Witching Time

Hammer House of Horror: Witching Time (1980)

*** (out of 4)

A workaholic composer (Jon Finch) is at home while his wife (Prunella Gee) is out having an affair. After the power goes out from a storm the composer walks out to the barn where he finds Lucinda Jessop (Patricia Quinn). The young woman says that she's a witch and she's certainly not used to any of the current electronics. Soon the composer begins to feel that he might just be losing his mind.

I was really surprised to see how much I enjoyed WITCHING TIME as it was a good throwback to the type of films that the studio were making in the early 70s. I think what I enjoyed most was some of the earlier, non-horror moments like the witch getting a walk through in the house and seeing all sorts of items that weren't invented yet 350 years earlier when she was burned for being a witch.

The film also boosts some good performances with Finch leading the way in a strong role. I thought he was good at showing the fragile mental state of this man. Quinn was good as the witch as was Gee as the wife. Ian McCulloch (ZOMBIE) is also fun in his role as the doctor.

While I can't say that I was especially looking forward to this series – considering the undeniable drop in quality during Hammer's last years (I did, however, catch at least one memorable episode from its follow-up, HAMMER HOUSE OF MYSTERY AND SUSPENSE [1984]) – this one certainly sets it off to a pretty good start. Incidentally, it was unusual to have nudity in a TV show of the era, even if – by now – this was pretty much a Hammer requisite. Here, we get a predictable but well-handled plot involving a strained relationship accentuated by the intervention of the supernatural. The 'attacks' on the heroine by the jealous witch and the latter's influence on her husband (causing his descent into near-madness) are, again, par for the course – as is, needless to say, the witch's eventual come-uppance by virtue of the elements (water and fire). The opening episode of this particular series is helped a lot by good casting (notably Patricia Quinn as the witch – alternating between hysteria, sensuality and menace) and the remote countryside setting.

Composer David Winter (Jon Finch) is under stress. Working on some music that he needs to finish. His wife Mary (Prunella Gee) is always working late. In fact she is having an affair with his doctor.

Suddenly David discovers a strange woman in his barn. She is Lucinda (Patricia Quinn) and claims to be a witch from the seventeenth century. She managed to escape the witchfinders.

Is David going mad? Lucinda wants David for herself and away from his cheating wife by mesmerising him.

Mary is having none of it even if she thinks her husband is hallucinating.

It was strange to see a cheating spouse truen heroine and come to the rescue of her husband. You do think that David might be hallucinating Lucinda.

There is an unhinged performance from Quinn, something she rather specialised in. It is not the strongest of episodes in the Hammer Horror season.

As a great fan of the Hammer Studios and enthusiastic watcher of their Gothic Horror films, I wonder what took me so long to start watching their TV-series "Hammer House of Horror", which only ran for one season in 1980. Now that I've seen the first four episodes of the show, I can say that it easily satisfies my expectations so far. While this first episode "Witching Time" is maybe not the most imaginative Horror story ever told, and doesn't quite deliver the marvelous Gothic atmosphere that I love Hammer's films from the 50s to the 70s for, it doubtlessly does accomplish to tell a surprisingly spooky tale and create some genuine creepiness within fifty minutes. Film score composer David Winter (Jon Finch) is tormented by the 17th century witch Lucinda (Patricia Quinn)... While he story may be simple, but for a running time of less than an hour, it is effective and delivers many creepy moments. Northern Irish actress Patricia Quinn, who is probably best known for her role in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" (1975) as well as the fantastic Monty Python comedy "Monty Python's Meaning of Life" (1983), is wonderfully malicious in her role which fits her like a glove. Jon Finch is also quite good as David, and while Prunella Gee, who plays his adulterous actress wife, may not be the best actress ever, she is definitely nice to look at. The episode is accompanied by a nice score which plays along well with the atmosphere. Overall, "Witching Time" is a very entertaining episode with several truly creepy moments, and decent opener to the series.

What horror series could ever be made without featuring a story about a witch?

It obviously has its flaws, budget restraints are evident for all to see, and I'm assuming a shortage of time also. However, for a 50 minute horror story they manage to give us a good story, plenty of atmosphere, and a memorable character.

Patricia Quinn is excellent as Lucinda, suitably menacing and somehow you can believe she's 300 years old, a great voice, and I love her accent. Jon Finch and Prunella Gee are good as the hapless couple.

Very decent. 6/10