Burned at the Stake (1981)

Director:

Bert I. Gordon

Writer:

Bert I. Gordon (writer)

Genre:

Horror

Plot:

In 1692 a young girl in Salem, Massachusetts, accuses several residents of being witches, and they are burned at the stake...

Plot Keywords:

Salem | Burned At The Stake | Witch | Curse | Supernatural

Cast

Susan Swift	...	Loreen Graham / Ann Putnam
Albert Salmi	...	Captain Billingham
Guy Stockwell	...	Dr. Grossinger
Tisha Sterling	...	Karen Graham
Beverly Ross	...	Merlina
David Rounds	...	William Goode
John Peters	...	Reverend Parris
Jennine Babo	...	Dorcas Goode
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Frank Dolan	...	TV news reporter
Richard Kneeland	...	Giles Corey

Also Known As:

The Coming

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Norway:15 (video premiere) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Salem, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Alan Landsburg Productions

Goofs:

Factual errors: During the witch trials in Salem during the 17th century, no one was burned at the stake. Executions were performed by hanging, and one male prisoner was pressed to death by heavy stones. However, this 'pressing to death' of Giles Cory was not a punishment. It was an effort to get him to plead innocent or guilty. It is from this method of getting information that we get the modern term of "pressing a person for information."

A little-known horror gem of the early Eighties...

As a fan of Susan Swift's OTHER and much better known reincarnation movie - 1977's Audrey Rose - I was eager to see The Coming. It took me ages to find a copy of the video, and when I did locate one in a second-hand shop, I had to spend £10 to get it! But I was not disappointed. I thought it to be a highly intelligent and original horror movie, which dealt superbly with the fascinating 17th century Salem witch hunts. As Loreen Graham/Ann Putnam, Susan Swift was brilliant, and I am amazed that the film is barely heard of anywhere in the world. I strongly recommend that you try and see it.