Night of the Blood Monster (1970) User Reviews

I witnessed the full uncut 103 minutes version

[trashgang · 5/10 · 11 February 2009]

As said, I just witnessed the full uncut version of the Bloody Judge. Like you could see IMDb never made notice of this version so I thought it must be wrong on the DVD but no, it clocked in at exactly 103 minutes. It's English spoken until the extra minutes appear, they are in German but the subtitles stays intact. The extra minutes are no more then a torture scene with full nudity, the others include all nudity with a love scene between the bloody judge and the witch, the last extra is a lesbian scene in the torture room with frontal bush nudity. Thinking of the year it was made, 1970, it was normal that it was cut out. Anyway, the storyline does refer to the real history but the movie is way too long. There is a lot of blah blah and the torture scenes are really laughable. You only see blood but it never runs or you never see cuts made by the executioner. A shame, could have done better by Franco. The performances are really good but the suspense isn't there due the lack of storyline, they really refer to much to history. It is nice to see how they made you say you are a witch. There are better witch hunt movies out there, I guess would Lee never appeared in it it would be a forgotten flick. It's not for the geeks of horror, just one of the Jess Franco flicks with the usual T&A features. It's available in his 103 minutes in Belgium with the German pieces in it, judge it for yourselves

they were lying inder the oath

[memmori · 5/10 · 29 December 2005]

This film is an unique thing. Being possibly the best of B-category Franco's movies, this one is very hard to find in Russia. And I guess only Franco's true fans and the lovers of the costume movies (like me)really have any reason to search for it.

Nevertheless, this film could be worse if not Christopher Lee. The man destined to play fantastic villains all his life now was playing a real historic villain (was the real Judge Jeffreys a villain? I think not but Jess Franco used another version). But Lee was ready to play in a HISTORIC movie, and instead of it he was to perform a horror show. Although his performance in this role was a very good one, he was disappointed and detested and told later he doesn't want any credits for this film.

There are some very rough mistakes (or special changes) in the movie: 1) The date is missed. The year 1685 was the real time of Monmouth rebellion, but the events destroying James II' and Jeffreys' power, has happened only 4 years later, in 1688-89, and called "Glorious Revolution". 2) Sir George Jeffreys really has died in the Tower of London - but of stone, not of a heart-attack as it's shown. 3) Jeffreys, how good or bad he was, has never been neither womanizer nor witch-hunter. Moreover he did all he could to prevent death sentences to alleged witches. And there was nothing to suggest that he had a mistress or used the arrested women for his lust. It is nothing but a profanation. 4) There were NO witch hunt in later 1680's in England. Even the few who was charged were mostly acquitted. The horrible things shown in film as Ketch's work were used normally in Scotland, not England.

And what a switch for judge Jefferies. It just goes to show what happens when you get too caught up in your work.

[Fella_shibby · 4/10 · 18 July 2020]

I saw this for the first time recently. Aint no fan of Franco's films but Lee's name was sufficient for one time viewing. The film is boring and apart from Lee's performance, there is only tons of unnecessary sadism n torture. The plot is about a judge who condemns women as witches and rebels as traitors on a regular basis. The film's lead actress Maria Rohm looks a bit similar to Rachel Weisz. Generous with a 4 only cos of Lee's presence n Howard Vernon's phantom outfit.

One of Franco's best!!

[Jens-28 · 10 June 1999]

First of all, "Night Of The Blood Monster", is a stupid and misleading title. "Bloody Judge" is exactly what the excellent Christopher Lee portraits in this big budget (yeah, Jess Franco with money!?!) witch hunting flick. The plot is almost the same as "Mark Of The Devil" and "Witchfinder General", also from that period. It's beautifully shot and filled with impressive battle scenes and lots of politics (based on a true story!). If you see the uncut LBX version you'll get a sleaze-o-rama of torture, nudity, whipping etc. Franco regular Howard Vernon is over-the-top as the chief torturer (made me think of Marty Feldman in "Young Frankenstein"!). Franco and Lee should be proud of this film, think of that when you're watching Franco-bombs like "Golden Temple Amazons" and "Man Hunter". Vintage Euro-horror at it's best!

A negative verdict for this "Bloody Judge".

