Treadwell’s Horror Movie Night - The Blood on Satan’s Claw

Treadwell’s is delighted to announce the Treadwell’s Horror Season!

We are screening an occult horror film every Wednesday in October, with an expert speaker to introduce each film. Free drink on arrival, laughter, scares, socialising and fun are all promised.

The Blood on Satan’s Claw

Director: Piers Haggard

Country: UK

Year: 1971

Running time: 97 minutes

Cast: Patrick Wymark, Linda Hayden, Barry Andrews

Guaranteed to make you unsettled every time you go past a hedgerow in the British countryside, The Blood on Satan’s Claw is a great introduction to folk horror.

A farmer ploughs the land in 18th century England. The earth turns and reveals a strange corpse of a beast that disturbs the eye and chills the blood. The village youth believe they are possessed by the beast, whipped up into demonic fervour. Is their ringleader Angel (Linda Hayden) a witch, or a dangerous troublemaker who the elders need to suppress?

Considered one of the holy trinity of folk horror alongside The Wicker Man and Witchfinder General, The Blood on Satan’s Claw is a uniquely English take on witchcraft. Shot on location in the Chilterns, it taps into uncanny currents in the English countryside. But ultimately, the film is a brilliant example of the dual image of the witch: an emblem of feminine power, but also one that men will go to any lengths to resist and destroy. With a terrific folk-baroque soundtrack and an array of superb character actors, it reflects on post-Summer of Love unease.

Please note there is a graphic rape scene in the film, which some viewers may find upsetting.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ki4HeKMQd48

The Blood on Satan's Claw will be introduced by Patricia MacCormack in person, who is Professor of Continental Philosophy in The School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge. She has published extensively on Deleuze, Guattari, Blanchot, Serres, Irigaray, queer theory, teratology, body modification, posthuman theory, animal rights, and horror films. She is the author of Cinesexuality, Posthuman Ethics, The Schizoanalysis of Cinema, Ecosophical Aesthetics, The Animal Catalyst and The Ahuman Manifesto. Patricia MacCormack is also known for her appearance in the documentaries Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship & Videotape (2010), Morbid Fascination: The Nekromantik Legacy (2014) and Video Nasties: The Definitive Guide 2 (2014) as well as a number of titles from Redemption, including the films of Jean Rollin and forgotten British occult and folk horror titles. We are absolutely thrilled to have her introduce this folk horror classic.

Other Treadwell’s Horror Movie Nights:

The Blood on Satan's Claw - Wednesday 5th October 

Haxan - Wednesday 12th October

The Bloodettes - Wednesday 19th October 

Night of the Living Dead - Wednesday 26th October