Jacques Tournier also directed Out of the Past, which is great film noir from the late 1940s. That one starred a very young Kirk Douglas and Robert Mitchum.
I'd like to see this one on the big screen (like when I first viewed it as a kid). It's good to see that monster again. When I was a kid, I nicknamed him "Cuddles."
A horror masterpiece indeed, but if that idiot Hal E. Chester hadn't added those extra close-up scenes of the fully visible, laughable, demon it would have been the greatest supernatural horror movie of all time. Jacques Tourneur and writer Charles Bennett were right to oppose such a cheap trick. I still demand a Tourneur-cut-version of this film on dvd. The way it was supposed to be, in his brilliant mind.
THANK YOU YOU TUBE!! saw this at 12 years old and was strapped to the couch.....my British father used to read me "The Best Ghost Stories of M.R. James" on which this movie is based. Piss spilling thrills!!
Fantastic, atmospheric horror. I remember watching this as a young boy with my mother way back in '79 or so. We used to watch the double horror bill late on a Saturday night. This was one we watched. The end sequence with the paper fluttering down the train and out onto the tracks is just awesome and has stayed implanted in my mind through the years!
The story is great. Don't see anything wrong with showing the monster. Some say that it may have been better to be left to the imagination, but War of the Worlds without the flying saucers or glimpses of the aliens would be a bit less effective also. It was pretty scary effects given the time it was released. Maybe 20 years from now some kid will complain at how crappy Avatar's effects were.
I think plenty of people are complaining about Avatar's crappy effects now! CGI is a joke and will probably remain so for at least 10 years. Even really old stuff like this has a lot of advantages over it, and I wish directors of special effects-heavy movies would consider using more old-school special effects techniques until CGI is worked out better.
@iamcuriousblue The spaceship scenes are not very convincing. But the creature/ nature effects are very well made. You just have to take time and your material seriously. YES, CGI has made movies lose their luster. There is no magic in the scenes anymore. This movie would probably be not as effective in CGI. But add gore and make -up effects and NOW your talking!
THANKS for posting this! One of my all time favorite movies & one of the most intelligent horror films ever made. Though almost every fan agrees that it was a BIG mistake for the studio to insist that the demon be shown. It would have MUCH more effective to leave it to the viewer's imagination. This classic is top notch in almost every dept: very effective cast, literate script, crisp photography, stirring music, superb effects & excellent art direction. Hope you have a VERY Happy New Year!
the monster was crap though, most people agree that it never should have been made, not only in the ending but at the beginning as well. less is more as they say, and the director Jacques Tourneur knew that, as its in his other movies like cat people and leopard man.
but a certain producer smuck got his way and ruined this movie, what could have been without his involvement alas we will never know..
I totally agree. It's a superior horror movie with it's superb cast, script & production values. I think it was a mistake to show the demon; a decision forced on the filmmakers by the producer, who thought it would help the box office returns!
Superb film..though the performance of Dana Andrews is "wooden", but is a quality film, and the story line is very disturbing. Like others, when I first saw this it stayed in my mind to date, and I think thats part of the intention, to unsettle and cause thought.
That thing scared the hell out of me also when I first saw it , this old Creature Feature that we used to have on Saturday night back in the 60's . I was so scaed of that Demon , you wouldn't catch me in the woods at night for nothing ! Had I saw it , I know I would have wet in my pants !
but I consider this one of the British greats. Furthermore, the exec' decision to include what was probably regarded as "graphic" monster sequences does not detract from this classic, as far as I'm concerned. However, I defer to those who have enjoyed both (or, perhaps, more) versions of this film. Giz a shout if you reckon I should wind my neck in, or maybe even send me a copy of yours. And for fuck's sake, block out your chimneys . . . you're simply asking for trouble. God bless!
@niceyumyum The reason Andrews was so wooded in this is that by this time he was an alcoholic. He drank continually on the flight over and when he got off he fell from the top to the bottom of the aircraft steps. For the rest of the shoot, he never went to bed. Straight to a nightclub after every day's shoot, he went to a night club untill 4:00am then went back and so on. He wasn't wooden he was still smashed.