[gridoon · 4/10 · 17 January 2002]

The kind of incompetent filmmaking that can be enlivened only by a few torture scenes. A completely uninvolving film, with a storyline so muddled that you often don't know Who-IS-Who. I watched the (allegedly) uncut, letterboxed rereleased version, and apart from an unpleasant rack scene, it's not particularly strong stuff. "Mark of the Devil" was a much superior entry in the same "witch-hunting" genre. Watch that one instead! (*1/2)

Not Hammer And Not Good

[Theo Robertson · 4/10 · 14 September 2013]

This popped up on the Horror Channel and I had a vague musing that this might be a obscure and long forgotten Hammer horror made to cash in on the acclaim that WITCHFINDER GENERAL received . When the name of Jess Franco appears you quickly realise this won't be a Hammer movie . The story is set against the background of William Of Orange , he of Battle Of The Boyne fame trying to get his hands on the English crown and the political intrigue involving the fall out . The narrative then revolves around Judge Jeffries and isn't a million miles removed from the feel of WITCHFINDER GENERAL . That said if you've seen Michael Reeves 1968 movie and compare it to this one you start understanding why the prior film gains its sometimes bewildering reputation as an under looked classic horror drama . Reeves film was shot in English locations and had a rather effective performance from Vincent Price as Matthew Hopkins which many people consider Price's career highlight . Here however it's painfully obvious the locations are filmed in Europe with mountains in the background which isn't a common geographical characteristic of the Hampshire countryside . There's also obvious dubbing which means the over emphatic regional accents gives the film an unintentional feeling of Monty Python rather than serious horror

Christopher Lee - Judge Without Mercy

[Witchfinder-General-666 · 7/10 · 24 March 2008]

Jess Franco's "Il Trono di fuoco" aka. "The Bloody Judge" of 1970 is one of a bunch of early 70s exploitation flicks inspired by the success of Michael Reeves' 1968 masterpiece "Witchfinder General" (starring the great Vincent Price). People familiar with Jess Franco's cinema might expect an immensely sleazy and gruesome film that mainly takes place in torture chambers, but the film is actually tame for what one might expect. Even though there are a bunch of very brutal scenes, the level of sleaze and violence is quite low for a Jess Franco film, and the film is not even nearly as nasty as other popular 'Hexploitation' films of the time, such as the ultra-gruesome "Mark Of The Devil" from the same year. Equally surprising is the budget that was obviously quite high for Jess Franco standards, as realistic costumes and nice settings are provided.

Horror icon Christopher Lee, who worked with Jess Franco on several occasions, plays Lord George Jeffreys, the infamous and merciless judge and Lord Chancellor in England torn by strife between the reigning King James II and William of Orange. Convincend of doing what's necessary, the cruel judge mercilessly persecutes 'traitors', who sympathize with the King's opponent William of Orange, as well as 'witches', who are accused of being in league with the devil...

Christopher Lee is, as always, great in his role as the merciless judge (who is based on the infamous real-life 'hanging-judge' George 1st baron Jeffreys). Beautiful Maria Rohm, who starred in many Franco-highlights, most memorably in "Venus in Furs" and "Count Dracula", plays the female lead here, and she fits in her role very well. Jess Franco-fans will also recognize another regular in his films, Howard Vernon, who plays the executioner. Another great enrichment to the film is the great score by Bruno Nicolai. Jess Franco, one of the most prolific directors ever, has directed a bunch of absolutely awesome films, as well as total stinkers. "The Bloody Judge" is definitely one of his better films (even though, in my opinion, not one of his masterpieces), and a more than decent historical horror film. Highly recommended!

1685. This is the time of plot and counter plot, of Witchcraft.

[hitchcockthelegend · 3/10 · 17 October 2013]

Il trono di fuoco (AKA: The Bloody Judge) is directed by Jesus Franco and written by Anthony Scott Veitch and Peter Welbeck. It stars Christopher Lee, Maria Schell, Leo Genn, Hans Hass Jr., Maria Rohm and Margaret Lee. Music is by Bruno Nicolai and cinematography by Manuel Merino.

Based on the real life Judge Jeffreys, the so called Hanging Judge who presided over what became known as The Bloody Assizes in Winchester 1685.

Spaghetti horror with plenty of blood but nothing else. Christopher Lee was known to say this performance as the cruel Judge Jeffries was one of his best, you have to think he was bluffing by way of trying to be on the same planet as Vincent Price's turn as Matthew Hopkins in Witchfinder General two years earlier. Not that Lee is bad, far from it, he's the reason to watch this, it's just that he is planted in the picture for a number of scenes and everything else is spliced around him in hap-hazard fashion; and that's the uncut version as well!

Ponderously paced and done on the cheap, it also comes off as tacky exploitation, where sex and glimpses of flesh serve for titillation, while exposition rules the day. It's a real hack job, aimlessly directed even. A battle scene stands out, but is at odds with the film, the costuming is smart, the set design equally so, and the colour photography decent. Yet the over riding sense of boredom and amateurism strips the film of any real entertainment factor. Apart from Chris of course, but even then we don't really get a great deal of him! 3/10

A well made historical horror film from Franco

[Red-Barracuda · 7/10 · 24 April 2014]

Along with Witchfinder General (1968), The Bloody Judge was part of a small subset of films from the late 60's / early 70's that can best be described as historical horror movies. In these we have a true historical subject which is played up in such a way that it crosses over into the territory of the horror film. Seeing as this was a point in time where there was a plethora of period set costume horror flicks anyway, I suppose it makes a lot of sense that these films were made too. Like a lot of continental offerings from the period, this one throws in a lot of sadistic torture, nudity and sleaze as well and so covers the erotic horror sub-genre too. This is hardly surprising when you take into account that its director was the legendary Jesus Franco who was something of an expert at this kind of thing.

