History Film / WitchfinderGeneral

* {{Recut}}: A particularly complex range of alternate versions. Many versions, especially the UK one, were heavily cut to censor the graphic violence and torture scenes. Unconnectedly, the film's producers added additional scenes, in particular to certain European releases, featuring sex and nudity between Hopkins's henchmen and bar girls, which the director, Michael Reeves, was very unhappy with. Reeves's early death meant that he wasn't around in the home video age to advise on an official "director's cut". There are a number of quite different versions circulating that have been released for home video, screened in cinemas, or broadcast, some of which contain both the violence and the sex, some of which contain only one of them, and some of which have neither.

* DownerEnding: Hopkins is dead, but Marshall and Sara are severely traumatised and possibly permanently insane as a result of their terrible experiences.

* ArtisticLicenseHistory: You can read about it [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witchfinder_General_(film)#Historical_accuracy here]] at TheOtherWiki. Though its worth noting that the novel it adapted its story from also uses some Artistic License.

* ReligiousHorror: One of the central tropes of the film.

* EnglishCivilWar: The event that is the background for the film.

* PlayingAgainstType: [[invoked]] Creator/VincentPrice as Hopkins. While he had made his career playing villains, the vast majority of them were of the Pantomine and {{Camp}} varierty that the audience [[EvilIsCool were supposed to fall in love with.]] In here he plays an genuinely psychopathic and horrific character. Price actually accepted the role without reading the script, assuming it was yet another swashbucking-adventure flick.

* PlayingAgainstType: Creator/VincentPrice as Hopkins. While he had made his career playing villains, the vast majority of them were of the Pantomine and {{Camp}} varierty that the audience [[EvilIsCool were supposed to fall in love with.]] In here he plays an genuinely psychopathic and horrific character. Price actually accepted the role without reading the script, assuming it was yet another swashbucking-adventure flick.

* RevengeOverReason: Richard is told by his subordinates that he should speak to the magistrates and his superiors about Hopkins, but Richard feels that he must kill Hopkins on his own. He also compromises his duty as a soldier to conduct his personal vendetta.

* TorturePorn: The film was considered to be this when first released, and is still disturbing today.

* FictionalizedDeathAccout: Matthew Hopkins probably died of consumption, although one account has him ironically tried and executed for witchcraft by an unnamed individual. The film ends with him being axed by a fictional Roundhead, before another Roundhead puts him out of his misery by shooting him.

* PlayingAgainstType: Creator/VincentPrice as Hopkins. While he had made his career playing villains, the wast majority of them were of the Pantomine and {{Camp}} varierty that the audience [[EvilIsCool were supposed to fall in love with.]] In here he plays an genuinely psychopathic and horrific character. Price actually accepted the role without reading the script, assuming it was yet another swashbucking-adventure flick.

The most famous film by British 1960s horror studio Creator/TigonBritishFilmProductions (even though everyone assumes that it [[WrongfullyAttributed must have been by Hammer]]). ''Witchfinder General'', know in the USA as "The Conqueror Worm", starred horror icon Creator/VincentPrice as the notorious seventeenth-century fanatic Matthew Hopkins, the [[JobTitle eponymous]] self-styled [[TheWitchHunter Witchfinder General]]. Initially condemned by critics for its graphic violence, but a modest commercial success, the film has become a celebrated CultClassic of British rural horror.

The most famous film by British 1960s horror studio Creator/TigonBritishFilmProductions (even though everyone assumes that it [[WrongfullyAttributed must have been by Hammer]]). ''Witchfinder General'' (changed to "The Conqueror Worm" in the United States) starred horror icon Creator/VincentPrice as the notorious seventeenth-century fanatic Matthew Hopkins (a.k.a. the [[JobTitle eponymous]] self-styled [[TheWitchHunter Witchfinder General]]). Initially condemned by critics for its graphic violence, but a modest commercial success, the film has become a celebrated CultClassic of British rural horror.

The 1968 British film ''Witchfinder General'' (changed to "The Conqueror Worm" in the United States), starring the Horror icon Creator/VincentPrice as Matthew Hopkins (a.k.a. the [[JobTitle eponymous]] [[TheWitchHunter Witchfinder General]]), is a Classic Horror that has had a strong [[CultClassic cult following]] since its release.

* TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou: A very disturbing example, as the soldier's MercyKill on the injured Hopkins sends Marshall into a psychotic rage at having his full vengeance "stolen".

The 1968 British film ''Witchfinder General'' (changed to "The Conqueror Worm" in the United States), starring the Horror icon VincentPrice as Matthew Hopkins (a.k.a. the [[JobTitle eponymous]] Witchfinder General), is a Classic Horror that has had a strong [[CultClassic cult following]] since its release.

* WitchHunt: What Hopkins claims is his mission.

The 1968 British film ''Witchfinder General'' (changed to "The Conqueror Worm" in the United States), starring the Horror icon VincentPrice as Matthew Hopkins (a.k.a. the eponymous Witchfinder General), is a Classic Horror that has had a strong [[CultClassic cult following]] since its release.

The 1968 British film ''Witchfinder General'' (changed to "The Conqueror Worm" in the United States), starring the Horror icon VincentPrice as Matthew Hopkins (AKA The eponymous Witchfinder General), is a Classic Horror that has had a strong [[CultClassic cult following]] since its release.

* AgeLift: Hopkins, who was in his late twenties at the oldest at the time of his death, was played by Vincent Price who was fifty-six years of age when the film was made.

* BigBad: Matthew Hopkins, the self proclaimed Witchfinder General.

* BigBad: Matthew Hopkins the self proclaimed Witchfinder General.

* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: Hopkins is turned into a far more cruel, monstrous individual in this film than what surviving historical documents would attest to.

* ArtisticLicenseHistory: You can read about it [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witchfinder_General_(film)#Historical_accuracy here]] at TheOtherWiki. Though its worth noting that the novel it adapted its story from also uses this.
* BigBad: Matthew Hopkins

* StrawHypocrite: Hopkins is portrayed as a ManipulativeBastard who claims to be a [[KnightTemplar strongly]] [[TheFundamentalist principled]] Puritan, but is simply using it as a ruse to get the town's people trust as a step stoning from going through their hearts to get to their wallets.

* FilmOfTheBook: It is based upon the 1966 novel of the same name by author Ronald Bassett.

* StrawHypocrite: Hopkins is portrayed as a ManipulativeBastard who claims to be a [[KnightTemplar strongly principled]] Puritan, but is simply using it as a ruse to get the town's people trust as a step stoning from going through their hearts to get to their wallets.