“It’s in the trees! It’s coming!” A familiar sample from the start of Kate Bush’s ‘Hounds Of Love’. Where it’s taken from is the British horror movie, Curse Of The Demon (1957) also known as Night Of The Demon, another entry in Danny Peary’s Cult Movies 2 that I’d never seen. I remember seeing the black and white stills from this 1950s movie in the same book as seedy images from other entries like A Clockwork Orange or Ms 45; was this movie also extreme? Not really in terms of violence, but the image of a gigantic demon certainly made a considerable impression. Curse Of The Demon has an American lead with Dana Andrews (from Laura), playing a psychologist who specialises in debunking the superstitious and the supernatural. Visiting London for a conference, he’s told that the Professor that he was supposed to be working with has died; the opening scene sees this unlucky gentleman hunted by a gigantic demon – to the authorities, it looked like he died in a car accident. It all has to do with Dr Julian Karswell (Niall MacGinnis), an intriguing fellow with a goatee and no moustache, who lives in a gigantic countryside mansion and seems to be the head of a Satanic cult. Dana Andrews’ character is working to expose Karswell’s cult, yet as they cross paths, Karswell unknowingly puts a curse on him. We watch as Andrews keeps scoffing and rejecting the warnings, eventually beginning to believe as things get stranger and weirder, along with the help of the Professor’s daughter (Peggy Cummins). A clear influence on Sam Riami’s Drag Me To Hell, the movie was directed by Jacques Tourneur (of the original Cat People); apparently, as per his previous horror movies, he wanted to leave the “demon” off-screen and suggestive. However, the producers added in the demon creature, which is an old school puppet – it does look a bit hokey but it’s also quite fun as it emerges from a misty fog to descend upon those carrying the curse. I rented this off iTunes and didn’t realise this was the US version, which was a shorter cut, missing a few scenes to make it have a faster pace. I look forward to catching up with the longer UK cut under the title, Night Of The Demon. Even in the shorter cut, this was an atmospheric, eerie horror movie with a very satisfying conclusion. Did I also forget to mention Stonehenge is used as a location? Recommended.
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