who uncovers the remains of a bizarre humanoid creature while plowing a field; when the skeletal remains vanish, an unspeakable evil begins corrupting the children of the village, and it appears as if the Devil himself is beginning to take form.The period setting is deceptive. The film involves a Satanic corruption that manifests itself in the form of hairy skin that appears on the bodies of the children of the village. At one point in the movie, a character attempts to remove the skin by simply cutting it off with a sharp knife, graphically depicted on screen. The children themselves carry out the majority of the film's violence, including a terrifying sequence that involves the vicious rape and murder of a child. It's strong stuff, and I can only imagine that it caused quite a stir when it was released in 1971.The film is low budget, and the vague depiction of the Devil as a furry creature is profoundly weird as a result. You don't really see much of it, and there are some point-of-view shots as victims react to....something, ending up afflicted with bodies that now serve as limb donors for the Devil's new body. Creepy!

Tigon British Film Productions was a small company based out of London that was created in the middle of the 1960's, finding itself thrown into the mix of other established low-budget horror contributors like Hammer, Amicus, and American International Pictures. The collection of films produced by Tigon is not an extensive one - the most well-known film that exists in their filmography is 1968's Witchfinder General starring Vincent Price in a role many consider to be his best. This was made possible by a temporary collaboration between Tigon and AIP. Aside from this, Tigon's contribution to the genre only lasted a short time and eventually came to a halt in the early 1970's. Their efforts in the industry did not cease, however, continuing to act as a distribution company until 1983.The story takes place in 17th Century England where a farmhand uncovers a few skeletal fragments. He reports his findings to the local Judge who ignores the disturbing discovery, chalking it up to foolish superstition. Meanwhile the Judge's son, Ralph, introduces his potential wife Angel Blake (played by Linda Hayden who was featured in 1974's Madhouse alongside Vincent Price), who later becomes possessed during her overnight stay in the attic. As a result, the village's youth are slowly corrupted by the influence of the devil with Angel leading the coven.You really have to love a film like this. Even if the formula may be too predictable and the effects kept simple, the atmosphere usually brings everything together nicely; that's why I love Amicus and AIP so much...they all have a familiar air about them and Tigon is no stranger to recreating this effect. There are contrived moments of female topelessness but I mostly blame the era in which the film was created in - after all, the '70's were a time of ex/sexploitation in the genre and lower budget films fell victim to certain pressures enacted by corporate figure-heads. Featuring senseless nudity became part of a marketing strategy that would later develop into a full-fledged stereotype within the genre that still has a firm grip in modern times. Thankfully Blood on Satan's Claw contains rare glimpses of this and the moments are kept brief; not that I don't appreciate the female form, but if it's primary inclusion is to goad small-brained Neanderthals into watching a film they normally wouldn't't...then that is where I draw the line.Viewers should expect period costumes, the occult, and interesting set design. The majority of the film seems to have been shot outside while the sets used to portray the innards of each building the characters wind up in are constructed fabulously. Fans of the genre liken the plot to Witchfinder General but there are several differences; don't be easily mislead by their false rhetoric. This is yet another wonderful addition to any fan's collection - if you enjoy the material that was coming from the UK during the 60's and 70's, you'll love this one.