The Witches

The claustrophobic, inwardly focused character of The Witches, set as it is in a small village where no-one can move around without being observed, makes it well suited to the small screen, which also has the advantage of greater forgiveness when it comes to some of its shakier sets. The print used here, whilst far from perfect, is in remarkably good shape for its age and has polished up nicely. Good quality sound is a bonus and enhances the effect of the drumming soundtrack in the ritual scenes.

The film is accompanied by a documentary, Hammer Glamour, interviewing some of the studio's famous beauties and giving us a whirlwind tour of their performances. It's a little disorganised and really trying to pack in too much for the running time, but the likes of Martine Beswick and Caroline Munro are always entertaining and there are some great anecdotes during the more in-depth section on Scars of Dracula.

Overall, this package is a little light, but it still presents a strong film alongside a reminder of other good ones too rarely seen.