Saturday, June 17, 2023

Girls, Join Us Tonight At 8PM, As "Svengoolie" Presents "Curse Of The Demon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"


                           This should be a treat, darlings.  Directed by Jacques Tourneur, who did Val Lewton's "Cat People" (1942) and the brilliant "I Walked With A Zombie" (1943), this is an adaptation of a little known horror story by M.R. James called "Casting The Runes," first published in 1911.  I have never read the story, but would like to.



                               Dana Andrews plays a paranormal investigator who arrives in London, only to find Satanic cult activities afoot.  That is as much as I know.  Except that in England it was released under the title "Night Of The Demon."   The 1957 film, in America, became "Curse Of The Demon."


                                 The film is heavy on black and white visuals and atmosphere.  Things are seen walking afoot, something like in Stephen King's "Children Of The Corn," only not executed as crudely.


                                    The James story relies on atmosphere, not monsters, and Tourneur planned the film that way.  But the distributors. Sabre Film Productions decided a monster had to be shown.  Tourneur wanted to leave it all to audience's imagination, which would have been better.  So, the cute thing pictured above was a bone thrown to the distributors and does not appear until the end of the film.


                                     Poor Dana Andrews.  After appearing in A-list films like "Laura" (1944) and "The Best Years Of Our Lives" (1946) he began a slow decline, starting with this film (the best of his lower lot) and culminating in crap like 1965's "Crack In The World."


                                      See you tonight at 8, darlings!  Hope this does not crack you up!


                                      

4 comments:

  1. So funny you mention Children of the Corn; I was just thinking about that.

    I read the short story when I was a little too young.
    Thought the movie was pretty good!!!
    “Outlander, we have your woman!!”

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  2. Victoria,
    It is one of King's best short stories.
    Works better in print, than on film.
    Cannot understand why it is constantly remade.

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  3. I know! SO many remakes!!! WHY???
    I only saw the original.
    You’re right, it probably should have Stayed a short story!!!

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  4. Victoria,
    The original was OK--the opening scene was the best.
    But it just works better in print than on film!

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