Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

Excellent but underrated film

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.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

I saw this on the silver screen as either The Night or the Curse of the Demon. It's a shame that the monster is shown on the illustration of the DVD, as I had no idea what I was in for in 1958. In those days, the screen was so large that even a black and white scary movie was, well, scary. I was 8 at-the-time. It's a British "B" movie with a pedigree. Written by the accomplished man who wrote 6 classics for Hitchcock. Directed by the French Director of "The Cat People". The dragon-like demon appears only twice in the film and holds it's victim in it's claw while belching fire. No one else ever sees it. Many other "spooky" things in the film to keep it interesting. A sudden windstorn, a seance, a cat that momentarily transforms into a vicious beast, footprints in the woods with a fiery cloud. Shortened, no doubt, for excessive dialog by American standards but worth seeing (somewhat) restored. Probably too slow and tame for modern viewers today but otherwise a lot of fun and truly scary without being gory.

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.

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.

Dr. John Holden ventures to London to attend a paranormal psychology symposium with the intention to expose devil cult leader, Julian Karswell. Holden is a skeptic and does not believe in Karswell's power. Nonetheless, he accepts an invitation to stay at Karswell's estate, along with Joanna Harrington, niece of Holden's confidant who was electrocuted in a bizarre automobile accident.In the early 2010s, Time Out conducted a poll with several authors, directors, actors and critics who have worked within the horror genre to vote for their top horror films. "Night of the Demon" placed at number 52 on their top 100 list.I have known for many years that this is one of the classics in the horror genre, one of the truly must-see films. But somehow it escaped me until now (2016). This film is every bit as good as they say it is, ranking as possibly the greatest black magic / witchcraft film ever made, with the only real competition being "Burn Witch Burn".What makes it great, more than anything, is the suspense built throughout rather than the use of "bus" scares. Jacques Tourneur is best known for his horror films with producer Val Lewton, but this movie clearly shows he was just as strong of a storyteller on his own.