Posts Tagged ‘Night of the Demon’
December 18, 2012 | 
Author 
What have classic horror film Night of the Demon, iconic British film company Hammer Films and a terrifying murderous mermaid all have in common? Multi-talented singer songwriter Kate Bush, that’s what! Over the years Kate has worn her classic horror influences on her sleeve many times and today we thought we’d share some of her most interesting and chilling musical moments. Elements of the film Night of the Demon (1957) have inspired Kate Bush in the writing of her songs Hounds of Love and The Red Shoes as well as her short film The Line, The Cross and the Curve.
One of her earliest singles Hammer Horror was a homage to (what else?) Britain’s iconic Hammer Films studio and her 1986 single Experiment IV featured bizarre scientific experiments, some terrifying visual effects and a ghostly mermaid creature that can kill with the sound of her voice…
Posted in 1950's, 1970's, 1980's, Hammer, Trailers, Uncategorized | 
Tags: Experiment IV, Hammer Horror, Hounds of Love, Kate Bush, Night of the Demon, pop music, pop video, rock music | 
3 Comments »
Classic horror fans will no doubt be aware of Night Of The Demon, the 1957 movie adaptation of M.R. James’ spooky short story Casting The Runes which was originally published in More Ghost Stories of an Antiquary (1911) but there have been a couple of other adaptations over the years. The British fantasy anthology TV series Mystery & Imagination (1966 – 1970) produced a version during its third season which apart from a few scenes no longer exists but fortunately another television version, part of ITV Playhouse is still available for our viewing pleasure.
The ITV Playhouse adaptation of Casting The Runes was first aired in February 1979 and stars Jan Francis as TV producer Prudence Dunning, recipient of the cursed parchment which has already killed one man and now threatens to lead her to her doom. The only way she can save herself is by passing the parchment back to the evil Julian Karswell (Iain Cuthbertson) and thus revert the death curse back to him. This is a bleak, atmospheric play which makes the most of its snowy landscapes, depressing 1970′s architecture and interior decor, creating a claustrophobic feeling of dread throughout.
It is particularly interesting to compare this version of M.R. James’ story with Jacques Tourneur’s much lauded fifties film adaptation Night Of The Demon (also known as Curse Of The Demon) and the way in which it updates it for a (then) contemporary audience. Changing the sex of the main character from a man to a woman gives the tale a fresh slant and giving her a job in television also makes it seem more relevant to the modern viewer. Being only 50 minutes long, Casting The Runes is half the length of the movie version and dispenses with many of the sub plots including the children’s Halloween party and the more ongoing combative relationship between our hero (ine) and the villainous Karswell. Also missing is the giant demon monster which was controversially added to Night Of The Demon against its director’s better judgement although there is a frightening sequence involving a giant spider which was not in the film adaptation.
With its fairly taut script and a fine performance from Jan Francis, Casting The Runes makes a fine addition to the British television ghost story canon, alongside such classics as The Woman In Black (1989), The Signalman (1976) and Ghostwatch (1992).
Review by Richard Gladman
Useful Links:
Casting The Runes (ITV Playhouse)
More Ghost Stories Of An Antiquary
