“Where are you
going? The party’s just begun...”
Happy
October, B-movie fanatics! Leaves are changing, the smell of pumpkin spice
hangs strong in the crisp autumn breeze, and Halloween is just over four weeks
away! I couldn’t think of a better movie to kick start the celebration of the
season than Kevin Tenney’s original cult classic Night of the Demons!
Demons is one of those rare horror essentials without need
of an introduction. It is a film that sinks its claws deep inside and stays
put, leaving the viewer with memories of eyeball-gouging, neck-snapping,
lipstick-stuffing good times. Few can forget Suzanne’s (horror icon Linnea
Quigley) brilliantly effective disposition of a no longer needed makeup
accessory. I’ve known a number of non-horror fans who remember nothing about
the film except Steve “Splat” Johnson’s subtle trick-of-the-eye, poorly
recreated by Jerry Constantine and company for Adam Gierasch’s underwelming
2009 “remake.”
Other stand-out moments
include Angela (Amelia Kinkade) spinning wildly before a raging fire, black
wedding dress swirling and swaying, as she performs a haunting demonic death
dance to Bauhaus’ “Stigmata Martyr” moments before biting off Stooge’s (Hal
Havins) tongue and spitting it back at him. Though Dennis Michael Tenney’s
(brother of Kevin) score has its moments, it’s very much a composition
of its time. Looking back on it now, it’s easy to scoff at the dated
technology, but I’d be willing to bet those synth beats and stabbing violin
cues really got theater audiences pumped way back when.
For this edition of B-Movie
Bonanza, I, of course, used Scream Factory’s beautifully remastered and
restored Blu-ray/DVD combo edition, which runs 1:33:01 (including MGM’s roaring
lion prior to the opening title sequence). So, grab a big bowl of Halloween
candy because it’s time celebrate the season a few weeks early with one of the
best holiday-themed movies of its kind!
“HAPPY HALLOWEEN,
ASSHOLE! AAAHAHAHAHAAHA!!!!”
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