Joe Dante on

Curse of the Demon

Released 1958
Distributor Columbia Pictures

Often described as a Hitchcockian monster movie, Curse of the Demon is best remembered as the culmination of director Jacques Tourneur’s work—a shrewdly constructed and perfectly cast horror-noir, this 1958 chiller is the equal to Tourneur’s Cat People and I Walked with a Zombie. Dana Andrews gives one of his most incisive performances as a smug skeptic who has his bubble burst by a bat-winged demon, but it’s Niall MacGinnis as an affable warlock with mother issues who walks away with the picture.

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About Joe Dante

Joe Dante is a lifelong film buff who turned his obsession into a career. He got his start cutting trailers for Roger Corman and later directed the hit movie Gremlins, as well as Gremlins 2: The New BatchInnerspace and Small Soldiers for producer Steven Spielberg. His feature films include The HowlingPiranhaMatineeThe ‘burbs , Looney Tunes Back in ActionThe Hole (first winner of the 3D Persol Award at the Venice Film Festival) and the zom-com Burying the Ex. His TV directing work includes: Police SquadAmazing Stories, the HBO film The Second Civil War, the Masters of Horror titles Homecoming and The Screwfly Solution, and episodes of Eerie, IndianaCSI: NYHawaii 5-0Witches of East EndLegends of Tomorrow and Salem. His most recent big screen credit is an episode of the anthology film Nightmare Cinema. Joe is also the frequent co-host of Trailers From Hell’s official podcast, The Movies That Made Me, available everywhere podcasts are streamed and downloaded!

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Patrick Bennat

Thank you so much for this! This movie scared the hell out of me as a child and was the beginning of my love for the films of Jacques Tourneur and Val Lewton´s RKO horror cycle.

If you can please also do a commentary on Franju´s “Eyes Without A Face”. And of course I´d love to one day buy another (now bonus filled) disc of your wonderful “The Second Civil War” …

Patrick Bennat

I just noticed Sam Hamm already did Franju´s classic ten years ago (thanks!). But I think Jack Gold´s “The Medusa Touch” & George Armitage´s “Miami Blues” are still orphaned on TFH. Just sayin´… 😉

Andy

Hello Patrick, I have been looking for your short film “Gegenschuß” for a very long time. Is there a way to get the short film? Feel free to contact me via email if you read this. 🙂 🙂 psykodelicore@gmail.com

Patrick Bennat

Hi Andy, I think there is. I just sent you an email. Thanks for you interest!

Patrick Bennat

Here’s the missing “r”.

Jenny Agutter fan

I remember seeing a scene from it in a documentary about horror movies on TV when I was eight. I saw the movie itself when I was thirteen.