Wow, this is a REALLY bad movie!

Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

Tired of fighting against a coven, an aristocratic lord humiliates the leader of a revered witch and sends them out on a mission of vengeance against him and his kingdom to settle the score once and for all.Frankly, this one was overall quite decent and enjoyable but certainly has a few minor flaws as well. Among the better aspects here, the best is undoubtedly the fact that this one certainly manages to really explore the idiotic nature of misunderstanding witchcraft among those who supposedly hunt them down for a living, here basically making them the living embodiment of taking every single notion of their livelihood as meaning their indulgence in witchcraft and the need for punishment. The harassment of local weapon for wearing supposed jewels and charms of local witch clans, any sort of odd behavior or going against even the most foolhardy of orders makes for a rather intriguing following to the authority here wherein you want to see them fail as befits their stupidity against the innocents among them, and that indeed sets up the film's two big marks in its torture scenes and the final comeuppance. The torture here is kept within realistic realms, mainly public humiliation and spectacle around whipping or branding with scalding irons, and a later scene of gaining a confession by tying one up to wooden posts and setting it on fire makes for a wholly enjoyable piece, while the revenge tactics of the final half are just plain enjoyable. The animal attacks in the forest, turning the wife on him with her behavior at the dinner reception and finally the ending here is all part of the total package of revenge and it really seems to be worthwhile and truly earned which is always a plus. On the negative side, the fact that this one tends to really ham-fist itself here when it comes to the exploitative side of things despite that indeed being part of the film's aim as if wallowing in those areas are beneath it. The violence and gory kills are nearly nonexistent as are the tortures here by keeping it in the mostly realistic realm and there's barely any nudity despite several scenes of the hunters lecherously ripping their shirts and blouses open to torment them as this shifts the camera around to avoid that altogether which really questions why it would've been included anyway. As well, there's not a whole lot of action out witch-hunting since this instead focuses on them talking about the coven and they danger to him they posses rather than explicitly show it, so it suffers from that small factor as well though on the whole this one is quite good.Rated R: Violence, Language, Nudity and themes of incestuality.

This is a nasty bit of business made by AIP during that dreary period where the colorful, fun horror movies of the '60s were giving way to the darker, grittier movies of the '70s. It stars Vincent Price, easily the biggest name in horror in the '60s. Despite the title, there's no banshees in this movie. It's about an evil magistrate (Price) who abuses and kills people in his village in the name of witch hunting. Similar at this point to another (better) Price vehicle from around this time called The Conqueror Worm. But the similarities end there as the main plot is about some witches summoning a demon or something to seek revenge on Price and his wicked children. No banshees to be found. Lots of sexual stuff, though, and not all of it consensual. There's even a song about rape in the movie. So...yeah...more banshees and less rape, please. This is an ugly, cheap, and unpleasant exploitation movie. It's not fun enough to be entertaining and, as for horror, it couldn't scare a five year-old. One interesting little bit of trivia is that Terry Gilliam did the opening credits. They're done in that same style Monty Python was famous for.

Well, it isn't that good of a yarn - I just couldn't avoid the pun. In this Vincent Price vehicle (probably one he would loath to admit making) an English village is terrorized by witchcraft, but even more terrorized by the men who vow to rid the land of witches. Vincent Price plays a mad witch-hunter, quick to brand women (quite literally mind you) as witches. When he and his men brutally murder followers of an old witch named Oona (Bergner) she places a hex on Price's house, vowing to kill his bloodline.STORY: $$ (Quite weak. The banshee of the title doesn't play a role. I suppose the howling of a wolf in the background was a simulation for a banshee's scream, but it was a letdown. Also, the characters in this film are hard to like. I guess we're suppose to root for Price's college educated son and his floozy of a daughter, but they weren't very likable characters).VIOLENCE: $$$ (You'll get plenty of tortured women, if that is your thing. One defenseless lass gets burned at the stake for no reason and another witch gets branded with a red hot poker. There is a monster in the film who goes about slashing folks with its claws, adding to the gore and blood departments).ACTING: $$ (Nothing great here. This is Vincent Price at his hammiest. Essy Persson does a good job portraying an unstable woman but Elsabeth Bergner made for a poor leader of witches. The fact that English isn't her first language shows - she seems to struggle through her lines at times).NUDITY: $$$ (The filmmakers seem to use the exposing of a woman's breasts as a metaphor for the exposing of a witch. None of the non witches have nude scenes, but nearly every witch in the film is "exposed" as being a witch).

Those familiar with the concept of banshees would probably agree that "Cry Of The Banshee" is an interesting title for this film. I think the film-makers probably just decided it was just too good a title to pass up. Nonetheless, those looking for a horror tale containing bona fide Celtic mythology should probably look elsewhere. There is horror to be had here however, and the film still does more or less what it promises."Cry Of The Banshee" is set during the height of Middle Ages England, where rampant ignorance and superstition meant anyone could be condemned and burned for alleged witchcraft, and anyone you didn't like could be targeted. However, this being in the horror genre rather than an Arthur Miller play, the local inhabitants' fears are not entirely unjustified. Nonetheless, the greater threat is the Witchfinder General (played by Price) and his family, who abuse their authority and keep the entire local population in their grip. 'Witches' are regularly found, and dispatched in the name of God. The witchfinder gets more than he bargained for however when he annoys a real witch, who decides to take revenge.Vincent Price is an actor you can rely on to take an average film up a notch, and he does so here. His presence, his voice, his face - he doesn't even have to try very hard. Not that the story is especially bad. It's fairly basic but entertaining enough. Even so, the pantomime acting and thinly-drawn characterisation made it hard to take everything seriously. A melodramatic situation shouldn't mean over-the-top theatricality, but that's what the script and the direction unfortunately settle for.Fortunately, the horror elements of the film are not so misplaced. Suspense is built up, the 'banshee' of the title is wisely heard rather than seen until the climax, and the end itself is very satisfying. The mood is bleak, the lighting is low, and the score helps the action along without ever being out of place. Like many Hammer Horrors, there's a lot of nudity. just in case everything else isn't enough to draw you in.Overall, "Cry Of The Banshee" is an enjoyable example of classic horror that fans of the genre should enjoy. It's not brilliant, but it has its moments, and one of the genre's star performers to breathe life into it.