View Full Version : "Night of the Demon" (1957)
More promising news from www.dvddrive-in.com : Tourneur's sublime "Night of the Demon" is to be released by Coulumbia-Tristar in R1 on August 13th.
:)
The question is: although it is to be released under its US title ("Curse of..."), will it be the version shortened by twelve minutes for the American market, or the full British original? The fact that it is the latter which has been available on VHS in the States, albeit as "Curse...", bodes well, but only time will tell.
:(
jonathan.e
21-05-2002, 09:32
It's in the trees! IT’S COMING!
Cap'n Al
21-05-2002, 11:17
I'd always rather hoped that Criterion were going to do this one; there's so much scope for really in-depth extra features, especially if they concentrated on the MR James short story, 'Casting the Runes' that it's based on in the first place. Still, I suppose its existence in the first place is better than nothing...
Excellent news, good spot. One of the genre's very best.
More news from www.dvddrive-in.com, and it's just the sort of thing we wanted to hear.
As reported earlier, Columbia TriStar will release Jacques Tourneur's CURSE OF THE DEMON on DVD on August 13. The good news is that the disc will include both that version, and the longer British original under the title NIGHT OF THE DEMON. The new transfer will be anamorphic and in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio.
:)
They also have a mock-up of the cover on view.
Useful site, that.
Thanks for the heads up, it is great news that both versions are on the disc.
I had this on video many years ago, but it got lost... :(
Jon
It's just a shame that most reviews of this genre classic include a downer about the appearance of the 'demon' itself - well it sure scared the sweet bejeezus out of me when I first saw it as a nipper. :D
Great news, one of my favourite classic horror films. Hope they'll start to release some of Torneurs other horror films, especially Cat People and I Walked With A Zombie. A Val Lewton box set would not be bad either.
Originally posted by Reno
Hope they'll start to release some of Torneurs other horror films, especially Cat People and I Walked With A Zombie. A Val Lewton box set would not be bad either.
Among several other Tourneru and/or Lewton films, these have been issued on disc in France by Editions Montparnasse. I can recommend them.
Alas, my favouite from the Lewton horror (or "horror"...) cycle, "The Seventh Victim", awaits a DVD release. And it could go on waiting...
John Hodson
06-06-2002, 11:03
Originally posted by Cap'n Al
I'd always rather hoped that Criterion were going to do this one; there's so much scope for really in-depth extra features, especially if they concentrated on the MR James short story, 'Casting the Runes' that it's based on in the first place. Still, I suppose its existence in the first place is better than nothing...
I have a very vague memory of (I think) ITV staging Casting the Runes many moons ago - anyone else remember this?
Night of the Demon is quite fabulous, even if the eponymous devil itself is not quite a scary now as when I was seven (but Niall McGuinness still is).
---
So many films, so little time...
Originally posted by John Hodson
I have a very vague memory of (I think) ITV staging Casting the Runes many moons ago - anyone else remember this?
Aer you sure you're not thinking of Oh Whistle And I'll Come To You - Another M R James classic. This is out on DVD from the BFI.
John Hodson
06-06-2002, 11:26
Originally posted by Dagada
Aer you sure you're not thinking of Oh Whistle And I'll Come To You - Another M R James classic. This is out on DVD from the BFI.
Positive...it was set in the period, complete with fluttering scraps of runes in railway carriages, and no big rubber demon, but still quite scary.
---
So many films, so little time...
If memory serves, the film was made without an appearance by the demon, but it was then added by the studio to try an draw in the crowds. Now theres an opportunity for a directors version...
I'm quite fond of the rubbery demon myself. I wonder what happened to it?
mikef
I have a very vague memory of (I think) ITV staging Casting the Runes many moons ago - anyone else remember this? Correct, John! I saw this a couple of years back courtesy of a mate who has a lot of Brit telefantasy on VHS (all perfectly legal I'm sure!).
It dated from 1979 and starred Jan Francis would you believe, in the same 'role' as Dana Andrews in the movie. Iain Cuthbertson plays Karswell, and it was actually pretty good I thought! It's 50 minutes, and I believe played in the 9-10pm slot on ITV (perhaps on a Friday, but I don't know what makes me think that).
John Hodson
07-06-2002, 15:02
Many thanks for that - it was beginning to drive me crackers. Yes, I remember it as being pretty good, but then again then again, if you work with decent source material...
