Night of the Demon and Curse of the Demon
November 2002 Reviewed by: Wes Marshall Format: DVD	(all ratings out of 5): Overall Enjoyment Picture Quality Packaged Extras Sound Quality

Dr. Julian Karswell (Niall MacGinnis) operates a sect for followers of Black Magic -- an activity he wants to keep secret. In this film’s opening scene, Professor Harrington (Maurice Denham), who has threatened to expose the sect, comes begging for mercy, saying that he has experienced the demons of Hell and will stay quiet. Karswell had slipped Harrington a parchment with devilish runes on it that would lead to a horrible death. Unfortunately, the Professor has lost the parchment, which means Karswell can’t help him. As the Professor is driving home, the Demon attacks.

The next morning, Harrington’s colleague, Psychologist Dr. John Holden (Dana Andrews) arrives in London to take part in a conference meant to expose Karswell. He finds out Harrington has been killed. Holden has no belief in Black Magic and is determined to keep the pressure on Karswell and his followers. After a showdown, Karswell secretly slips Holden a parchment with runes that will cause his death in just a few days. Holden thinks it’s all malarkey and takes no precautions. Will good or evil triumph?

Cult director Jacques Tourneur was a maker of moody, impressionistic, and disquieting films like Cat People, I Walked With a Zombie, and The Leopard Man. He was a master at keeping you edgy and aroused without resorting to the jump-scare or gore of other filmmakers. Instead, Tourneur weaseled his way into the audience’s subconscious. He used dim light and shadows with odd lights and moving cameras using obtuse and disorienting angles. The sets looked as if they were shot at either dusk or dark, when it was getting ready to rain. He would juxtapose sweet icons like mothers or children with scariness. In 1957, the only director that could consistently surpass Tourneur in the dread department was Alfred Hitchcock.

Hitchcock was a believer in suspense over surprise (see the review of Rear Window for a full discussion), much the same as Tourneur. But they shared something even more personal -- both used writer Charles Bennett. Bennett had written, among others, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Sabotage, and The 39 Steps for Hitchcock. Their working methodology had Hitchcock develop the entire story, in every detail, then explain it to Bennett, who would develop the shooting script and write all the dialogue. Bennett had studied at the feet of the master, and when he wrote Night of the Demon, it was his intention to direct it himself. A little man named Hal Chester got in the way.

The story is long and involved, but Bennett’s intent was to make the film in the way that Hitchcock and Tourneur had championed -- suspense over shock. Chester and Bennett had signed a short-term development contract and Chester had found a studio. He also decided two things. First, Bennett wouldn’t get to direct. Second, Chester believed the audience wouldn’t be scared enough without a monster like the Creature from the Black Lagoon or Godzilla. The audience ended up with a monster that looks suspiciously like a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade blimp of Godzilla riding a Razor Scooter.

Bennett showed surprising restraint and level-headedness. He was quoted as saying "As far as I'm concerned, if he [Chester] walked up my driveway now I'd shoot him dead. I had to sit by while Chester made the biggest balls-up of a good script I have ever seen... [taking] a major movie down to the level of crap." I can understand his consternation. But the truth is, the script and directing were pretty bulletproof. Chester’s monster doesn’t hurt that much. Its on-screen time lasts less than three minutes. Besides, Night of the Demon is so well written and directed that one can forgive almost any fiddling.

Chester wasn’t the only one to try to fix Night of the Demon. It was originally released at 95 minutes. When the North American distributor got hold of it, they shortened it to 82 minutes. Then, they changed the name to Curse of the Demon, probably to capitalize on the popular release earlier that year of Curse of Frankenstein. For years, the short version was shown on TV. With the advent of videotape and laser discs, the longer version was released under the shorter version’s title. Confused? Wait 'til you see the DVD cover.

For some unknown reason, Columbia TriStar’s cover tries to convince us that we are getting two movies for the price of one. "Curse of the Demon and Night of the Demon Double Feature. Who will be the next in line to defy the curse?" it states in Hollywood bold type. Of course, all we are getting is the original version along with the shortened version. It would have been more straightforward and more attractive to call it Night of the Demon and list Curse of the Demon as an extra. And this release could use a few extras. All we get are trailers to The Bride and Fright Night, which have nothing to do with Night of the Demon.

From a technical standpoint, Columbia has done a superb job on the audio and video. Tourneur’s beautiful visions hit your screen in higher fidelity than people probably saw when it was released. The sound suffers from age, but the digital remastering makes dialogue sharp and easy to understand.

This is not a film for fans of slasher flicks. Nothing will make you jump or even sit on the edge of your seat. Plus it’s a little dated. But Night of the Demon is more about texture than message, more about trepidation than panic. Tourneur creates a weird world, filled with quiet horror and considerable foreboding. If you are amenable to that type of film, you’ll love Night of the Demon.

Most of Tourneur’s films haven’t made it to DVD. Night of the Demon has been sitting near the top of my DVD wish list for years, and I’m happy to be able to cross it off. Now, please, someone release Tourneur’s masterpiece, Out of the Past.

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