Product Details

• Actors: Dana Andrews, Peggy Cummins, Niall MacGinnis, Maurice Denham, Athene Seyler
• Directors: Jacques Tourneur
• Writers: Hal E. Chester, Charles Bennett, Cy Endfield, M.R. James
• Producers: Hal E. Chester, Frank Bevis
• Format: Anamorphic, Black & White, Closed-captioned, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Subtitles: English, French, Japanese
• Subtitles for the Hearing Impaired: English
• Region: Region 1 encoding (US and Canada only)
  PLEASE NOTE: Some Region 1 DVDs may contain Regional Coding Enhancement (RCE). Some, but not all, of our international customers have had problems playing these enhanced discs on what are called "region-free" DVD players. For more information on RCE, click .
• Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: August 13, 2002
• Run Time: 95 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (148 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0000694WH
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #20,125 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "Curse of the Demon / Night of the Demon (Double Feature)" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

After establishing his signature style with such moody classics as Cat People and I Walked with a Zombie, Jacques Tourneur returned to peak form with the first-rate supernatural thriller Curse of the Demon. It's a horror-noir set in England, adapted from the M.R. James story "Casting the Runes" and built around the ominous notion that black arts--particularly the use of ancient runic symbols--can summon a deadly beast from hell. Dana Andrews is the stubborn American skeptic, determined to debunk a genteel occultist (Niall MacGinnis) whose evil powers are ultimately incontestable. The briefly seen demon may be cheesy by latter-day standards, but its nightmarish appearance--and Tourneur's masterful use of subtle suggestion, threatening atmosphere, and eerie special effects--make Curse of the Demon one of the best horror films of the 1950s. This splendid DVD offers the longer British version Night of the Demon for film-buff comparison; it's essentially the same film with a few extended scenes. Both are highly recommended. --Jeff Shannon

Product Description

Dana Andrews, Peggy Cummins. A cynical psychologist doesn't believe a series of deaths are linked to an ancient curse, but at the insistence of a dead man's niece, he begins an investigation and learns otherwise. The original British release was called Night of the Demon (1957/95 min.), and the abridged American version was retitled Curse of the Demon (1958/82 min.). B&w/NR/widescreen.

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

142 of 146 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars One the great turning points in horror films May 4, 2004

By Claude Avary

Format:DVD

The distributor advertising this DVD as a "Double Feature" stretches the truth a bit. "Curse of the Demon" is merely the shortened American version of the British film "Night of the Demon." The American version runs thirteen minutes shorter and is by far the weaker cut of the film, if still a fine piece of work. It's a nice feature to have the complete American cut on this disk for the sake of comparison with the original, but this is hardly a "double feature." And there's no reason to watch the edited, shorter version when you have the superior British original of one of the seminal horror movies of all time on the same DVD.

"Night of the Demon" hit theaters in 1957 and marked a turning point in macabre cinema. Director Jacques Tourneur had made some important 1940s horror films ("Cat People," "Leopard Man," and "I Walked with a Zombie," as well as the film noir classic "Out of the Past") that moved against the grain of the gothic fantasies that Universal produced during the 1930s. With "Night of the Demon," Tourneur cemented the idea of the modern horror film, where the terrors of the gothic, demonic, and supernatural appear within the realm of the modern, everyday world -- the essentially rational setting of the contemporary times. The success of this film would eventually lead to such movies in the following decades as "Rosemary's Baby" and "The Exorcist," which took place in the recognizable contemporary world, where the invasion of supernatural forces seemed all the more ghastly.

The screenplay comes from the short story "Casting the Runes" by master Victorian ghost story writer M. R. James. (You can find this story in an excellent and currently in-print volume of the same name....) In the story, a professor and practitioner of the black arts, Karswell, has found a way to send demonic forces against his academic foes by passing them a slip of paper covered with magical runes. The movie expands the premise: Karswell (Niall MacGinnis, who played Zeus in "Jason and the Argonauts") leads a witchcraft circle and uses his rune-tracker to send a demon after his opponent, professor Harrington. After Harrington's death, his American friend, psychologist Holden (Dana Andrews), comes to America to learn more, but scoffs at the idea that anything supernatural could lurk behind Harrington's death. Unfortunately for Holden, Karswell feels threatened enough to decide to send his murdering monster after the American.

Tourneur brilliantly films the movie in a split style, dividing between realistic, bland daytime scenes, meant to have an almost documentary feel, and increasingly warped and bizarre nighttime scenes as the curse of the demon moves closer and closer to Holden and it becomes harder for him to deny the truth of what is occurring. The demon itself is a point of controversy among film students. Tourneur was famous for keeping his horrors hidden, and some people believe that he never planned to show the demon at all, but the producer forced him to shove it up front. The appearance early in the film of the full demon might have been an error (it would have worked better to save it for the finale), but its materialization at the end is pretty incredible and it's hard to believe that Tourneur wouldn't have wanted the ending any other way. This is (excuse the pun) one hell of a demon. Designed by Ken Adam (who would later create the sets for most of the James Bond films, as well as "Dr. Strangelove"), the monster looks like it leaped from the freakiest medieval woodcut representation of Hell. The special effects and sounds accompanying it are also eerie and disturbing.