The Bloody Judge came out at a point when Franco was enjoying the most high profile time of his career and so this one like a few others he made at the time is pretty high budgeted by his subsequent standards. It has good locations and a fine cast and benefits from professional editing and photography as well. It was also one of several collaborations Franco had with horror stalwart Christopher Lee too. Unlike their earlier Fu Manchu collaborations, the role of the infamous Lord Chief Justice Jeffreys – aka 'The Hanging Judge' – was much better suited to Lee. He is very good as this cold central character, although he seemingly was not best pleased at all when he saw the finished film, presumably as a result of the salacious content Franco is famed for. The cast is good beyond Lee too; we have the beautiful Maria Rohm, the fine character actor Leo Genn and last but not least Franco regular Howard Vernon in a great over the top turn as a torturer/executioner.

Like Witchfinder General before it and several others too, this one is set in witch hunting times. It's a period in history peculiarly well suited to horror movies. Most costume horrors tend to be set in the later Victorian period but when we go back further into the far scarier, unenlightened years of the 1600's we are squarely in a historical period where many very horrible things occurred and it is very well suited, therefore, to horror stories. Like most historical films, this one also takes considerable liberties with the actual history to be honest. But let's be fair, lots of critically acclaimed big budget historical movies do exactly the same – Braveheart for instance – and if they can then why bother complaining if these far smaller films do a similar thing.

For my money this is one of the better Franco films out there. I think the story and central character are good ones for the treatment and the production value is good enough to pull it off. The smattering of salacious content throughout didn't do it any harm and simply added to the entertainment factor to be perfectly honest. This maybe isn't of the level of the more personal delirious Franco efforts such as Vampyros Lesbos but it's definitely one of his most well made. I enjoyed it a fair bit.

Surprisingly, it's rather pornographic

[planktonrules · 3/10 · 21 April 2009]

My review is based on the recent DVD release which is more explicit than the version released in theaters. However, both versions were rather explicit.

I am not the most prudish person out there, so don't automatically think I am just a nut based on my summary. Saying the film is 'rather pornographic' is not something I say lightly and I am surprised that none of the other reviewers found this film offensive. But, in addition to having a lot of nudity (some very explicit), most of this nudity was sadistic in nature--showing women getting raped or being tortured. Woman after woman appeared in the film naked or semi-naked and drenched in blood while being brutalized. Now the film was about the evil abuses of the British courts in the late 17th century--so some brutality is inevitable. However, women are simply objects--objects to be brutalized for some voyeuristic fantasy.

The film is about a particularly evil judge (Christopher Lee) who takes great delight in sentencing people to death and maltreatment. While he personally doesn't even see the results of his sentences, he knows what sort of atrocities his men do and he is completely indifferent. In addition, late in the film he rapes a comely prisoner--so he's obviously a pretty horrible person. Most of the film consists of either showing women being savaged or showing the 'good guys' in their crusade to rid the country of an incompetent king (James II) as well as his evil minions (including Lee).

While this COULD have been a very good film (after all, it's a very important part of British history that's been mostly ignored in movies), it isn't. It is excessive and gross throughout. The actors appear to try their best with the material, but how can actors get noticed when the film has little plot (at times) and lots of drooling sickos molesting and beating women? Even if you are a fan of Christopher Lee (like me), I can't recommend the film. However, if you'd like a similar and not quite as excessive film, try watching Vincent Price's WITCHFINDER GENERAL (1968). While not exactly the same plot (it doesn't mention the transition from James II to William of Orange during the revolution, as it was set about 40 years earlier in history) and also a bit graphic, it is about an evil judge who delights in torture and rape to deal with witches...or pretty much anyone who doesn't do his bidding. And, fortunately, the film doesn't feel like a snuff film--like THE BLOODY JUDGE ("Il trono di fuoco").

Let the business of the court commence!

[mido505 · 8/10 · 20 August 2005]

O.K., it's no Witchfinder General (but then again, what is?), but Jess Franco's The Bloody Judge is a well-written, well-acted, well-made historical-horror hybrid in the tradition of it's obvious model, Rowland V. Lee's The Tower of London. Franco stalwart Howard Vernon delivers a delicious homage to Karloff's Mord the Executioner from that film, and Christopher Lee is excellent, if somewhat insecurely emphatic and earnest, as the cruel, narrow, and hypocritical Judge Jeffries. The score, by Bruno Nicolai, is majestic and memorable, and the film as a whole is vividly entertaining. Having seen this film over 25 years ago, on television, heavily edited, under the title Night of the Blood Monster, I was amazed at how much of it had lain dormant in my memory, ready to be jostled into consciousness. Whole scenes played out in my mind as I re-watched them on my wide screen TV.