---
So many films, so little time...
"Night of the Demon" is to be released by Coulumbia-Tristar in R1 on August 13th.
Good news, now if only someone would release Dead of Night.
Dead Of Night is also out in France as "Au coeur de la nuit". Great film !
Might have to get the French disc then...
I think Anchor Bay had it on their release schedule for 2002 but then it mysteriously vanished :confused:
jonathan.e
07-06-2002, 15:51
Got Dead of Night yesterday along with Horrors of the Black Museum and Mask of Fu Manchu. All well worth having at around £15 each.
Where was that ordered from...?
jonathan.e
07-06-2002, 16:01
www.amazon.fr
Hmm, been on there and I can find the disc but never bought from amazon.fr before what's the score with payment/delivery - can you pay with SWITCH?
I struggled to get through the payment sections as I have only a basic grasp of French (i.e. I only know certain explicit terms :norty: )
Originally posted by beebul
Hmm, been on there and I can find the disc but never bought from amazon.fr before what's the score with payment/delivery - can you pay with SWITCH?
I struggled to get through the payment sections as I have only a basic grasp of French (i.e. I only know certain explicit terms :norty: ) The checkout process is identical to that at amazon.co.uk, and if you set up an account at the UK site with your address and payment details, you can access it from the French site ;)
Cheers Joe91, now get back to your monkey spanking ;)
There are actually a load of discs on amazon.fr that I'm gonna order, including Night of the Demon and Dead of Night... :)
Reno (or anyone else who has the Dead of Night French disc) are the extras in French or are there English options? Is there an English spec for this disc anywhere?
Cheers
[In my last post I mistakenly assumed Night (or Curse) of the Demon had a French release also :( ]
jonathan.e
08-06-2002, 09:46
Extras not subbed. Not sure what you mean by an "English Spec'. It is English mono with French subs, a pathetic still gallery and a one screen filmography. There’s filmed comments from two French guys but no subs although Jean Pierre Donnet who introduces all of the Canal+ movies is pretty funny in the way that only French men who think they’re really cool can be.
jonathan.e
08-06-2002, 15:38
Curse of the Demon pre-order (http://www.deepdiscountdvd.com/dvd.cfm?itemID=COL007860) - I’d wait until they adjust the price as some of their titles are listed up at full RRP and a few days later adjusted down by 30-50%.
Originally posted by jonathan.e
Extras not subbed. Not sure what you mean by an "English Spec'. It is English mono with French subs, a pathetic still gallery and a one screen filmography. There’s filmed comments from two French guys but no subs although Jean Pierre Donnet who introduces all of the Canal+ movies is pretty funny in the way that only French men who think they’re really cool can be.
Cheers, think I'll still order it as it's not going to be released till late 2002/ early 2003...
Gary Couzens
08-06-2002, 22:03
Originally posted by mikef
If memory serves, the film was made without an appearance by the demon, but it was then added by the studio to try an draw in the crowds. Now theres an opportunity for a directors version...
I'm quite fond of the rubbery demon myself. I wonder what happened to it?
mikef
As far as I know the demon was always there - it's too well integrated into the story to be an after-the-fact addition. Yes, there are stories of studio interference, but I think this is more to do with head office adding extra shots of the demon rather than inventing it from scratch.
It's a myth that Tourneur (especially in his Val Lewton films) "never showed anything" - he did show, but was careful as to how much.
Early review (http://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s568demon.html) at DVD Savant.
John Hodson
26-07-2002, 12:15
Looks promising; excellent, well researched review BTW of the I-didn't-know-that variety.
---
So many films, so little time...
Originally posted by John Hodson
excellent, well researched review BTW of the I-didn't-know-that variety.
That's Glenn Erickson's style. A little bit schoolboyish (for better or worse), but I have come to trust this fellow.
A complete list of his reviews may be found here (http://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/sreview.html).
BTW, surprised (and peeved!) to see that artwork has not changed since I posted a link above to an image at DVD Drive-In some weeks ago. I didn't like it one bit then, and hoped that it was a mock-up.
http://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/images/568demon.jpg
Ugh!