Andrews is a bit stodgy in his part, but Niall MacGinnis makes up for it with his scene-stealing role as Karswell. MacGinnis is both a bumbling, whimsical British professor (complete with a doting and scolding mother), and a cold-blooded sorcerer -- often both in one scene. The ending of the film, involving the passing of the runes, is both funny and incredibly tense, leading to one of the most stunning climaxes in horror films. Peggy Cummins as the love interest is delightfully perky and intelligent, much more so than female leads in most horror films.

The only extra on the disk is the inclusion of the American cut. However, the film is in perfect condition, and is finally shown in the original aspect ration of 1:1.66 (a typical European screen format infrequently seen in the U.S.; it's halfway between the shape of a TV screen and the typical 1:1.85 that most American movies are shot in today). "Night of the Demon" is essential horror film viewing for anyone who wants to understand the development of the genre into its current form. (And I have to repeat it, that's one helluva demon!) Read more ›

38 of 40 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars FREAKING TENSE! May 2, 2000

By Matt Martinez

Format:VHS Tape

I rented this movie one night based on a great multitude of great reviews it had received online. As I popped the tape in my VCR, I wasn't sure what to expect. Imagine my surprise as I began to watch one of the single greatest horror/suspense films ever made. Everything in this film works, including the "controversial" appearance of the demon at the beginning and end of the film. The performances are quite noteworthy, especially that of the actor who portrayed Karswell. Niall MacGinnis does a great job in humanizing his character and makes sure that Karswell is leaps and bounds beyond the average evil villain in most horror films. Probably my favorite aspect is the fact the film has a film noir quality to it, which suits it fine, since it is a cross between a detective film and a supernatural thriller. It's one of the few films I've seen recently that has made me yell at the characters when they do things that may be understandable, however they are a bit on the unintelligent side. By the way, if you are a fan of this movie, be sure to check out Hammer's The Devil Rides Out, recently released in a widescreen edition by Anchor Bay Entertainment. It contains a similar occult theme, as well as the same level of sheer intensity. Oh, and I don't want to forget the fact that it stars Christopher Lee, is directed by Terence Fisher, and has a screenplay written by Richard Matheson (based on Dennis Wheatley's novel).

49 of 54 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Maybe the best horror film you've never seen, a true classic May 23, 2001

By Lawrance M. Bernabo HALL OF FAMETOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:VHS Tape

There is really only one thing significantly wrong with the 1957 horror classic "Curse of the Demon" is that the producer insisted the "demon" had to make its appearance at the beginning and ending of the film. The better move would have been to leave the appearance of the monster up to the audience's imagination as director Jacques Tourneur intended, but you know producers. Still, "Curse of the Demon" (originally released in England as "Night of the Demon") is a great horror film. The film is based on "Casting the Runes" by M. R. James, with a literate screenplay by Charles Bennett and Hal E. Chester. The story deals with a curse cast by an evil magician, supposedly based on the self-proclaimed English sorcerer Aleister Crowley. The tone for the film is amply established in the opening sequence where a terrified Professor Harrington (Maurice Dehnam) comes to the home of Dr. Julian Karswell (Niall MacGinnis). Harrington the scientist had led an expose of Karswell's devil cult and made the mistake of telling the sorcerer "Do your worst." Now he wants Karswell to call off the demon, but, of course, it is way too late for that now.

The protagonist in this story is Dr. John Holden (Dana Andrews), a noted American psychologist who comes to England to help with the investigation of the cult. Holden does not believe in the occult, but then Karswell slips him a parchment marked with runes and learns the rules of our little game: whoever holds the parchment will die on an appointed day UNLESS they can pass it on to a WILLING recipient. Sounds like big time fun, right? Holden tries to hold on to his skepticism, but in due course he becomes a true believer.... Allied with Joanna Harrington (Peggy Cummins), daughter of the late professor and Holden's obvious romantic interest in the film, the pair try to turn the tables on Karswell.

The star of this film is Karswell as portrayed by Niall MacGinnis, who manages to give nice shadings to his villain. When Holden first meets the man trying to kill him at Lufford Hall, Karswell is dressed up as Dr. Bobo the Magnificent entertaining the local orphans. He even gives Holden a chance to recant his disbelief and when the psychologist becomes even more insulting Karswell summons a cyclone to take the American down a peg. One of the best sequences involves Holden breaking into Lufford Hall only to be attacked by the wizard's demon familiar. Andrews manages the passage from disbelief to understanding and horror adequately, but Karswell steals every scene. Even with the cheesy monster, "Curse of the Demon" is a classic horror film featuring a first rate script, solid performances, and artful direction. This may well be the proverbial best horror film you never heard of. Read more ›

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic of Horror March 9, 1999

By John Parker Marmaro

Format:VHS Tape

I will include some further reflections below my original review of 3/9/99, below:

Based on -- and admirably expanding on - M.R. James' story "Casting the Runes", this remains one of the finest supernatural movies ever made. The screenwriter, Charles Bennett, was a Hitchcock veteran and it shows in the tautly structured plot. Niall MacGinnis is superb as the urbane villain, and the film has any number of classic sequences: the seance scene, the scene at the Hobart farm, the Children's Halloween party and whirlwind scene, the scene in the woods -- even the controversial special effects of the fire demon actually work (although it's debatable whether the film would be better without) -- the only special effect that doesn't come off is the scene where Dana Andrews is fighting purportedly with a large wild cat -- obviously fake. But that is a tiny flaw in what is a classic of the genre. Eerie, atmospheric, and highly recommended. Another bit of trivia: this is the film referred to in the opening song of The Rocky Horror Picture Show ("Dana Andrews said prunes / gave him the runes/ and passing them used lots of skills") and also in the scene where Janet collides with atree branch in the "There's a Light" number.