I am told that this and many other British films of the time were subject to the whims of producers who were of the belief that casting a "Hollywood" star would provide the level of exposure desired to excite the gobshites in the distribution business. Aside from the mogadon teakness of Mr.Andrews, I adore this film. It is genuinely intriguing and capable of rendering the viewer at the least, uncomfortable and inquisitive. Fair dos, it didn't require Stanislavski type performances . . . .
If there was ever a film that was meant to be watched in a dark room, it's this one. Apparently in the original script, the demon is never shown although the horrible deaths still occur, and you are left to wonder whether the demon is truly real or not. This was the reasoning behind the final line spoken in the film - 'maybe its better not to know'.
i swear when i saw this movie 3 years ago, i seriously screamed at the top of my lungs when the demon aways attacks someone because it was scary as hell. This movie was pretty good, but so scary.
aah! look at the little demon, ain't he cute? great film, the script based on MR James story blows away anything we see these days, these days horror films are all style and no substance, the night of the demon is the reverse..and i think the demon must've looked pretty awesome back then..
@vincent4500 You kidding? It STILL looks impressive! Film it in color, and it would've passed for something ILM might've made for a deleted scene from Star Wars.
This film is based on a great horror short story called "Casting the Runes" by M.R. James. I saw a trailer for this when I was a kid of 6. Big mistake! It scared me so bad I had nightmares for at least two years afterwards. Those were the days of huge movie screens and balcony theatres and believe me, the entire audience shrieked when the demon appeared. One woman jumped right out of her seat. Interestingly, the fire demon was added because the studio wanted it scarier. It worked!
This film scared the daylights out of me as a boy, and it still works very well. But I can't help to think that the demon itself looks more goofy than anything.
I have to tell you guys....I saw this movie when i was 5 years old..and it scared the shit outta me...it still gives me goose bumps... I had nightmares for years after this...even to this day....
Just saw this movie as a adult for the first time in 25+ years and it did scare the sh---t out of me when I was 7 years old. A great classic from half a century ago.
It's a shame we get the rubbery-paw close-up, as most of the shots of the Demon are superb. For 1957 this is a pretty amazing flick. Jacques Tourneur frames shots so well and his editing is remarkable. I remember seeing it years ago...
Jacques Tournier also directed Out of the Past, which is great film noir from the late 1940s. That one starred a very young Kirk Douglas and Robert Mitchum.
mickeymousebiker1 4 months ago
I'd like to see this one on the big screen (like when I first viewed it as a kid). It's good to see that monster again. When I was a kid, I nicknamed him "Cuddles."
mickeymousebiker1 4 months ago
They're running this monday night at 12:15 AM.
Themaniacnextdoor 4 months ago
"It's in the trees ... it's coming!"
"Curse of the Demon" is on my Top 5 for Best All-Time Horror. What a monster!
It's the best thing Hammer never did.
Thanks Kate ... for pulling that line out of the cobwebs and putting it on "Hounds of Love".
motorbiker63 8 months ago
my gram loves this movie NOT but I joke with her about it love ya.
buffyslayer30 1 year ago
Considering how old this movie is the demon puppet effects are very impressive for the time, also the tension in this is superb.
Jinuniki 1 year ago
Mmmm... Souls!
belugatoons 1 year ago
A horror masterpiece indeed, but if that idiot Hal E. Chester hadn't added those extra close-up scenes of the fully visible, laughable, demon it would have been the greatest supernatural horror movie of all time. Jacques Tourneur and writer Charles Bennett were right to oppose such a cheap trick. I still demand a Tourneur-cut-version of this film on dvd. The way it was supposed to be, in his brilliant mind.
TheMathmatic 1 year ago
THANK YOU YOU TUBE!! saw this at 12 years old and was strapped to the couch.....my British father used to read me "The Best Ghost Stories of M.R. James" on which this movie is based. Piss spilling thrills!!
bassil1 1 year ago
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This is the best Horror film ever made I saw the full film ( for free) at
tinyurl (dot) com/horrorflicks - Excellent!