There are a few people, including the otherwise estimable Glenn Erickson, of the hugely insightful and informative DVD Savant site, who have claimed, based on the evidence of this film, that Jess Franco could not have "directed" the legendary Battle of Shrewsbury in Orson Welles' Chimes at Midnight. First, lets get a few facts straight. It is well documented that Franco shot the second unit on Chimes at Midnight, which included much of the battle scene. This means that Franco shot a lot of coverage of the battle, working from a general outline given by Welles. Later, Welles took the miles of footage into the editing room and, many months later, emerged with the shattering sequence that appears in his picture. Franco, obviously, had nothing to do with this editing process, and, as far as I can tell, has never claimed otherwise. To compare the battle scene in The Bloody Judge with Welles' magnificent achievement is grotesquely unfair, as I am sure that Franco was allowed minutes rather than months to assemble The Bloody Judge for exhibition. Given the strictures under which he was working, Franco, his cast, and his collaborators should be commended for having produced a film with such a high level of professionalism. Welles, that most populist of auteurs, who once stated that he would rather watch paint dry than sit through an Antonioni film, and who responded to energy, verve, iconoclasm, and enthusiasm, had seen and appreciated those qualities an early Franco effort, which eventually led to the offer to work on Chimes. If Franco was good enough for Welles, he should be good enough for us. The two are closer than you think...

Bloodthirstier than Dracula!

[Coventry · 7/10 · 12 October 2007]

"The Bloody Judge" is unquestionably one of Jess Franco's finest accomplishments, and there are several elements that contributed to this. First of all, Christopher Lee depicts another unforgettably mean-spirited and frightening horror protagonist. This doesn't always guarantee a great movie, mind you, as Franco and Lee previously collaborated to make a couple of sequels in the Fu Manchu series, and they were dreadfully boring films. The character of medieval witch hunter Judge Jeffries clearly suits Lee a whole lot better than the oddly mustached oriental master-criminal and his performance confirms this. Secondly, for one of the few times during his entire career, Jess Franco could actually rely on a decent budget! There was enough money for fancy costumes and atmospheric scenery, and even the editing and cinematography were clearly handled professionally. Finally, you can hardly go wrong with the subject matter of medieval witch-hunting, political corruptness, vile torture footage and robust executions. Although clearly inspired by the popularity of "Witchfinder General" (starring Vincent Price), "The Bloody Judge" contains more than enough own ideas and ingenuity to be considered as a success in its own right. The film opens with the extended and compelling trial of a young girl accused of witchcraft, leading to her relentless execution burning at the stake. The long opening adequately introduces the character of Judge Jeffries, but the actual plot only unfolds after this. The executed girl's sister flees up the country and falls in love with the son of an eminent politician, who also happens to rebel against the corrupt English crown. The obsessive Judge Jeffries orders his followers to capture all the rebels and submit them to torture, but the army of William of Orange is slowly approaching England to conquer the crown. The amounts of graphic violence and – especially – gratuitous sleaze are admirably kept rather low, and this in favor of character development and tension building. Naturally, there are a handful of brutal sequences on display (notably the "interrogation" of poor Alicia) but "The Bloody Judge" is mainly story & atmosphere-driven. Franco regular Howard Vernon (Dr. Orloff!) has a small but terrific role as the sneering executioner Ketch. Like another reviewer already stated, Vernon here strangely resembles Marty Feldman when he played Igor in "Young Frankenstein". Maria Rohm is enticing and beautiful as ever playing Mary or "that wench" as people insist on referring to her. "The Bloody Judge" is a good film that easily deserves a spot in my Jess Franco top five, alongside "The Diabolical Dr. Z", "The Awful Dr. Orloff", "Faceless" and "Love Letters of a Portuguese Nun".

Dull, Slow-Moving and Historically Inaccurate

[Uriah43 · 3/10 · 16 March 2021]

