10/13/15 – day thirteen of thirty-one days of horror!
Curse of the Demon, or Night of the Demon as it was known in the UK, is
the rare 1950’s era horror film that deals with the supernatural rather
than atomic age paranoia. Brilliantly directed by Jacques Tourneur and
adapted from M. R. James’ story “Casting the Runes”, the films concerns a
college professor’s investigation into a satanic cult led by a crafty
and charismatic leader. This results in the summoning of some seriously
spooky stuff, and the image of the titular demon (famously resisted by
the director, writer and star) is something that will stick with you
forever. A somewhat obscure film that casts a wide, goat-horned shadow,
Tourneur’s influence is clearly felt in today’s slew of demonic haunting
movies. Thankfully, this one is not found footage.
