British Comedy Guide

Night of the Demon

Who's seen this 1957 British Horror film? It's a true classic in my opinion. Sadly not available officially on DVD in the UK, but you can get a decent copy on ebay: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NIGHT-OF-THE-DEMON-DANA-ANDREWS-UK-VERSION_W0QQitemZ230313078864QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_CDsDVDs_DVDs_DVDs_GL?hash=item230313078864&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1297%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

Not much in the way of well known actors, but there is a short appearance by Brian Wilde who would later find fame in Porridge and Last of the Summer Wine.
But anyway, a top film and strongly recommended.

Top notch film.

One of my favourite films - great call Jack. It's one of those that is very chilling by using the power of ... THE MIND!

The Runes! You've passed them!
Val Lewton, wasn't it? I loved his Cat People as well :)

Quote: Little Jersey Devil @ December 11 2008, 12:32 AM GMT

The Runes! You've passed them!
Val Lewton, wasn't it? I loved his Cat People as well :)

That's the kiddie. Based on an MR James short story, and Jacques Tourneur directed. Very atmospheric, I think it is compulsory to say.

Didn't Kate Bush sample from it for the Hounds of Love album?

"It's in the trees. It's coming."

I'm fairly sure I've seen this film at some point many years ago but I don't remember anything about it.

Quote: Jack Massey @ December 10 2008, 7:30 PM GMT

Not much in the way of well known actors, but there is a short appearance by Brian Wilde who would later find fame in Porridge and Last of the Summer Wine.
But anyway, a top film and strongly recommended.

Great film, and the whole "passing the runes" bit at the end is unbearably tense. Not sure I agree about having well known actors in it. Dana Andrews was a pretty big star despite having a girls name.

And so, I resume my quest to resurrect the oldest thread.

Not deliberate I might add - this film was on recently and it's about the fourth time** I have watched it, so was going to create a thread for it anyway Sleepy .........................read on :-

All good reviews here and yes, it is one of my favourite horror films that for me was way ahead of its time in effectiveness, as so many of this genre around the late 1950s were laughable.

Indeed Mr. Barrowclough was in it (Brian Wilde) and it took a minute or two for me to realise it was him and Trigger's dad Charles Lloyd Pack had a minor part. And from the IMDb I see that Daniel Brown, who played the demon uncredited enjoyed quite a good career in mostly films and also mostly uncredited - I wonder if anyone ever asked him for his autograph?

** Anyway what I also wanted to mention, is the first time I saw this was at the cinema when I was 12 years old and being "A" rated meant that children could only see the film if accompanied by an adult, AND SO what we would do is stand on the steps of the cinema and ask a single male (usually) if they would take us into the film. If they said yes, then you handed them your 9d or whatever it was and in the two of you go with the man paying for two tickets. Once inside the cinema you went you separate ways into different seats.

I know, this sounds seriously weird and very dodgy now, but then there never was any of it being more that helping a child to see an adult rated film and was quite a common occurrence.

I hasten to add also that I was never propositioned, and the film scared me shitless at the time!!

Great film. I rewatched it a couple of months ago and, despite an attack by a stuffed tiger and a papier mache demon, it's still very scary.

I have fond memories of watching this film on the telly when i was 11 or 12. The next day at school we were all planting strips of 'runes' in each others jotters. Innocently trying to get our friends ripped to pieces by a Demon. Happy days.

Quote: playfull @ 9th July 2019, 11:45 AM

I have fond memories of watching this film on the telly when i was 11 or 12. The next day at school we were all planting strips of 'runes' in each others jotters. Innocently trying to get our friends ripped to pieces by a Demon. Happy days.

Ha! I'd bloody love to plant some runes on somebody and get them shredded by a demon! Where is Rood Eye because I've got some, erm, receipts for him. Whistling nnocently

Someone on youtube has cleverly set scenes from the film to Kate Bush's Hounds of Love.

It's very rewatchable, it's more a thriller than a horror imo, the building tension is great. Very well directed but yes the stuffed leopard was a let down although the daft looking Demon I liked.

Also worth watching is The Night of the Eagle a slightly sillier film inspired by TNOTD, also very well made.

Creepier than either is The City of the Dead. watched it again recently and had always thought it was American because of all the accents but it was filmed at Shepperton. The atmosphere in British horrors of the period was superb. Also love the 4/5 story Tigon and Amicus films many of which were horror comedies really. I think you'll find much from these great little films have been erm...borrowed or rejigged by the LOG gang.

Yes ,I like Night of the Eagle.
There's a girl in it called Tansy.At the time I thought that would be a nice name for my daughter.BUT I never had one.

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