254:, the lawyer-turned-witchhunter who blackmails and murders his way across the countryside. Reeves imbues the film with a powerful sense of the impossibility of behaving morally in a society whose conventions have broken down, and though it is by no means free of the conventions of low-budget horror, it stands as a notably powerful and evocative film.
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instead. This caused friction between the actor and the young director. A famous story is told of how Reeves won Price's respect: Reeves was constantly telling Price to tone down his over-acting, and to play the role more seriously. Price eventually cracked, snapping, "Young man, I have made
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Reeves continued to goad Price into delivering a vicious and brilliant performance, and only upon seeing the finished film did the actor realise what the director was up to, at which point Price took steps to bury the hatchet with Reeves.
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as the young man who becomes their unwitting tool. Its theme of controlling subjects at a distance and vicariously experiencing their sensations can be seen as a reflexive commentary on the cinema experience."
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306:. He was taking tablets to help him sleep. On the morning of 11 February 1969, Reeves was found dead in his bedroom, aged 25, in Cadogan Place,
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116:). A few months after the film's release, Reeves died in London at the age of 25 from an accidental alcohol and barbiturate overdose.
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106:(17 October 1943 – 11 February 1969) was an English film director and screenwriter. He is best remembered for the 1968 film
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Reeves was born in London on 17 October 1943, related to the family who founded the paint manufacturing company
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as old people who become obsessed with the violent sexual possibilities created by the permissive society, and
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199:(1967). According to Tom Ryall, "espite its low budget, Reeves was able to draw on fine performances from
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736:"Michael Reeves' 'Intrusion': Earliest existing film by the cult director of 'Witchfinder General'"
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Some films Reeves was apparently scheduled to direct or for which he was being considered were
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eighty-four films. What have you done?" Reeves replied: "I've made three good ones."
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667:"Shock Horror! Total Film Proudly Hails The 50 Greatest Horror Movies of All Time"
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overdose) was accidental, the dosage being too marginal to suggest intention.
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Reeves died in London a few months after the film's release. After shooting
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the 15th-greatest horror film of all time. Made on a modest budget in
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was released to mixed reviews, with one notably savage notice by
179:(1966), which contains a witch hunt resembling the opening of
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He worked in films in various minor capacities for his idol
835:"The terror of the old ways: 50 years of Witchfinder General"
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Back in
Britain, Reeves directed his second feature,
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547:"Michael Reeves: the lost visionary of British film"
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Reeves is best known for his third and final movie,
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A New
Heritage of Horror: The English Gothic Cinema
713:. Southern Illinois University Press. p. 176.
615:"Matthew Hopkins - Witchfinder General | 1968"
593:
Reference Guide to
British and Irish Film Directors
509:. Reeves had talked of directing an adaptation of
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173:(1964), and then as director and co-writer of
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314:'s report stated that Reeves's death (from a
19:For other people named Michael Reeves, see
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617:. Britishhorrorfilms.co.uk. Archived from
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710:British Film Directors: A Critical Guide
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878:Italian Gothic Horror Films, 1957-1969
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128:. He was educated at King's Mead and
16:English film director and screenwriter
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300:, he was at work on an adaptation of
939:Guardian Unlimited, Michael Reeves:
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1041:20th-century English screenwriters
791:. 20 February 2020. Archived from
734:Gallagher, Paul (2 January 2014).
707:Shail, Robert (30 November 2007).
692:Turnour, Quentin (21 April 2004).
484:
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1076:People educated at Radley College
1046:20th-century English male writers
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545:Sweet, Matthew (14 April 2015).
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899:. Manchester University Press.
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263:American International Pictures
21:Michael Reeves (disambiguation)
1061:Drug-related deaths in England
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242:and adapted from the novel by
1:
833:Scovell, Adam (18 May 2018).
589:"Reeves, Michael (1944-1969)"
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669:. Total Film. Archived from
310:, by his cleaning lady. The
261:to play the title role, but
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1056:Barbiturates-related deaths
1051:Accidental deaths in London
895:Halligan, Benjamin (2003).
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1071:English male screenwriters
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386:Castle of the Living Dead
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170:Castle of the Living Dead
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876:Curti, Roberto (2015).
789:American Film Institute
401:2nd assistant director
377:Short film, also acted
1066:English film directors
839:British Film Institute
515:All The Little Animals
694:"Witchfinder General"
641:"Witchfinder General"
120:Early life and career
862:, I.B. Tauris, 2008.
112:(known in the US as
1008:Witchfinder General
941:Witchfinder General
932:Witchfinder General
492:The Buttercup Chain
461:Witchfinder General
298:Witchfinder General
276:Witchfinder General
250:tells the story of
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236:Witchfinder General
225:Witchfinder General
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181:Witchfinder General
109:Witchfinder General
978:Films directed by
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70:(1969-02-11)
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1036:1969 deaths
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844:20 February
335:Credited as
322:Filmography
316:barbiturate
240:East Anglia
161:Henry Levin
159:(1965) for
149:(1964) for
81:Occupations
1025:Categories
906:0719063515
760:Curti 2015
572:, chpt. 2.
521:References
231:Total Film
209:Ian Ogilvy
141:Don Siegel
132:, English
56:1943-10-17
745:22 August
513:'s novel
361:Intrusion
934:, review
348:Director
677:23 July
498:De Sade
312:coroner
1011:(1968)
1003:(1967)
995:(1966)
943:review
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651:31 May
625:31 May
599:27 May
354:Other
342:Ref(s)
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466:1968
442:1967
417:1966
391:1964
366:1961
338:Notes
329:Title
292:Death
925:IMDb
901:ISBN
882:ISBN
846:2020
747:2024
715:ISBN
679:2006
653:2014
627:2014
601:2024
495:and
472:Yes
469:Yes
448:Yes
445:Yes
420:Yes
398:Yes
374:Yes
369:Yes
332:Year
203:and
153:and
65:Died
50:Born
923:at
503:IRA
167:on
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54:(
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
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