Night of the Demon (1958)

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

Skeptical of black magic, devil worship and superstition, an arrogant psychologist gradually begins to question his scientific convictions after the mysterious death of a colleague in this horror thriller from Jacques Tourneur. The film has been criticised over the years for overtly showing the title demon given that Tourneur's earlier 'Cat People' was a pioneer psychological horror movie where everything was implied rather than explicitly shown. Emerging from smoke and clouds, the demon is utterly unsettling though and adds a welcome degree of creepiness to the tale even if its appearance obliterates all ambiguity. Its appearance also adds more dread to the tale with Dana Andrews coming off as foolish in his attempt to rationalise everything and suspense coming from the question of whether he will open up his mind to the possibility of black magic being real before it is too late. In fact, the only significant drawback of the film is how difficult a character Andrews is to like with his smug and frequently condescending attitude and demeanour. Niall MacGinnis is delightful with his questioning of "where does imagination end and reality begin?" and the final ten or so minutes of the movie are utterly intense with a strong sense of impending doom. Several images from this final stretch are absolutely haunting and linger in the mind long after the film has concluded.

Night Of The Demon has drawn criticisms of its decision to show the monster right at the beginning of the movie, and of course, the admittedly crude effects; but the very fact that we know the Demon exists means we begin to view Holden as trapped by his closed mind. Despite his constant denials of the existence of the supernatural, the audience KNOWS he's due a nasty fate if he doesn't change his view. This creates dramatic tension and is at the heart of the movie's effectiveness.The original script by Charles Bennett included the shots of the Demon from the very beginning - something that is not widely known considering Jacques Tourneur's later comments - in fact Tourneur was pretty happy with the movie at the time he made it. There are only two or three brief inserts of the Demon that were added to the script. The big close up of the monster was always intended. So while one may prefer the Demon to have remained hidden, I would contend that it was part of the original concept, does not harm the movie, and Tourneur only changed his mind after audiences' adverse reaction to the appearance of the monster.The plot of Demon is based on M.R. James' Casting The Runes, which was also filmed and updated by ITV in 1979; both versions considerably change and add to the plot, but the basic idea remains the same.Night of The Demon concerns Dr. John Holden's (Dana Andrews)attempt to expose the devil cult of Julian Carswell (Nial MacGinnis), a practising black magician who holds his followers to him by fear. By means of a parchment containing a runic curse, he is able to summon a ghastly apparition to murder his rivals.MacGinnis, going against the trend of most horror movies, actually makes Carswell a charming and quite likable person - except for when his mask slips, and we see the evil and fearful man lurking under the surface. Macginnis gives a fantastic performance, stealing the movie from the two leads. Peggy Cummins plays Joanna Harrington, niece of a professor murdered by Carswell's demon at the beginning of the movie. In truth both she and Andrews give boring, stilted performances, and it's left to various British character actors like Liam Redmond, Athene Seyler and Brian Wilde to save the day.The horror sequences are beautifully handled by Director Tourneur, as you'd expect from the man at the helm of Cat People, I Walked With A Zombie, and The Leopard Man. All of these films have at their heart the same theme as Night Of The Demon - is belief in the supernatural mere superstition, or is there really something at the bottom of it?Many of the sequences in this film are landmarks of horror - Holden's flight through the woods while a strange glowing trail of smoke pursues him, his explorations in Carswell's house where a guardian has been set, the eerie passing of the runes at the British Museum, by which Carswell condemns Holden to a ghastly death at the hands of a Demon from hell; the superb children's party sequence, which both humanises and demonises Carswell at the same time. And the tremendously suspenseful ending, with a now convinced Holden attempting to pass the parchment back to Karswell before the Demon gets him.Overall the film is fantastically gripping and entertaining.

On arriving in England to debunk the leader of a demonic cult, an American professor finds his host has died in mysterious circumstances and the cult leader has the same plan for him ...No spoiler to say the demon is revealed in all its cheesy glory very early in the movie, which was a mistake. The trouble with MR James stories is that they're all about a rising mood of unease created by subtle sensation and weird effects that are only glimpsed, and so they lack the visuals most film makers demand. The real effect of the demon (added over the objection of the director, apparently) also causes a problem because the story ends on a vague note, without deciding the clash between imagination and reality. It's unclear the sceptical professor has been swayed, and the actor certainly doesn't go through a change, yet the concrete demon means it was all real.The pace is fine, and picks up toward the end with a few elisions. Plenty of good scenes, especially the cat attack and the hypnosis tragedy, and the cherry song is utterly weird. And there are a few touches of non-conformist fanaticism to deepen the dread.The lead actor plays an unsympathetic character, rude and irritating, and I think he should have had a break down after the window death to add depth to the story - instead he's brusque and efficient. Best performances are from the cult leader and his mother.Nothing special in the photography, which is disappointing. Music is typical 1950s melodrama, laid on with a trowel.Overall: mixed bag, but it captures the essence of the story.

This is a superbly done combination of horror and suspense featuring top-notch actors, engaging dialog and excellent atmosphere.My only criticisms are that the demon appeared too early in the film and by modern standards is not very compelling as an object to frighten or terrify. One wonders if the film would have been better with just the preliminary special effects and no visible demon. In any case the movie is otherwise stunning and engaging.Niall MacGinnis' performance as an extremely intelligent but narcissistic villain who has gotten in over his head and sees no way out is captivating. I actually feel some sympathy for the man despite his amoral nature.Today's kids would lose interest quickly and find the demon rather laughable, but anyone who enjoys getting into the heads of believable characters as they try to grapple with the unbelievable won't be sorry to spend a little time with this work.