This horror film stars Christopher Lee as an egotistical director of a Grand Guignol-like theatre. During a party for his cast, he insists they perform a scene from his newest sketch, concerning the historic burning of the Salem witches. He hypnotizes one of his young performers, Nicole (Jenny Till) to get the performance he wants. She takes a smoking hot poker from the fireplace and slowly approaches Dani (Lelia Goldoni), who is tied to a coat rack. Dani is saved when a worried member of the audience intervenes.
But later in the film, they perform the actual play and once again the scene repeats itself, with Dani, now tied to an X-frame, being threatened with a branding iron shaped like a V. Nicole brings the smoking brand closer and closer to Dani’s face and the scene ends as Dani lets out a huge scream, although it’s shown afterward that she wasn’t burned. Two beautifully-filmed and suspenseful set-pieces, about as good as you can get without an actual payoff.
About the Author