This film essentially begins in 1685 during the time of the Monmouth Rebellion in which a rebel faction unsuccessfully attempts to overthrow King James II of England, Scotland and Ireland. With many of the rebels captured the scene shifts to a cruel and overzealous judge by the name of "Lord Chief Judge George Jeffreys" (played by Christopher Lee) who is then called upon to conduct trials of those involved with one particular suspect being a young woman by the name of "Alicia Gray" (Margaret Lee) who was seen in the presence of one of the rebels. Since a case of rebellion is difficult to prove another charge involving witchcraft is leveled at her in which the demented judge is only too happy to sentence her to be burned at the stake. But being the sadistic person that he is he has her tortured in prison first. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that, although this film was supposedly based on an historical event, it bore very little semblance to the actual events of that time. For starters, although George Jeffreys was indeed a notorious person who deservedly earned the nickname of "the Hanging Judge" for a multitude of harsh sentences, there is no record of him using the charge of witchcraft to further his personal or political agenda. Neither is there any record of him being sexually deviant. Additionally, the time-span between the Monmouth Rebellion and the invasion led by William III of Orange wasn't nearly as simultaneous as depicted. Be that as it may, despite the historical inaccuracies, I found this movie to be too dull and slow-moving for my tastes. Likewise, although Maria Rohm (as "Mary Gray") was certainly attractive, I didn't care for the rather ridiculous sex scene involving her and another female prisoner toward the latter part of the movie. In any case, I was not at all impressed with this film for that reason and I have rated it accordingly. Below average.

Justice Is... Done...

[azathothpwiggins · 27 July 2020]

Christopher Lee is tremendous as the pompous, perverse sadist, Judge George Jeffries. Lee and Director Jess Franco battled over the way in which Jeffries should be presented, with Lee wanting a more historically accurate approach, while Franco -of course!- wanted a more salacious portrayal. Well, they both won... sort of.

Lee played his part fairly straight, unaware of the lurid, gory, and demented stuff that Franco added later! So, the finished product is a historical drama with nudity, blood, and graphic torture.

Mr. Lee refused to watch it, not being a fan of anything graphic or gratuitous. Franco followers know what to expect, but those expecting a typical period piece or costume drama are in for a shock! Special mention must be made of the breathtaking Maria Rohm, who is the object of THE BLOODY JUDGE's carnal desires. Also, watch for Franco regular, Howard Vernon as Jack Ketch, the torturer in-chief...

Witchfinder General rip off with hardly any style

[Prichards12345 · 2/10 · 9 February 2022]

I suspect Christopher Lee was shown a different script when he agreed to do this movie. At one point we get several shots of Lee's hand fondling a woman - and it's not his but a stand-in hand!

Judge Jeffries is a real historical figure, of course, best known for the 'bloody assizes' following the Rimehouse Plot, and for presiding over the trial of Titus Oates. Not here, where all he really does is condemn lots of women to torture and death. Even when the rebels against the king are rounded up - they are all female! Mysogyny reigns supreme in this movie, with women being whipped, racked, bled, branded and other such stuff, all while naked or nearly so.

I came into it hoping for a decent historical drama with a bit of horror, but got an inaccurate movie with lashings of torture. On occasion the movie even lapses into German!

Vastly inferior to the film it rips off - Witchfinder General, I bet Mr. Lee - the best thing by far in this picture, which makes me wish he'd have got a chance to play Jeffries in a proper film - quickly expunged this one off his cv!

Violence, nudity, Christopher Lee

[Harlekwin_UK · 5/10 · 19 February 2022]

Franco (the man of many a nom de plume) throws everything at this one but it doesn't work.

But the nudity is (typically for the period) gratuitous and feels utterly unnecessary.

The version I watched is dubbed in English but it's terribly done and the voice acting dire. Made worse by the fact that the English audio track in the version I watched was lost on several occasions.

The mixed co-production seems to have led to a bizarre erotic mishmash.

As the movie moves to its conclusion this just gets worse and worse.

Pity, one feels more could have been done with the subject matter of George Jeffreys, the eponymous Bloody Judge.

There's an excellent Civil War scene shoved into the middle and many short segments that are worthy.

Christopher Lee and Leo Glenn completely carry this movie but you are left wondering why the hell they are in this movie.

I hope they took the money and ran.

One of Jess Franco's best efforts

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 4 December 2015]

This is actually one of Jess Franco's better films; a relatively high budget goes a long way in creating some authentic locations and costumes in this historical drama. The film is also refreshingly free (well, not totally) of the pointless zoom shots of which Franco was so proud. The original title was NIGHT OF THE BLOOD MONSTER, but as there are no monsters involved, it seems to bear little relation to the film and THE BLOODY JUDGE is indeed far more apt. Christopher Lee plays the cruel judge who has blood on his hands as he finds all suspected witches guilty and sends them to be burnt alive.

The film is very similar storyline to WITCHFINDER GENERAL, an obvious influence, as well as MARK OF THE DEVIL. The film has a lot going in its favour, but ultimately it fails to be a masterpiece due to the confusing editing and disjointed feel to the whole thing. While the threadbare plot is nothing new, it gives ample opportunity for Franco to delight in what he likes best: naked women, and plenty of torture scenes, including a woman being whipped and (the most wince-inducing) a bloodied woman stretched on the rack.