Still, it's the guts that count. :)
Tiffany Bradford
26-07-2002, 13:18
Originally posted by MJ Ryan
BTW, surprised (and peeved!) to see that artwork has not changed since I posted a link above to an image at DVD Drive-In some weeks ago. I didn't like it one bit then, and hoped that it was a mock-up.
http://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/images/568demon.jpg
Ugh!
Still, it's the guts that count. :)
I agree that aesthetically it isn't pleasing, but some of the more cheesy, and downright inappropriate artwork have grown on me. It gives it its charm! :D
Originally posted by Tiffany Bradford
some of the more cheesy, and downright inappropriate artwork have grown on me. It gives it its charm! :D
Oh, agreed. I am a sucker for the cheesy - although I feel that the above image fails as cheese, should that have been its designers' intention. Indeed, for me this film's charm lies in large part in that fact that it as far from cheesy as chillers get.
A pertinent example of lip-smacking cheese (albeit again applied in error IMO):
http://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/images/568demonpos.jpg
:)
Tiffany Bradford
26-07-2002, 14:03
Originally posted by MJ Ryan
example of lip-smacking cheese (albeit again applied in error IMO):
http://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/images/568demonpos.jpg
:)
Two covers and they STILL haven't got it right! :D
Although I do like the second one - if only it was appropriate.
Just noticed this thread.....excellent news on this classic horror. :clap: :)
Kevin Harper
26-07-2002, 15:37
Strange how the cover states that the disc is a "Double-Feature" - surely this is just two versions of the same film (which I suppose is not a good selling point). The same is true of Hitchcocks' "Strangers on a Train" and Hawks' "The Big Sleep" both of which offer two cuts of the film on the same disc. This is one of the major advantages DVD has over video as the space allows multiple versions/branching etc that video cannot do. how else would we see these classics in all their re-cut glory.
Pity Universal didn't think to do this with "Touch Of Evil" - I suspect the original will now become the lost version over the Walter Murch re-edit.
This is now in stock at Play.com (who BTW have changed the Your Account page).
Nice spot folks just ordered it.....:smokin:
Just stumbled across an entry on Amazon which says that a double disk R2 version of this is due (this week apparently)...anyone seen it or have any details/comments?
cheers
mikef
See the thread about DDHE - link (http://www.thedvdforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=448752).
This was one of the titles that they were supposed to be releasing, among others, towards the end of this year, but they have gone into administration and subsequently been brought out - I would imagine that we will have to wait for the new company to get their footing before this, or any of their titles come out.
Obviously no-one has officially cancelled the DVD release, or informed the DVD companies, so the titles are still listed in places like Amazon and Play.com
Cheers R-T-C...looks like I'll wait and see what happens then..
thanks
mikef
Anyone know if the current edition of Night of the Eagle is any good?
MR_DVD_MARK
22-09-2007, 15:37
It's supposed to look as nice as the version I have in the 3-disc Horror Classics Collection now OOP from Warner.
cultman1
23-09-2007, 09:19
Having a trade account with DDHE( now part of Simply Media) I can confirm thisnew release and all the Hammer releases have been put back to the new year. The deal with Columbia is being re negotiated as we speak. Expect a possible Spring 2008 releasa
MR_DVD_MARK
23-09-2007, 15:26
I can wait as the NOTD release sounds like It will be pretty good.
Stop press: Night of the Demon is on BBC2 on Sunday night.
ralph wiggum
30-09-2007, 20:26
Stop press: Night of the Demon is on BBC2 on Sunday night.
Late heads-up, it's on at 10 past midnight. :)
Watched it. Was very good. Some very memorable, imaginative scenes in it.
MR_DVD_MARK
01-10-2007, 11:48
Unfortunately spoiled by cropping and some squeezing early on (certainly on my satelite channel) that made Karswell look even fatter.It spoiled it for me big time
Nebiroth
01-10-2007, 12:07
Ugh, yes, thank goodness I have the DVD.
MR_DVD_MARK
01-10-2007, 12:31
Unless I hear some concrete info on the state of the UK dvd in the next month it looks like I'll be going the R1 route too.
Did anyone ever hear of an update to this...will there be an R2 release?
cheers
mikef
Alan George
03-09-2008, 09:29
I had a look on Amazon Marketplace (UK) & you can get it for £12 incl. delivery, which ain't too bad.
vBulletin® v3.7.0, Copyright ©2000-2009, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.