THE OUTCASTS
★★★★☆
RELEASED OUT NOW! 1982 | 15 | Blu-ray
Director Robert Wynne-Simmons Cast Mary Ryan, Mick Lally, Cyril Cusack
BLU-RAY DEBUT Though, as
Robert Wynne-Simmons insists, it’s not really folk horror, this later work by the director of Blood On Satan’s Claw should appeal to fans of the subgenre. Another rural tale with a pagan sense of the mystery of nature, it’s set in pre-famine Ireland, and centres on the “simple” Maura (beautifully played by Mary Ryan), who encounters Scarf Michael (Mick Lally), a “wild fellow” reputed to own a violin stringed with dead men’s hair. He’s more of a mischief-maker, using his magical fiddle for pranks – like turning a woman’s lover into a goat. Their association sees Maura denounced as a witch.