Christopher Lee gives a tour-de-force performance in the title role and he's perfectly cast as the cruel, tyrannical lawman. His portrayal of the corrupt and seemingly powerful leader who is plagued by inner demons is an insightful one. Lee is surrounded by some top Euro crumpet, indeed Franco fills out the cast with lots of beautiful women who get variously tortured and murdered. Franco favourite Howard Vernon enjoys himself as an executioner.

Those who enjoyed the aforementioned classic with Vincent Price will be sure to delight in this very similar film. Attention to detail is surprisingly thorough, and the costumes and sets are brilliant. Without the grisly torture sequences the film would be an interesting, engaging historical story of a barbaric time in Britain, but with them, it becomes an accurate portrayal of the violent and perverse state that the country was in. Worth seeing for Lee's memorable performance alone, this may not be a very good film, but it's definitely better than you might have come to expect from exploitation king Franco.

Some Franco and Lee Mix

[gavin6942 · 6/10 · 5 April 2013]

George Jeffreys (Christopher Lee) is the hanging judge under James II during the 1680s... he was a personally vengeful man.

This is apparently Jess Franco's answer to "Witchfinder General". Both this film and that one seem to focus on historical figures and then twisting them to have a witch/horror theme, with a lusty undertone. Witchfinder was based on an actual witchfinder... but I am not sure how much the real Judge Jeffreys dealt with witchcraft.

Anyway, always nice to see Christopher Lee in a sinister, menacing role. And with great power! I found his lecherous tendencies a bit disturbing -- not surprising for the character, but seemed to me to be beneath the classy presentation we normally see from Lee. (But certainly not beneath Franco!)

The Bloody Judge

[ryan-10075 · 5/10 · 19 June 2018]

Christopher Lee plays Welsh Judge Jeffries (who was in fact a real judge back in the 17th Century in England) in this Jesus Franco directed horror-biography from 1970. He was known as "The Hanging Judge" and would convict with a heavy strike from his gavel. Lee does quite a fine job in the lead role and almost all on his own leans me toward recommending this one, but alas it is close, but no cigar on this one. As I mentioned earlier directed by the late Jesus Franco and over his career I would commend him on the amount of work he ended up directed and writing, even though at the time of writing this review I have seen 3 of his pictures and none of them I really liked or would recommend to anyone. This one was the best as his I have seen to date. The personal problem I had with this movie was at times (always happens when Lee was not on screen) I would get bored. It became too talky and not enough action for me. Although to me the 3rd act was the best and does pick up, but wasn't enough for me.

The honorable Christopher Lee, presiding.

[Hey_Sweden · 8/10 · 18 April 2017]

Sir Christopher Lee is excellent in this period drama from legendary cult filmmaker Jess Franco. The setting is 17th century England, during a period of civil unrest. Lee stars as Judge George Jeffreys, a harsh and unforgiving character who tries various unfortunate people for such things as witchcraft and treason. He shows no favoritism, even going after Harry Selton (Hans Hass Jr.), the son of his associate Lord Wessex (Leo Genn), and Harry's beloved, Mary Gray (Maria Rohm). It's all in the name of indulging his political ambitions and sexual desires.

Some Jess Franco fans will end up less than satisfied, as this isn't as utterly sleazy as much of Francos' 1970s output. Have no fear, though: there are a couple of torture scenes (albeit not nearly as graphic as what we would see today), a bit of female nudity, and one memorable scene of depravity. In this viewers' own humble opinion, this can rank right up there with Francos' best, as this is a slick and meticulous film, with fine production values, decent action scenes, and an exemplary cast. Considering its themes, it would make a fine companion piece with Michael Reeves' "Witchfinder General".

Lee may not be playing a very nice guy, but he's extremely commanding as always, and we even get to hear some of Jeffreys' inner monologue, as he decides that the ends are justifying his means. The always wonderful Genn (who replaced Dennis Price) provides indelible support. Franco regular Howard Vernon, Milo Quesada, Margaret Lee, and Pietro Martellanza all help to add gravitas to the proceedings. And the ladies are quite lovely to look at, especially Rohm (another frequent player in the Franco filmography).

This might not be to every Franco fans' tastes, but if one doesn't care too much for his trashier output, they're advised to seek this one out. The alternate title, "Night of the Blood Monster", does it no favors, as it makes it sound like it's a horror film, which it really is not.

Eight out of 10.

Masterfully played by Christopher Lee as a vicious witch-hunter who terrorizes , judges and executes to suspicious villagers.

