A gruesome discovery in a 17th-century English village leads to the spread of devil worship among the local children who cause monstrous havoc for their local village community in this super-stylish supernatural shocker with a strong period flavour.
More sensational, violent and crude than its obvious model Witchfinder General (1968), Piers Haggard’s tense direction keeps the cauldron of fiendish orgies, demonic tortures and Linda Hayden’s sultry turn as Angel Blake, the devil’s advocate, bubbling at an even terror temperature until the satanic slow-motion climax.
By far the most unnerving aspect of the film is Angel leading local children in “games” that involve brutalizing victims for amusement – or perhaps for the pleasure of a master from another realm.
Also released as Satan’s Skin.
Judge
Patrick Wymark
Angel Blake
Linda Hayden
Ralph
Barry Andrews
Margaret
Michele Dotrice
Cathy
Wendy Padbury
Reverend Fallowfield
Anthony Ainley
Ellen
Charlotte Mitchell
Rosalind
Tamara Ustinov
Peter
Simon Williams
Doctor
Howard Goorney
Isobel
Avice Landone
Mark
Robin Davies
Squire Middleton
James Hayter
Director
Piers Haggard
