Curse of the Demon : Night of the Demon vs. Curse of the Demon

Night of the Demon vs. Curse of the Demon

I was looking on eBay and one of the descriptions of this movie stated that "Night of the Demon" is the uncut version vs. "Curse of the Demon".

Does anyone know if this is true? I have seen it as "Curse of the Demon" and love the movie. Don't quite know if I agree that it is that much a Hitchcock type film as he really didn't produce any actual horror films. Although as noted, without showing the demon (which the director was dead set against) this is a psychological thriller that would keep one guessing.

At any rate, I would love to see more of M.R. James's work in movie form. To tell the truth, though, since his stories were so short they would be more suited to TV or perhaps presented as a trilogy.

Re: Night of the Demon vs. Curse of the Demon

The DVD maybe advertised as a "Double Feature",having 'both' versions on it.However that stretches the truth a bit. "Curse of the Demon" is merely the shortened American version of the British film "Night of the Demon." ( which is the better version)

"Curse Of The Demon" runs thirteen minutes shorter than the British origional.

The screenplay comes from the short story "Casting the Runes" by master Victorian ghost story writer M. R. James.

Re: Night of the Demon vs. Curse of the Demon

His first book "Ghost Stories of an Antiquary" was published in 1904 making him an Edwardian writer, not Victorian.

Re: Night of the Demon vs. Curse of the Demon

I can't say exactly where the 13 minutes were cut, but to be honest (and I do love this film), the original "Night of the Demon" could benefit from it. I do know that from the hypnosis of Hogart scene right through to the end, nothing was changed, and the first scene seems to be intact, so I think it must have been some of the repetitive dialog scenes in the body of the film.

I'm waiting for someone to adapt M.R. James' "Oh Whistle, and I'll come to You, My Lad" into a short film—one of the most chilling (yet funny) supernatural stories ever written. Or "The Beckoning Fair One", acknowledged by many to be be THE ultimate ghost story.

Re: Night of the Demon vs. Curse of the Demon

'Oh whistle and I'll come to you, my lad' was adapted into a television special in the 60's for the BBC, I believe. You can get it on DVD quite easily. One of my favourite ghost stories by my favourite writer.

Re: Oh Whistle….

For some reason the BFI DVDs of Oh Whistle, The Stone Tape, The Signal Man etc have been deleted. Copies surface on Amazon but at higher prices. A real shame, I don't know why the BFI dropped these - I was holding out as they never seemed to be discounted lower than their 19.99 pound price tag. As much as I want them I can't justify the collector's prices being asked now.

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Re: Oh Whistle….

The BFI have now released these dvd's, and I believe, are fantastic!

Re: Night of the Demon vs. Curse of the Demon

The airplane scene towards the beginning is longer on the Night of the Demon version. More importantly, there is a scene where Dana Andrews visits Rand Hobart's relatives to get their permission to examine him. He inadvertantly pulls out the runes, and the family reacts with shock.

Re: Night of the Demon vs. Curse of the Demon

mr-murph, the scene at the Hobart's when he pulls out the runes is in the American version. I've watched the British version recently, as well as the American version, and I can't see where the British version is 13 minutes longer. The British version is longer, however, but just not 13 minutes longer.

Re: Night of the Demon vs. Curse of the Demon

I've recently seen both the American and British versions of this film, and clocked both of them. "Night of the Demon" (the British version) runs 96 minutes, and "Curse of the Demon" (the U.S. version) runs 83 minutes. I personally prefer the shorter version since nothing of importance has been deleted from the longer version. It has simply been "tightened" by 13 minutes to its advantage. The original 96 minute version is way overlong. After all, it was adapted from a short story and in this case, shorter is indeed much better!

Re: Night of the Demon vs. Curse of the Demon

I also prefer the longer Night. However, a few years ago, AMC showed this movie with the Curse title, but it was longer than the DVD edit of Curse. The version AMC showed was not as long as Night but had more of the plane flight at the beginning. After watching my tape over and over, seeing the edit on the DVD annoyed me, and I just watch Night instead.

Re: Night of the Demon vs. Curse of the Demon

I recorded "Curse of The Demon" when aired on TCM in Canada about a year ago?

I timed it and it is only 81.5 minutes.

I was dissapointed as the cut scenes lend a great deal of atmosphere to the movie, in particular the eerie visit to the Hobart Farm (completely deleted !), and the scene between Karswell and his mother "Mother, you get nothing for nothing...). The full dialog can be found in "Memorable quotes" section .

Other less grave cuts cut are the airplane and airport scenes.. .. both are shortened" ...don't harm them, we are quite fond of our English ghoste" , or words to that effect

Re: Night of the Demon vs. Curse of the Demon

Saw this for the first time yesterday. Its good but not great. The monster really spoils it because its pretty funny! If only the director had got his wish to keep the monster 'hidden' because it would have been far more effective. For an example of this see 'The Haunting' 1963 - which is a better film by the way and a true classic.

