29 July 2016

THE DEVIL RIDES OUT/NIGHT OF THE DEMON: A DOUBLE DOSE OF HORROR FILM REVIEWS FROM SANDRA HARRIS.




THE DEVIL RIDES OUT and NIGHT OF THE DEMON: A DOUBLE DOSE OF DEMONIC HORROR FILM REVIEWS FROM SANDRA HARRIS.

THE DEVIL RIDES OUT. (1968) BASED ON THE NOVEL BY DENNIS WHEATLEY. DIRECTED BY TERENCE FISHER. WRITTEN BY RICHARD MATHESON. PRODUCED BY ANTHONY NELSON KEYS. MUSIC BY JAMES BERNARD.

PRODUCTION COMPANIES: ASSOCIATED BRITISH-PATHÉ, HAMMER FILM PRODUCTIONS AND SEVEN ARTS PRODUCTIONS.

STARRING CHRISTOPHER LEE, CHARLES GRAY, LEON GREENE, PATRICK MOWER, NIKÉ ARRIGHI, SARAH LAWSON, PAUL EDDINGTON AND EDDIE POWELL.

NIGHT OF THE DEMON. (1957) BASED ON THE STORY 'CASTING THE RUNES' BY M.R. JAMES. DIRECTED BY JACQUES TOURNEUR.

STARRING DANA ANDREWS, PEGGY CUMMINS, NIALL MACGINNIS AND ATHENE SEYLER.

I've chosen to review these two superb horror films together for two reasons. For one thing, I had the great pleasure of watching them both on the big screen recently. It was at the Irish Film Institute as part of their HAUNTED LANDSCAPES: A SEASON OF FOLK HORROR fortnight-long festival. I was surprised but thrilled at their decision to hold a folk horror festival in the middle of summer, haha.

I can't even tell you guys how absolutely amazing it was to see these two gems of classic horror on a full-sized cinema screen. To have Christopher Lee, the Goat of Mendes, Mocata's burning blue eyes and Dr. Julian Karswell's gargantuan Demon towering over me as I huddled in my seat with my winegums and a huge soppy hero-worshipping grin on my face was one of the best cinematic experiences of my whole life.

I only wish you guys had been there too so we could have all appreciated these great old films together. You'd have had to buy your own popcorn, though. I'm not made of bloody money...!

The second reason that I'm writing a joint review for these two films is that the plots are actually quite similar. They're based on the writings of two of the most revered horror writers of all time, Dennis Wheatley and M. R. James.

I especially love a nice bit of M. R. James. Ever seen the black-and-white screen adaptation of his story WHISTLE AND I'LL COME TO YOU, MY LAD starring Shakespearean actor Michael Hordern? It's so deliciously creepy that I had to sleep with the lights on after watching it late at night.

Anyway, let's briefly (I say 'briefly' now but I'll probably ramble on for pages as per usual!) compare the plots of both movies. In THE DEVIL RIDES OUT, Christopher Lee plays the handsome and extremely aristocratic Nicolas, Duc de Richleau.

In 1920s England, he is forced to do battle with a charismatic but deadly Satanist by the name of Mocata for the soul of his chum Simon, played by the guy who years later went on to play Rodney in soap opera EMMERDALE. I think he married Diane the barmaid, though it's so long now since I've seen it that I kind of forget who was doing what to whom and for how long...!

Mocata, the quintessential Englishman, is so charming and personable that it's easy to see why Simon and the beautiful exotic Tanith have been seduced by him and his coven of followers-slash-devil worshippers, The Left Hand Path. The scene where he's using his eye-power on Marie Eaton (the wife of the eventual YES, MINISTER!) is quite literally spellbinding. Those piercing eyes see
right through you. I'm not kidding...!

The Duc is aided in his fight against evil by his other pal Rex, whose devotion to the lovely but misguided Tanith is touching to see. The scene where the two men see 'the Goat of Mendes, the Devil himself!' perched on a rock during a Satanic orgy is probably my favourite one, though I've always been afraid of the Devil in goat-form.

Well, in any form, really, as I was brought up as a devout Irish Catholic girlie (is there any other kind?), but especially in goat-form. That just really creeps me out, for some reason. Maybe it's the horns. They're so horny...!

The showdown at the end between the Duc and his friends and all the black magic evils in Mocata's demonic arsenal is just electrifying. The whole film, put together by a collection of people whom I would describe as 'Hammer royalty,' is atmospheric and frightening and there isn't a horror fan alive who wouldn't enjoy it. No wonder so many fans of Hammer Horror think that THE DEVIL RIDES OUT, also known as THE DEVIL'S BRIDE, is one of the film company's finest works.

NIGHT OF THE DEMON, sometimes called CURSE OF THE DEMON, is not a Hammer film, but it's none the less fantastic for it. Dr. Julian Karswell is the Mocata of the film, if you know what I mean. He's the compellingly persuasive and intellectually brilliant Satanist who lives in a fabulous English country house with his dear old Mum. He seems like quite a nice chap, really, but we know differently.

So too does American psychologist Dr. John Holden, who plays the Christopher Lee/Duc de Richleau role in this film. Though at first he doesn't believe in black magic, he changes his mind pretty sharpish-like when he experiences some of Dr. Karswell's evil powers first-hand.

It's then up to John and his pretty sidekick Joanna Harrington, the niece of one of Karswell's victims, to put a halt to Karswell's gallop before he goes all apocalyptic on their asses, never mind medieval...!

The sightings of the Demon on the big screen were, quite simply, staggeringly effective. Because everything was magnified, like, a bazillion times, I noticed things I'd never picked up on before on my titchy little DVD screen. The Demon was a whole heck of a lot scarier like this.

The windstorm at the childrens' Halloween party is another unforgettable scene, as is the one in which poor old traumatised Rand Hobart undergoes hypnosis to jog him out of his Demon-induced catatonia. Now there's a sentence you don't hear every day...! 

The entire film is eerily atmospheric and I was nearly holding my breath right up until the unforgettable climax. It's truly splendid stuff. Both films, in fact, are bona-fide cinematic masterpieces and we'll surely never see their like again, more's the pity.

For anyone who's interested, here's a full list of all the films that were screened during the festival. There are a few proper little crackers in here, so feel free to envy me, haha.

WITCHFINDER GENERAL- 1968.
THE WICKER MAN- 1973.
HAMMER'S QUATERMASS AND THE PIT- 1967.
VALERIE AND HER WEEK OF WONDERS- 1970.
BLOOD ON SATAN'S CLAW- 1971.
HAMMER'S THE DEVIL RIDES OUT- 1968.
NIGHT OF THE DEMON- 1957.
THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT- 1999.

Can you spot the odd one out, nudge nudge, wink wink? Answers on a postcard, please...!


AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY OF SANDRA HARRIS.

Sandra Harris is a Dublin-based novelist, film blogger and movie reviewer. She has studied Creative Writing and Film-Making. She has published a number of e-books on the following topics: horror film reviews, multi-genre film reviews, womens' fiction, erotic fiction, erotic horror fiction and erotic poetry. Several new books are currently in the pipeline. You can browse or buy any of Sandra's books by following the link below straight to her Amazon Author Page:

http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B015GDE5RO

 You can contact Sandra at:


http://sandrafirstruleoffilmclubharris.wordpress.com








1 comment:

  1. Loved 'The Devil Rides Out', and was an avid reader of Dennis Wheatley novels in my younger days. Add Christopher Lee -- the ONLY Dracula, as I have often said (sorry - LOL)-- and what could go wrong?
    I haven't seen 'Night of the Demon', but I am now encouraged to look it up.
    Great review, Sandra. :)

    ReplyDelete