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 7 February 2023]

Lord Chief Justice Judge Jeffries (Christopher Lee) of seventeenth century England condemns women as witches to further his political and sexual needs and while in the dungeons takes place brutal tortures executed by his nasty verdugo (Howard Vernon) . A sister (Maria Rohm) of one of the condemned prisoner (Margaret Lee , Klaus Kiski's wife) approaches the judge for clemency but is rejected when she doesn't give in to the lust of the judge . Meantime , Harry (Hans Hass Jr) , son of nobleman Lord Wessex (Leo Genn) , is in love with countrygirl Mary (Maria Rhom) . Harry and Barnaby (Peter Martell) are two main supporters in the upcoming invasion by Monmouth in hope of overthrowing King James II and subsequently William of Orange taking his place. Jeffreys suspects that Harry is a traitor and fears for his own position if King James was ever defeated but Jeffreys falls for Mary. As the fighting across England intensifies and the rebels gain in strength , then Jeffreys orders the execution of 500 known traitors in a sign of defiance including Harry and Mary , but then a band of rebels join to bring the judge to justice.

This one deals with a graphic delineation of witch-hunting in England during the Monmouth rebellion period . This film has been framed of painting too violent and bloody a picture of the old times , but its power is remarkable and undeniable . Sir Christopher Lee gives a sterling acting , as usual , as evil Judge Jeffries who condemns women as witches and rebels as traitors . Here Lee unleashes a reign of fire and fury , as he's totally convincing as a nasty witch finder .The production values is pretty good considering its short budget .There're also some scenes dealing with British historical events , in fact including some slightly spectacular battles shot in Madrid surroundings , along with a lot of images of naked women and others submitted to cruel tortures . It is a twisted tale of strange desires , betrayals , perverse pleasures , prurient men and corruption . And outstanding Maria Rohm as the rebel Mary Gray , she was a ravishing beauty married to film producer Harry Alan Towers . And Howard Vernon overacting , as usual, as a supreme sadistic verdugo in Boris Karloff's Tower of London style . Being a Spanish/German/Italian production , here appears Spaniard actors : Milo Quesada, Diana Lorys , José Martínez Blanco, José María Prada ; Italian : Peter Martell ; British : Leo Genn , Margaret Lee and German : Maria Rohm, Hans Hass Jr. , Maria Schell .Special mention for the colorful cinematography by Manuel Merino, in a luxurious copy pefectly remastered , shot on location in Navacerrada , Somosierra and Madrid outdoors . Along with a potent and rousing musical score by Bruno Nicolai. The motion picture was middlingly directed by the prolific Spanish filmmaker Jesús Franco or Jess Frank . Most people agreed that Frank's work resulted to be acceptable and much better than his other botcher films.

The film is loosely based on historical facts , such as : The Monmouth Rebellion, also known as the Pitchfork Rebellion, the Revolt of the West or the West Country rebellion, was an attempt to depose James II, who in February 1685 succeeded his brother Charles II as king of England, Scotland and Ireland. A group of dissident Protestants led by James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth, eldest illegitimate son of Charles II, opposed James largely due to his Catholicism. Monmouth was an illegitimate son of Charles II. There had been rumours that Charles had married Monmouth's mother, Lucy Walter, but no evidence was forthcoming,and Charles always said that he only had one wife, Catherine of Braganza. Monmouth had been appointed Commander-in-Chief of the English Army by his father in 1672 and Captain general in 1678, enjoying some successes in the Netherlands in the Third Anglo-Dutch War, as commander of a British brigade in the French army. The failure of Parliamentary efforts to exclude James from the succession in 1681 resulted in the 1683 Rye House Plot to assassinate Charles II and James; although Monmouth was then in exile in the Dutch Republic, he was identified as a co-conspirator. His rebellion was coordinated with a simultaneous rising in Scotland, led by Archibald Campbell, 9th Earl of Argyll. On 11 June 1685, Monmouth landed at Lyme Regis in South West England where he had widespread popular support, planning to take control of the area and march on London. In the next few weeks, his growing army of nonconformists, artisans and farm workers fought a series of skirmishes with local militias and regular soldiers commanded by Louis de Duras, 2nd Earl of Feversham, and John Churchill. However, his recruits were unable to compete with the regular army and failed to capture the city of Bristol. The rebellion ended with his defeat at the Battle of Sedgemoor on 6 July 1685 by a government army commanded by Feversham and Churchill. Monmouth was beheaded for treason on 15 July 1685. Many of his supporters were tried during the Bloody Assizes, led by Judge Jeffreys, and were condemned to death or transportation. James II consolidated his power and reigned until 1688, when he was deposed by another nephew, William III of Orange, in the Glorious Revolution.

Flawed, but entertaining.

[rocknrelics · 8/10 · 17 November 2019]

Whilst set in England, it is so obvious it wasn't filmed there, which, for me takes away from the film a little. Having said that, it's quite lavish with great costumes, and they make the most of the locations used. I watched the 1 hour 48 minute version on a German dvd, which is mostly in English, although the VHS parts edited in are in Spanish with subtitles. There are ocassion on the print where it looks like they're speaking yet another language and English has been dubbed over the top, but maybe that's just a sync problem. Definitely worth a watch for those who enjoyed 'Witchfinder General' (not as good as), or 'Mark of the Devil' (not as brutal as). Overall, though, entertaining and Lee is excellent as The Hanging Judge.