Anyway, the new UK DVD has both versions on it. I watched the longer one.

Re: Night of the Demon vs. Curse of the Demon

The French bluray features an extensive book with Tourneur explaining why he eventually accepted to have the demon shown.
The general rule that defines is style was to show less and evoke more (see Cat People as the perfect example), but in this case, viewers would tend to agree with Holden that there's really nothing and Karswell is just a mind manipulator.
By showing the demon we know that it exists and that Karswell is much more than a talented magician and swindler.
And besides I didn't find the demon more ridiculous than the modelled village opening Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes. It's not like the film revolves on it, just that everything in the movie involving otherworldly forces is, in the movie universe, true and we accept it because we've seen the demon creature.

Mankind was born on Earth. It was never meant to watch Interstellar.

Re: Night of the Demon vs. Curse of the Demon

I totally agree... I always watch the longer version,which for me is the best one, it somehow feels more accordingly paced and creates a better atmosphere of menace throughout.

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Re: Night of the Demon vs. Curse of the Demon

Don't quite know if I agree that it is that much a Hitchcock type film as he really didn't produce any actual horror films.

Actually, Hitchcock made two straight horror movies, and some others that were debatable. It wasn't really his genre, but he did work in it. NIGHT OF THE DEMON, however, is a horror picture, not "a Hitchcock type film." Though Val Lewton had no part in making it, it's really one of his.

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"The Dig"
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Re: Night of the Demon vs. Curse of the Demon

The writer also wrote for Hitchcock- that's the only similarity. Check out Danny Peary's "Cult Movies" book for a wonderful discussion of this movie.

Re: Night of the Demon vs. Curse of the Demon

Curse of the Demon is the same movie but cut down a bit.

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Applied Science? All science is applied. Eventually.

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Re: Night of the Demon vs. Curse of the Demon


Curse of the Demon is the same movie but cut down a bit.


No *beep* Sherlock. I think since the OP asked back in 2009 it's been well established. Try looking at the dozen or more posts that preceded yours. *rolls eyes*

Re: Night of the Demon vs. Curse of the Demon

Maybe your reply would have made more sense if you werent replying to a post i made 2 years ago?

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Applied Science? All science is applied. Eventually.

Re: Night of the Demon vs. Curse of the Demon

Taking "Night of..." as the complete, definitive cut, I decided to channel my inner obsessive geek and compare both versions on my DVD (do not know how either compare to broadcast versions). There are minor scene cuts in "Curse of...":
-Opening narration
-Airplane scene (Joanna tries to change her seat to avoid bothering Holden)
-Airport scene (where Holden first declares his nonbelief, to the reporters)
-Karswell at the library talking about coincidence
-Minor business at the Lufford Hall party
-Meek channeling the litle girl
-Hobart describing the beliefs of the cult

There are other cuts or deleted scenes of more import:
-after Kumar's entrance, Karswell calls Holden to discourage him
-Karswell's library in the party scene. Joanna pointedly asks him about the runic symbols; Karswell warns his mother about interfering
-Holden visits the Hobart farm, learns Rand Hobart had passed his curse on to another
-Mrs. Karswell calls Joanna, urging her to tell Holden that Hobart knew the secret of the parchment

Then, a large part of the movie is moved in "Curse" - everything after the library scene through the party scene in "Night" is shifted to after the scene where Holden hears demonic chittering in the hotel corridor, then over drinks with O'Brien, hears from him that the pages of his journal after Oct. 28th had been torn out. (The party scene, where Karswell predicted Holden's death on the 28th, would have come before this disquieting revelation).

Long story short, my recommendation is to seek out the longer original. The story works in both versions, but "Night" flows better IMO, and I do like the Hobart farm scene.

Re: Night of the Demon vs. Curse of the Demon

The uncut version is far better - everything makes more sense. Later dialogue between Holden and Joanna makes little sense if you haven`t seen the full airplane scene.

Also, he sign on the farmhouse door - wasn`t there when Holden enters the house and the distortion in Holden`s vision in the farmhouse if similar to when he first meets Karswell.

Without the farmhouse scene Holden`s nerves are not damaged and this is part of the reason for the doubt setting in.

Accountants in the film industry have a singular ability to miss the creative content of films and insist that subtlety be replaced with the screaming obvious.

Nowadays the "Night" would be called "The director`s cut"

Re: Night of the Demon vs. Curse of the Demon

"Curse Of The Demon" with all the supposedly cut scenes can be seen intact on YouTube.

"Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government."
-Dennis

Damn, I must have missed it…

Any idea where else it might be..? Unfortunately it is no longer up.





