The Price Of Darkness: A Tribute To The Singular Spooky Charms Of Vincent Price – Decider

Photo: Everett Collection

Michael Reeves genuinely great historical horror, loosely based on the abominations visited on women in the 17th century by one Matthew Hopkins, revolves around a self-declared witch-finder who uses the assumed vocation as an excuse to torture a lot of people. A notoriously troubled shoot with director Reeves, then 24, dying not a year after the films release from a barbituate overdose, the film nonetheless houses the personal favorite of Prices performances. Free largely of his familiar affectations, Prices Hopkins is a haunted sort of psychopath, guided by a twisted religiosity and perverse moral imperative. As we prepare to inaugurate our own version of The Handmaids Tale in the United States, Witchfinder General emerges as prime among a series of texts we should have heeded when we had the chance.

Walter Chaw is the Senior Film Critic for filmfreakcentral.net. His book on the films of Walter Hill, with introduction by James Ellroy, is due in 2020. His monograph for the 1988 film MIRACLE MILE is available now.

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The Price Of Darkness: A Tribute To The Singular Spooky Charms Of Vincent Price - Decider