The horror of civil war four decades after the infamous exploits of Matthew Hopkins

[Wuchakk · 6/10 · 31 August 2023]

During the Monmouth Rebellion of 1685 in Britain, George Jeffreys (Christopher Lee), known as "the hanging judge," carries out his job sentencing witches and insurrectionists to torture and execution.

"The Bloody Judge" (1970) was inspired by the success of "Witchfinder General," aka "Conqueror Worm," similar to "Mark of the Devil," just not as well-known. While it includes torture sequences, they're not as overt or prevalent as "Mark." The original Italian title translates as "The Throne of Fire" and the flick was released in North America in 1972 with the ill-fitting name "Night of the Blood Monster." Thankfully, it was later changed.

The production values are superior to both "Witchfinder General" and "Mark of the Devil" (which is surprising with Jesús Franco at the helm). The cinematography, colors and locations are outstanding. Unfortunately, the first half is better than the second; the latter seems to lose its way. Nevertheless, there's a lot to appreciate.

The movie uses the setting of the Monmouth Rebellion to illustrate different kinds of horror: being wrongly judged, tortured and executed; rape; political unrest; fighting in explosive combat and getting wounded; putting on an erotic act in a desperate attempt to save one's life; having the tables suddenly turned; and getting a horrific taste of one's own medicine.

Comparable movies beyond the two others noted include "The Blood on Satan's Claw" and "Twins of Evil," as well as "Rasputin: the Mad Monk" and "The Last Valley."

The flick runs 1 hour, 42 minutes (wrongly listed as 1 hour, 24 minutes) and was shot in Sargans and Vaduz, Liechtenstein.

GRADE: B-

Disappointingly tame Franco historical drama.

[Infofreak · 5 March 2002]

One thing I must say about 'The Bloody Judge' is that despite the title, being directed by Jess Franco, the witchcraft theme, and the presence of the legendary Christopher Lee and Howard Vernon in the cast, this is NOT a horror movie. It is a historical drama. A little bit of gore and torture, but most certainly not the Bava-esque chiller you might expect. This is Franco on a larger budget than usual, but also to my mind a compromised Franco. The print I watched (the English version) featured no nudity and very little gore. Lee was excellent as usual in the title role, playing the power crazy witchfinder Judge Jeffreys, but without the usual Franco sleaze the story failed to hold my attention throughout. If you haven't seen any of the director's work this might be a good jumping on point, but afficionados of the erotic and surreal 'Vampyros Lesbos' or 'Succubus' might find this one a bit of a snooze.

Witchfinder General a la Jess Franco.

[BA_Harrison · 7/10 · 14 January 2024]

The Bloody Judge is Witchfinder General a la Jess Franco, the subject matter ideal for the prolific Spanish director's particular brand of filmmaking. Christopher Lee stars as cruel seventeenth century Lord Chief Justice Judge Jeffries, who presides over witch trials and cases of treason, meting out the harshest punishments imaginable. As the Duke of Monmouth prepares to usurp the throne of James II, Judge Jeffries suspects Harry (Hans Hass Jr.), son of Lord Wessex (Leo Genn), of being in cahoots with the enemy; he also takes a bit of a fancy to Harry's wench Mary Gray (Maria Rohm) and plans to make her his.

This is one of Franco's more ambitious movies, although the lack of a decent budget is quite evident in the battle scenes, Monmouth's 'army of 10,000' looking more like a couple of dozen men (in inaccurate uniforms), while little attempt has been made to make the film look like it is actually set in England. Franco's cinematography is mostly crisp and colourful, but he does chuck in a few random crash zooms and out of focus shots to remind us who is calling the shots.

Lee is a total pro, of course, giving his all as the despicable judge, but I suspect that he wasn't aware that Franco was going to make it all so sleazy, the director adding extra scenes of nudity, torture and gore* after the star had done his bit. Maria Rohm is absolutely gorgeous as Mary, and gets totally naked, and the lovely Diana Lorys provides more eye candy as sexy redhead Sally Gaunt, who is also accused of being a witch. Franco regular Howard Vernon is a hoot as sadistic executioner Jack Ketch, Milo Quesada is great fun as wicked henchman Satchel, while José María Prada gives off serious David Walliams vibes as Judge Jeffries assistant Palafox.

Although far from the brilliance of Witchfinder General, the film is still a very enjoyable slice of sleazy historical schlock, and is definitely amongst Franco's more accomplished efforts. If you enjoy this film, check out Mark of the Devil (1970) for more witch-hunt themed exploitation nastiness.

6.5/10, rounded up to 7 for IMDb.

*The uncut version includes full frontal nudity, including a scene in which Rohm licks blood from a naked, female torture victim's body.