They reveled in torture and murder in the name of justice, money & power. In one of his finest performances, Vincent Price is the Witchfinder General in Michael Reeve’s terrifying The Conqueror Worm, roaming the 17th century British countryside to line his pocket by using brutal violence to force confessions from suspected witches. Can anyone stop this sadistic madness?
“Hanging, burning, raping, screaming and Vincent Price as England’s prize torture-overseer. Peculiarly nauseating.” – Dilys Powell, The Sunday Times
“An extraordinarily bleak story of political evil… Reeves shot on location and the movie has a robust autumnal quality perfectly matched by Price’s overripe performance… it remains contemporary, and even frightening, in its evocation of cynical Puritanism and mass deception.” – J. Hoberman, Village Voice
“One of the most personal and mature statements in the history of British cinema… The performances are generally excellent, and no film before or since has used the British countryside in quite the same way.” – David Pirie, Time Out
Josh Olson discusses The Conqueror Worm for Trailers From Hell.
