Actuakers One of my all time favorites.

UnowPriceless hyped garbage

Kien Navarro Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Kimball Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Nigel P This is a solid horror film directed by Don Sharp, who directed some of Hammer's less spectacular projects in the mid-sixties. It is probably best known now because of the involvement of top-billed Lon Chaney as the monumental Morgan Whitlock, who delivers a big performance for his big character. Often one-note furious, Chaney casts a large shadow over his more mannered co-stars – it is unusual to see him surrounded by British faces (including 'Plague of the Zombies's Diane Clare), in the same way that seeing Boris Karloff on screen with Christopher Lee in 'Curse of the Crimson Altar (1968)' is a slightly surreal experience. Horror stars from different eras meeting has a charm all its own, and Chaney's presence in picturesque, misty country scenes are pleasingly odd.At this stage in his career, Chaney had a reputation for causing problems due to his excessive drinking. Apparently Sharp was very sympathetic to this and coaxed the best performance as he could from the veteran actor. Apart from addressing the character of Todd as (his girlfriend) Amy, Chaney is very good in a larger-than-life way.My other favourite performance would have to be that of Vanessa Whitlock (Yvette Rees), the resurrected witch. She is creepily effective in all her scenes, particularly her first, when her appearance is slowly revealed as she is unearthed. Up until that point, this is quite a straight-laced film (in which Chaney's performance stands out as being unrestrained) seemingly un-influenced by the blood-spattered horror revolution caused by Hammer in the late 1950's. As events continue, however, things become progressively more manic folding with a spectacular finale.

jamesraeburn2003 In the 17th century the Lanier family buried a Whitlock woman, Vanessa (Yvette Rees), alive as a witch and took over the family's estate. Three hundred years later the feud between the two families is still very much alive but, despite it, Amy Whitlock (Diane Clare) and Todd Lanier (David Weston) are making wedding plans. When property developer Bill Lanier (Jack Hedley) starts renovating the Whitlock estate, a bulldozer rips up graves in the old Whitlock cemetery escalating the feud between the families to boiling point. Vanessa rises from her disturbed resting place and with the aid of Morgan Whitlock (Lon Chaney Jr), a descendant from her family, uses witchcraft to destroy the Lanier clan one by one...One of those dear low budget British shockers made during this country's horror wave of the 1960's, which was spearheaded by Hammer studios. Harry Spalding's screenplay neatly knits together what is a pretty formulaic story line that contains little that we have not seen before. Nevertheless, thanks to the efforts of the talented director Don Sharp, there are some splendid, extremely well staged shocks like when Vanessa manifests herself in the rear view mirror of a victim's Morris Minor car whom is hypnotised into driving to her death off a cliff face at a rubbish tip.Most of the cast bar Lon Chaney Jr - here appearing in one of his last starring roles and by now way passed his prime - is competent while not exactly inspired. Diane Clare and David Weston, in particular, are rather dull as the two young lovers while Jack Hedley is not exactly the screen's greatest hero. Yvette Rees, although without dialogue as Vanessa, looks suitably glamouress while equally sinister at the same time.Arthur Lavis' b/w camera-work is suitably atmospheric with its swirling mists and creepy graveyards and a Sight and Sound review at the time described the film as often "reminiscent of Val Lewton.". Judge for yourself.

amosduncan_2000 Seven might be a little generous, but this film represents the end of the line for quality black and white British horror of it's time, a sub genre for "witch" I have great affection. From "Curse Of The Demon" to "City Of The Dead" and "Night Of The Eagle" it's brought me much pleasure- even "The Haunting" (which had a small role for "Witchcraft's Diane Clare) was shot if not set in England. Something of a rarity, "Witchcraft" never turned up much on TV and I don't think was ever on video, the "Midnight Movie" DVD series has rescued many titles this way. I doubt Lon Chaney Jr, (who's drinking problem gave them a very hard time on the set) was the first choice for American Star worked in to give the film overseas distribution potential. His performance is not great but get's the job done and offers some distraction from the too talky plot. What makes the film well worth seeing is some of the visual touches director Don Sharp applies in place of expensive special effects. Indeed, these work better than the big fire at the end of the films rather clumsy climax. All in all, if you enjoy this sort of thing, you are likely to like it.

ferbs54 "Witchcraft" is a comparatively obscure British horror film from 1964 that may be getting some well-deserved latter-day fans, thanks to recent screenings on TCM and this great-looking DVD. This modest but well-done offering from Shepperton Studios almost plays out like a Hatfield & McCoys family feud, but with decidedly supernatural overtones. It seems that modern land development in an area outside London has desecrated the burial plot of the Whitlocks, and before long, Vanessa Whitlock, who was buried alive in the 17th century for witchcraft, is up-and-at-'em to take vengeance on her ancestral enemies, the Laniers. Jack Hedley is quite sturdy in his role as Bill Lanier, the modern-day land developer, and, in a NONembarrassing performance, Lon Chaney, Jr. is also quite fine as Morgan Whitlock, a coven leader. Best of all, perhaps, is Yvette Rees as Vanessa. With not a single line of dialogue, she manages to convey implacable evil very effectively, and her every appearance is a frightening one; my beloved "Psychotronic Encyclopedia" is quite correct in describing her as being "in the Barbara Steele tradition." Director Don Sharp, whose work on the 1963 Hammer film "Kiss of the Vampire" had recently impressed me, here turns in another solid effort, and the film's B&W photography is quite lovely to behold. The picture ends most satisfactorily, I feel, and on a nicely UNsentimental note, with Grandmother Lanier's pronouncement "Born in evil, death in burning" a perfect summation of affairs. Though perhaps not quite as sterling as an earlier British witches-and-devil film, "Horror Hotel" (1960), "Witchcraft" yet reveals itself to be a compact and pleasing affair that does leave a residual chill. Unlike Vanessa, this is one relic whose unearthing should be welcomed....