One of the better British "historical horrors" from this period, financed by Tigon who had money in The Witchfinder General and were no doubt hoping for similar success. The evil here is supernatural though rather than lying in the souls of men - it's literally dug up by farmer Barry Andrews, who was in a Hammer horror film... as was British teen sexpot Linda Hayden, who is very saucy as a kittenish village girl who gets possessed and tries to seduce the local vicar.
Hayden then sets about whipping up the local kids into a frenzy Charles Manson style. There's some hilarious long hair from the reverend and a nobleman, a particularly unsettling rape sequences (not that I've seen too many enjoyable rape sequences but this one is disturbing), Patrick Wymark is a fire and brimstone judge not too far from Matthew Hopkins/Vincent Price in Witchfinder General only here more of a hero than in that movie and Michele Dotrice is excellent as a member of the cult.
This originally began as a three part movie which was converted into a singular narrative; it feels like more of an ensemble piece, and thus has a richer "world" than usual with these sort of movies - although one wished it had a bit more cohesion, especially at the end.
Still, it's interesting, with a real sense of creepiness (the horror and Satanic nature of the cult is underplayed), there's a lot of intelligence going on, I loved the cinematography and music, Linda Hayden's performance has become deservedly iconic.
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