# Identify this witch movie... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 29, 2010, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-witch-movie/537802 "2010-04-29T23:10:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-witch-movie/537802/1 "2010-04-29T23:10:33Z")
If it can be done, y’all are the folks that can do it. I only caught part of it many years ago (circa early-mid 90s, maybe), was considerably less than sober at the time, don’t remember much, and the power went out during the movie. What I do remember: A woman has apparently been convicted of witchcraft and sentenced to death. She bribes a jailer/warden/executioner to kill her quickly, before she’s burned at the stake. For some reason, her young son is with her. She and the son are led to the execution, and she thinks she’s been betrayed, as the fires are already lit for a couple other alleged witches. One jailer then loops a garrote around her neck from behind, and strangles her, while another flogs the child with a quirt or strap. I think the movie was set somewhere in Europe, guesstimating around 1500 or so. Really odd and disturbing film… ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-witch-movie/537802/2 "2010-04-30T00:17:38Z")
Do you think it was made at about the time you saw it? There were a lot of witch movies in the 70’s and that scene sounds vaguely familiar. Was Vincent Price anywhere around? ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-witch-movie/537802/3 "2010-04-30T00:30:20Z")
I don’t remember Price being in the part I saw. If I had to guess, I’d guess it was already old when I saw it. Could well be from the 70s. It was running late at night, on some cable channel… ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-witch-movie/537802/4 "2010-04-30T00:34:54Z")
I don’t know about the film, but garroting of witches before burning wasn’t uncommon…it was deemed (oddly) merciful. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-witch-movie/537802/5 "2010-04-30T01:00:24Z")
Another detail on the garroting bit–once the executioner had it around her neck, he turned away from her, hoisting her on his back by the garrote, with much flailing of feet. Digging about on the net after **AuntiePam** ’s mention of Vincent Price, it could possibly be [_Witchfinder General_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witchfinder_General_%28film%29) aka _The Conqueror Worm_. It was certainly brutal enough, but the wiki link doesn’t mention the child torture part. That bit was really disturbing, and I’d expect it to be mentioned… ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-witch-movie/537802/6 "2010-04-30T12:42:04Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Another detail on the garroting bit–once the executioner had it around her neck, he turned away from her, hoisting her on his back by the garrote, with much flailing of feet. > > Digging about on the net after **AuntiePam** ’s mention of Vincent Price, it could possibly be [_Witchfinder General_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witchfinder_General_%28film%29) aka _The Conqueror Worm_. It was certainly brutal enough, but the wiki link doesn’t mention the child torture part. That bit was really disturbing, and I’d expect it to be mentioned… Another possibility- CRY OF THE BANSHEE? ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-witch-movie/537802/7 "2010-04-30T17:19:19Z")
I found a few pictures from _Cry of the Banshee_, and I dunno. The redheaded actress seems sorta familiar, but I couldn’t find any pictures of scenes I recognize. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-witch-movie/537802/8 "2010-05-12T20:21:54Z")
Possibly _The Pit and the Pendulum_. Not the 1961 Roger Corman movie with Vincent Price, but the [1991 Stuart Gordon version with Oliver Reed](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100369/). ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-witch-movie/537802/9 "2010-05-12T20:24:22Z")
Which Witch is which? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-witch-movie/537802/10 "2010-05-12T20:26:30Z")
I was on the other side of town when we burned the witch! ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-witch-movie/537802/11 "2010-05-13T01:30:32Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > If it can be done, y’all are the folks that can do it. I only caught part of it many years ago (circa early-mid 90s, maybe), was considerably less than sober at the time, don’t remember much, and the power went out during the movie. > > What I do remember: > > A woman has apparently been convicted of witchcraft and sentenced to death. She bribes a jailer/warden/executioner to kill her quickly, before she’s burned at the stake. For some reason, her young son is with her. She and the son are led to the execution, and she thinks she’s been betrayed, as the fires are already lit for a couple other alleged witches. One jailer then loops a garrote around her neck from behind, and strangles her, while another flogs the child with a quirt or strap. > > I think the movie was set somewhere in Europe, guesstimating around 1500 or so. Really odd and disturbing film… How about [Pit and the Pendulum](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100369/) from 1991? If memory serves, it also included images of the husband of the woman the OP was talking about being removed from their coffins and ‘killed again’, and there was a seller of bread that ended up getting put in prison so Torquemada could shag his wife. ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-witch-movie/537802/12 "2010-05-13T01:44:31Z")
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