FastTrackTeam 1 year ago
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IMO the best Horror film ever made I saw the full film ( for free) at
tinyurl (dot) com/horrorflicks - Brilliant!
FastTrackTeam 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
This is the best Horror film ever made I saw the full film ( for free) at
tinyurl (dot) com/horrorflicks - Brilliant!
FastTrackTeam 1 year ago
That was soooooooooo awesome O_O;
YungReg88 1 year ago
my first horrorfilm great!!!
Pedy1968 1 year ago
Fantastic, atmospheric horror. I remember watching this as a young boy with my mother way back in '79 or so. We used to watch the double horror bill late on a Saturday night. This was one we watched. The end sequence with the paper fluttering down the train and out onto the tracks is just awesome and has stayed implanted in my mind through the years!
sweepginger 2 years ago
@sweepginger Das ist mir genao so gegangen .Ich habe diesen Film 1980 in münchen gesehen .hatte schreckliche Angst!
Bierfass70 2 years ago
The story is great. Don't see anything wrong with showing the monster. Some say that it may have been better to be left to the imagination, but War of the Worlds without the flying saucers or glimpses of the aliens would be a bit less effective also. It was pretty scary effects given the time it was released. Maybe 20 years from now some kid will complain at how crappy Avatar's effects were.
mofrakker 2 years ago
@mofrakker
I think plenty of people are complaining about Avatar's crappy effects now! CGI is a joke and will probably remain so for at least 10 years. Even really old stuff like this has a lot of advantages over it, and I wish directors of special effects-heavy movies would consider using more old-school special effects techniques until CGI is worked out better.
iamcuriousblue 1 year ago
@iamcuriousblue The spaceship scenes are not very convincing. But the creature/ nature effects are very well made. You just have to take time and your material seriously. YES, CGI has made movies lose their luster. There is no magic in the scenes anymore. This movie would probably be not as effective in CGI. But add gore and make -up effects and NOW your talking!
mofrakker 1 year ago
THANKS for posting this! One of my all time favorite movies & one of the most intelligent horror films ever made. Though almost every fan agrees that it was a BIG mistake for the studio to insist that the demon be shown. It would have MUCH more effective to leave it to the viewer's imagination. This classic is top notch in almost every dept: very effective cast, literate script, crisp photography, stirring music, superb effects & excellent art direction. Hope you have a VERY Happy New Year!
JubalCalif 2 years ago
Yeah I found this creature scary as a youngster but now it reminds me of the Muncher from the old Chewiit ads !
allseeingi 2 years ago
This movie will give young children nightmares.
johnhrobiii 2 years ago
but it stands as the mother of all supernatural horrorthrillers :)
ferruginousbjorn 2 years ago
the monster was crap though, most people agree that it never should have been made, not only in the ending but at the beginning as well. less is more as they say, and the director Jacques Tourneur knew that, as its in his other movies like cat people and leopard man.
but a certain producer smuck got his way and ruined this movie, what could have been without his involvement alas we will never know..
ferruginousbjorn 2 years ago
Excellent movie, regardless of how goofy the demon looks nowadays.
Netherfist 2 years ago
@Netherfist
I totally agree. It's a superior horror movie with it's superb cast, script & production values. I think it was a mistake to show the demon; a decision forced on the filmmakers by the producer, who thought it would help the box office returns!
JubalCalif 2 weeks ago
one of thebest
LuvBytesNBruises 2 years ago
Cool demon, for old 50's effects to be. But I didn't expect it to sound like a bat, or something.
Chutultu 3 years ago
cool looking Demon
SuperKR 3 years ago
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Jeez, that demon is hilarious; it looks so silly!
NotSoPhotogenic 3 years ago
Superb film..though the performance of Dana Andrews is "wooden", but is a quality film, and the story line is very disturbing. Like others, when I first saw this it stayed in my mind to date, and I think thats part of the intention, to unsettle and cause thought.
