Night of the Demon

"It's in the trees... It's coming!"
Having just recently reread M.R.James' classic supernatural story Casting the Runes, I thought I'd also re-watch the film version this Halloween. Made in 1957, Night of the Demon takes the main plot elements from James' creepy tale, adds a few Hollywood staples (a smooth talking American scientist, complete with a chance of romance female sidekick) to deliver a sharply scripted British classic of the genre. Yes it does suffer slightly from a limited budget and perhaps it was a mistake to actually show the demon. Famously, director Jacques Tourneur wanted to show much less of the creature but was overruled by the producer. The original story had let the reader imagine the demon's aspect and looking at the last scene it is pretty clear that they should have done the same thing with the movie. The only other suspect scene has lead actor Dana Andrews wrestling in the dark with what looked like a stuffed leopard and for a moment there I was half expecting to find when the lights revealed all that he really had been rolling about with a stuffed leopard. Fortunately it was revealed to be a guardian demon in the rather smug form of a domestic black cat called Grimalkin. All this aside the film really does hit its mark. Genuine tension builds slowly as the viewer watches the cursed hero gradually become aware of his peril. Never has a scrap of paper with some runic symbols on it caused so much anxiety in horror film history.
You don't have to be hexed by a practitioner of the black arts to have a Final Destination moment though. My sister was out in the woods today looking for a dramatic flood or weather photograph when half a tree came down very close to her. Luckily she was stood under the other half.

Nostalgia bites

I like old films. Some old films though have an extra ingredient attached. I'm talking about films that I watched when I was growing up. Those old horror movies from the 1930's and 1940's by Universal always make me nostalgic for those Friday nights when Debbie and I would stay up and watch the horror double bill. The thing about this series of films is there are some great ones like The Wolf Man with Lon Chaney Jr or Dracula with Bela Lugosi and there are some real stinkers like The Mummy's Curse (1944) which I watched last night. This was the fifth and last of Universal's mummy movies and the blandest of the bunch. Believe me I've watched all five this year. I wouldn't bother mentioning it but it does have one thing going for it. Virginia Christine. She is fabulous as the Princess Ananka. The scene where she gradually comes alive from her swampy grave and walks into the sunlight is spellbinding. It's a real shame that it's not part of a better movie.