Further reflections:
If anything I damned the film with faint praise, as I neglected to mention so many other interesting elements. Such as the specific Hitchcockian elements-- the suave villain, the villain's daffy but kindhearted mother (one is reminded of the mother in STRANGERS ON A TRAIN), the scene where the hero is in a den of the "bad guys" (the ominous scene where Holden visits the Hobart farm and confronts Rand Hobart's mother) are some that immediately come to mind.... There are some interestingly erudite elements in the script: Holden works with two of the late Dr. Harrington's colleagues, Professor O'Brien and Dr. Kumar-- from the two furthest fringes of the Indo-European world, the Celts at extreme west and the peoples of Northern India on the extreme east-- and each of them is more attuned to the possibilties of the supernatural than Holden himself from the purportedly more sophisticated center of Indo-European culture-- more sophisticated perhaps, but also stubbornly closed-minded. It is interesting, too, that the eerie music which is running unbidden through Holden's head (after he unwittingly accepts the runic parchment) is mirrored in folk tunes from Ireland and India, both about the supernatural. (And that the tunes could objectively exist is a proof of sorts that what is going through Holden's head is more than a coincidence.) The wonderful seance scene, where Holden is almost offensively skeptical, is mirrored later by a sort of "scientific seance", where Rand Hobart's spirit, it could be argued, is roused from catatonia by hypnotism, sodium pentothal (the "truth serum") and methylamphetamine (stimulants).

Karswell, brilliantly played by MacGinnis, admits to his mother that his motivation, and the motivation of his followers, is fear. Well, in metaphysical circles it is also said that fear, fundamentally, motivates those who follow the "lefthand path" of black magic. This fear is shown in a number of clever ways: in the "prelude" scene where Professor Harrington begs Karswell to "stop it", Karswell asks in an affectedly casual manner whether Harrington still has the parchment. On hearing that it was burned-- and seeing by the clock it is uncomfortably close to 10pm, when the demon is due to kill the last holder of the parchment (as well as anyone else nearby, evidently), Karswell still tries to seem nonchalant, but rather too quickly urges that Harrington had "better go home"... a first time viewer may not catch this, but MacGinnis wonderfully conveys Karswell's dread and desire that Harrington be as far away as possible when ten o'clock rolls around.

The film is full of wonderful things like this. Even little touches: when at the Hobart farm Holden opens his wallet to abstract a form, the Runic Parchment seems to almost jump out on its own, and the people at the farm all gasp and rear back-- Mrs Hobart saying, "He has been chosen!" When Holden asks, "Chosen for what?", all she says is, "Let no hand be raised to defend him!" And leaving, as the door slams on him, he sees Kabbalistic symbols drawn on it, reminding one the the blood smeared on the doors in the Bible Story of the Death of the First Born in Egypt-- to deflect the angel of death! Holden then visits nearby Stonehenge- where he sees that the runes on the Parchment he has are indistinguishable from the ancient ones on that monument. And as the scene shifts back to London to the wry arpeggio of an oboe, we see a cat stealthily moving along a windowsill on a facing building-- the cat pursuing prey, no doubt, precisely as the demon is pursuing Holden. This is just a small sample of the attention to detail, large and small, that makes this picture so fine.

Note should also be made of the wonderful cinematography-- brooding and atmospheric and beautifully black and white--- and the score, which-- if at times is a tad overwrought-- at best is splendid. Indeed, the "demon motif" composed for the film is creepy and memorable, and is woven through the beautifully instrumented score very skillfully-- such as the moment right after receiving the parchment, in the British Museum, where his vision becomes blurred-- and again not long after in the corridor of his hotel. Also, the sound that accompanies the appearance of the demon is a wonderful cue that "something wicked this way comes"-- like some flesh-crawling prickling stridulation.

It should also be noted that the screenplay, which is loosely based on MR James' story "Casting the Runes", is actually very much better than James' story itself. The cast is almost uniformly excellent, though Ms Cummins is a tad stiff at times. A minor flaw, though, like the not very convincing encounter between Holden and the watch-cat at Lufford Hall-- minor flaws in what is a great film irrespective of genre, and of the genre itself, one of the greatest!

PS as Columbia Tristar have put the truncated US version and the 13-minute-longer original British version on the same disc, opt for the latter, under its original title NIGHT OF THE DEMON-- among the 13 minutes cut for the American version is the visit to the Hobart farm, not only a great scene, but a pivotal one.

A classic! Read more ›