Altogether a "Classic" in my book.
tiger260bhp 3 years ago 3
That thing scared the hell out of me also when I first saw it , this old Creature Feature that we used to have on Saturday night back in the 60's . I was so scaed of that Demon , you wouldn't catch me in the woods at night for nothing ! Had I saw it , I know I would have wet in my pants !
willc1975 3 years ago
but I consider this one of the British greats. Furthermore, the exec' decision to include what was probably regarded as "graphic" monster sequences does not detract from this classic, as far as I'm concerned. However, I defer to those who have enjoyed both (or, perhaps, more) versions of this film. Giz a shout if you reckon I should wind my neck in, or maybe even send me a copy of yours. And for fuck's sake, block out your chimneys . . . you're simply asking for trouble. God bless!
niceyumyum 3 years ago
@niceyumyum The reason Andrews was so wooded in this is that by this time he was an alcoholic. He drank continually on the flight over and when he got off he fell from the top to the bottom of the aircraft steps. For the rest of the shoot, he never went to bed. Straight to a nightclub after every day's shoot, he went to a night club untill 4:00am then went back and so on. He wasn't wooden he was still smashed.
sonofcy 1 year ago
I am told that this and many other British films of the time were subject to the whims of producers who were of the belief that casting a "Hollywood" star would provide the level of exposure desired to excite the gobshites in the distribution business. Aside from the mogadon teakness of Mr.Andrews, I adore this film. It is genuinely intriguing and capable of rendering the viewer at the least, uncomfortable and inquisitive. Fair dos, it didn't require Stanislavski type performances . . . .
niceyumyum 3 years ago
If there was ever a film that was meant to be watched in a dark room, it's this one. Apparently in the original script, the demon is never shown although the horrible deaths still occur, and you are left to wonder whether the demon is truly real or not. This was the reasoning behind the final line spoken in the film - 'maybe its better not to know'.
UncleFeedle 4 years ago
i swear when i saw this movie 3 years ago, i seriously screamed at the top of my lungs when the demon aways attacks someone because it was scary as hell. This movie was pretty good, but so scary.
Utubeman67 4 years ago
aah! look at the little demon, ain't he cute? great film, the script based on MR James story blows away anything we see these days, these days horror films are all style and no substance, the night of the demon is the reverse..and i think the demon must've looked pretty awesome back then..
vincent4500 4 years ago 4
@vincent4500 You kidding? It STILL looks impressive! Film it in color, and it would've passed for something ILM might've made for a deleted scene from Star Wars.
thetan63 11 months ago
This film is based on a great horror short story called "Casting the Runes" by M.R. James. I saw a trailer for this when I was a kid of 6. Big mistake! It scared me so bad I had nightmares for at least two years afterwards. Those were the days of huge movie screens and balcony theatres and believe me, the entire audience shrieked when the demon appeared. One woman jumped right out of her seat. Interestingly, the fire demon was added because the studio wanted it scarier. It worked!
sporran564 4 years ago
This film scared the daylights out of me as a boy, and it still works very well. But I can't help to think that the demon itself looks more goofy than anything.
ardashir51 4 years ago
I have to tell you guys....I saw this movie when i was 5 years old..and it scared the shit outta me...it still gives me goose bumps... I had nightmares for years after this...even to this day....
Shield1751 4 years ago
Seriously. Seriously fucking scary.
Cockmongler 4 years ago
what made this film as superb as it is is it's surreal cinematography
dybbuk4640 4 years ago
Just saw this movie as a adult for the first time in 25+ years and it did scare the sh---t out of me when I was 7 years old. A great classic from half a century ago.
buttermobile 4 years ago
A shame about the original film, mate, not your clip. I'm not lazy, anyway, I don't have the tech. So my thanks to those like you who can.
DB7driver 4 years ago
It's a shame we get the rubbery-paw close-up, as most of the shots of the Demon are superb. For 1957 this is a pretty amazing flick. Jacques Tourneur frames shots so well and his editing is remarkable. I remember seeing it years ago...
DB7driver 4 years ago 2
This movie scared the crap outta me when I watched this on late night T.V. in the 70s as a kid!!! Thanks for posting it!
badbearduke 4 years ago
Thanks for this.
Curse of the Demon (aka Night of the Demon) is a CLASSIC CLASSIC dark horror flick.
They don't make em like this anymore.
PaulHartXYZ 4 years ago