Stars:
Dana Andrews, Peggy Cummins, Niall MacGinnis, and Maurice Denham
Writers:
Charles Bennet and Hal E. Chester
Based
On The Story “Casting The Runes” By: Montague R. James
Director:
Jacques Tourneur
Feature
lengths: 82 minutes/ 96 minutes
Extras:
Trailers
Languages:
English Monaural Sound
Subtitles:
English Captions and Closed Captions and French and Japanese Language Subtitles
Packaging:
Amaray Keep Case
Chapter
Stops: 28 Each
Sound:
Monaural Sound
Year
of Theatrical Release: 1957/DVD Release: 2002
Theatrical
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Home
Video Distributor: Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment
MPAA
Rating: Not Rated
Reviewer:
Mark A. Rivera
“Curse
Of The Demon” is actually the American truncated release of the British
chiller “Night Of The Demon.” The film is a psychological thriller more so
than a horror film with the actual demon appearing very briefly. After a
professor is brutally murdered, a psychologist investigates the case without
belief in the occult until he becomes the next target. It is more sinister and
considering the limitations of the effects, far more effective to keep the demon
on screen for only a few seconds and then bathed in hard light to obscure the
actual appearance and then some and the link between the monuments and
Stonehenge add to the film’s haunting quality. The movie also has some great
character scenes that greatly enhance the film’s more sinister subtext.
Columbia
TriStar Home Entertainment presents “Curse Of The Demon” and “Night Of The
Demon” as a double feature with both films digitally remastered with
anamorphic widescreen presentations for both versions of the film in (1.66:1)
aspect ratios for each on a dual layered disc. The difference between the
American and British presentations lies in the look of the film. The shorter
American version has an edgier noir look with high contrast blacks and whites
while the British version has a larger grayscale and brighter appearance. I
prefer the darker look of the American version, but the British version is
better because there are more character development scenes. There are a few
flecks here and there on both presentations, but overall both look pretty good.
An
English Two-Channel Monaural Soundtrack is provided along English Captions and
Closed Captions for the hearing impaired and French and Japanese Language
Subtitles encoded on to the dual layered disc as options. Trailers for “The
Bride” and “Fright Night” are included too.
The
menus are standard interactive still frames that are easy to navigate. This DVD
presents, for the first time in the US, the fully restored 95-minute version as
seen by British audiences in 1957, as well as the rare, truncated American
release. “Curse Of The Demon And Night Of The Demon: Double Feature” will
debut on DVD-Video on Tuesday, August 13, 2002 from Columbia TriStar Home
Entertainment.
©
Copyright 2002 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.