I'm not a control freak, I just like things my way

Re: Night of the Demon vs. Curse of the Demon

I too channeled my OCD inner geek and concur about what was shortened and left out of COTD. I agree some of the cuts were inconsequential. And I also agree some cuts hurt the flow. The deleted farm visit scene was very creepy and revealing. Perhaps the religious references were too touchy. Also the deleted phone call from Mrs Carswell to Joanna really explained a lot of her behavior. I thought the seance scene was clever and funny. At he end of the seance, when Joanna is preparing to drive away, take a look at the license plate of her car. Not a coincidence I think.




Waste anything except TIME time is our shortest material

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Re: Night of the Demon vs. Curse of the Demon

After another viewing of "Night", a better view of the plate is to be had as Joanna and Holden are driving across the arched bridge on the way to Karswel's house the first time. This movie is really rather scary. I truly jumped when the children jumped out from behind the tree. Also the appearance of the menacing hand on the staircase is very effective.

Waste anything except TIME time is our shortest material

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Re: Night of the Demon vs. Curse of the Demon

I mentioned it in another thread here, but feel it needs repeating - I hadn't really noticed on earlier viewings, but check out how, and this happens a couple of times, we get these close-ups of a hand setting down on the railing, then we see the stairs in long shot and - nobody's there behind Holden! Gives the scene a great creepy dark-magic feel even if you're not quite aware of it.

Re: Night of the Demon vs. Curse of the Demon

The original Night of the Demon is far better. It builds suspense more deliberately and convincingly and provides the audience with more information and feel for the characters and events. Editing the séance scene in particular was idiotic.

Cutting foreign films for American release was quite common, even the norm, back then. Sometimes it was only a matter of dropping a couple of minutes (which hardly seems worth the effort) and other times quite a lot was lost. But films weren't cut for artistic considerations. They were cut in part to suit someone's idea of what Americans would like, but mostly so that it'd be easier for theaters to cram in more showings.

Columbia didn't cut 13 minutes from Night of the Demon with any idea of making the movie better. It was a commercial decision -- as was changing the title to Curse of the Demon, which sounds much more sensational than the more sedate, but appropriate, word "Night".

Re: Night of the Demon vs. Curse of the Demon

I am in full agreement. I never realized there was a cut version until a couple of years ago when TCM start showing the cut version and it is not nearly as good. The pacing feels all wrong. I wish TCM would go back to showing the uncut version only.

Re: Night of the Demon vs. Curse of the Demon

Thanks for saying that, bnwfilmbuff, because I thought I remembered that TCM had once shown the full-length version. But all I've seen for the past few years is the edited US cut. Unfortunately it's not uncommon for TCM to use edited versions of films, usually ones made abroad that were trimmed for the American market, but once in a while even cut prints of American films.

Luckily the DVD has both versions.

Re: Night of the Demon vs. Curse of the Demon

The last time that I tried watching the film on TCM, they had it listed as the longer version. Osborne announced with great emphasis that they were airing the longer cut - I even have intro that on the DVD that I made of it.

But they ended up showing the short one.



It ain't easy being green, or anything else, other than to be me

Re: Night of the Demon vs. Curse of the Demon

My goodness, I never heard of such a mistake on TCM.

Re: Night of the Demon vs. Curse of the Demon

We could talk about the time that they listed Reach For the Sky in its original 135 minute form. When it aired, not only did we not get that one, we didn't even get the 123 minute US version. Instead we got the 104 minute print that was issued in Germany, apparently to remove some Nazi nastiness.

Or when we expected Charley's Aunt (1941) and got Charley's Aunt (1930) instead - in an edition that looked like an 8th generation VHS dub of an Alpha Video release. The sound was even worse.





It ain't easy being green, or anything else, other than to be me

Re: Night of the Demon vs. Curse of the Demon

Well, back to demons and other creatures, every time they show Godzilla, King of the Monsters (which runs 80 minutes) they run it in a time slot lasting 1 hour 45 minutes, while 90 would be sufficient (and normal for the channel). So why do they always set aside a time slot long enough to accommodate the original 98-minute Gojira, yet never show that film? Even their monthly guide always shows a 105-minute slot, although it lists the film's correct 80-minute running time.

There have been similar examples, both on air and in their Now Playing guide, among them Night/Curse of the Demon, though sometimes they're inconsistent in such listing curiosities.

Re: Night of the Demon vs. Curse of the Demon

Curse is better. The longer version NIGHT has scenes that don't esp need to be there. Plus, CURSE is a better title. The movie's about the curse, and the NIGHT is saved till the end, and is mentioned, someone says it, which makes it corny.

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Re: Night of the Demon vs. Curse of the Demon

I prefer Curse of the Demon. Just because something is shorter doesn't mean it's not as good. The scenes of dialogue that are extended in Night of the Demon give away too much. For example, when the villain tells his mother about how he has to keep away from the person he curses was what Dana Andrews figures out to defeat him in the end, so it gives that away.

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