Curse of the Demon, aka Night of the Demon - I recorded this over a year ago off of TCM Undergound - back when it didn't suck. A psychiatrist seeking to debunk the paranormal comes up against a cult leader who claims to have the power to conjure demons and set them upon his enemies. Early in the film, we are treated to the appearance of the demon, which, considering this was done in 1957, looks really good. Rather than merely giving us a guy in a rubber suit, the directer, Jacques Tourneur, uses camera tricks and strategically-lit smoke to prevent the demon from looking lame and he succeeds. Furthermore, the story is airtight, the acting is competent and the villain is awesome. Dr. Karswell, the cult leader and conjurer, carries on with an overtly friendly, yet menacing demeanor. There is one particularly effective scene where the protagonist comes upon him hosting a childrens party doing magic tricks and dressed up like a hobo-clown. The conversation that ensues, about Karswell's self-proclaimed power over the occult, while dressed like a clown is one of the best scenes in the movie.
Overall, this is probably the best movie I've subjected myself to in a long time now.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
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1 comment:
Dammit, I have seen the beginning of this movie like twice. I WANT TO SEE THE WHOLE THING!
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