Sorry, this movie sucks

Highly Overrated But Still Good

Crappy film

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

A good horror movie about a professional skeptic who is forced to admit that yes, there are more things in heaven and earth, than are dreamt of in his philosophy. The basic idea is original, the screenplay is intelligent and there are quite a few genuinely scary scenes and images to savour. (One of the most entrancing moments, for me, consisted of the sight of a piece of paper trying - and failing - to throw itself in a fire.)Moreover, the movie is courteous enough to treat the viewer as a fully grown adult with at least some sense and taste. This courtesy alone merits a number of stars, given the fact that many creators of horror movies consider their public as pigs waiting for another helping of swill.Unfortunately enough, "Night" is sabotaged by the uneven quality of its visual and special effects. At times the said quality takes a nose-dive, meaning that the viewer finds it difficult to maintain a suitable suspension of disbelief. This is very much the case when the fire demon appears for the first time, near the beginning of the movie. (It's wise to watch the first twenty minutes or so without eating, as you might choke on your chips or your popcorn.) I don't know how to describe this demon figure, especially its face ; the best I can think of is a terrier dog who died of rabies and was stuffed by a drunken taxidermist. Anyway, it is neither convincing nor impressive.Apart from that, rewarding viewing.

Night Of The Demon its a British films that deals with subjects such as witchery, satanism, skepticism and more, the film relies on suspense and its chilling atmosphere rather than having a monster killing people , actually the monster appears at the very beginning, many people say that they showed it too early, but I think that it makes the movie better, because for the rest of the film you are waiting for him to appear at the final act and the payoff its great.The movie its actually very chilling at some points, I am not scared of any movie but this one make me cringe a bit at the very end, when the demon looks kinda of real for a second.The film says a lot about superstitions and skepticism, subjects I found to be very interesting.Overall, the film works at many levels, it shows the monster at the beginning but it actually uses that to its benefit, the characters are very likable, the acting its great and the effects are great too.Definitely recommended.

This psychological horror remains a classic in the genre, due to the impressive plot, original story, and strong acting. The film presents the horror refreshingly straight-faced, with no pause for irritating comic relief which sometimes mars otherwise flawless films. Instead, it's nightmare all the way as the clock ticks towards the inevitable arrival of the demon. A lot of suspense is generated as the countdown continues. The film sustains a tense atmosphere as the deadline to Holden's death slowly ticks down, until the brilliant finale where the roles of pursued and pursuer are reversed, with Karswell trying to escape from Holden.Seen today, it's a memorable piece, similar to the atmospheric horrors served up in the 1940s by Val Lewton. Some of the special effects in the film are obviously pretty dated (that's where the fun lies, of course) but the demon, seen from a distance, looks pretty impressive if not quite as scary as was intended. A lot of work has gone into the fire-and-brimstone demon, and although everyone involved regrets the inclusion of the monster, I could never see why...it adds a lot to the film for me, and improves it, creating an image to stand in the mind. Perhaps it would have been spookier to leave the demon to your imagination, but the huge, articulated puppet is a good a representation as any.The acting is good all-round, with Andrews and Macginnis pitched against either other in a psychological battle. Macginnis is the real star of the film, with his goatee beard he looks like a kindly old man but with a slightly sinister touch, and it's probably his most prominent and best-remembered performance. Andrews may be a bit stuffy as the imported American hero, but he knows his job and puts in a fine, solid performance. It is interesting to see how Holden (a sceptic) manages to come up with rational explanations for all the strange events happening around him, even at the film's end. Based on the story Casting of the Runes by MR James (one of my very favourite authors - check him out) the story is very original and the film is well worth seeing. A minor masterpiece of the genre.

I realise this film has its fans and they will downvote this review. It's not that the monster effects are bad. Well, they are, but this is not what ruins the film. What ruins it is the fact that the monster is fully revealed within the first 5 or 6 minutes. The smoke effects were scary enough - we didn't need to see more. By revealing a cross-eyed rubber giant right at the beginning, the film lost much of its power to engage and frighten. They could have saved this disappointment for the end, after we had had the chance to enjoy the films many merits. I guess the producer wanted to see all his money on the screen from the start. Had they chosen not to show the demon at all, this film might have been a masterpiece.As horror writer H.P. Lovecraft once said: "The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown". Having something unknown, undefined and not entirely visible after us is far more unsettling than something we can see and define.Even the author of the original story upon which this film is based, M.R. James, never described the demon, but rather left it to our imagination, with only hint here or there as to its appearance. James, the master of the Ghost Story, wrote all his stories like that. In his essay on writing fiction, James said "...our ghost should make himself felt by gradual stirrings diffusing an atmosphere of uneasiness before the final flash or stab of horror." All of James's stories follow this rule, so it's somewhat disappointing to see this fundamental rule broken in this adaptation of one of his classics.