'Night of the Demons' is a perfect addition to one's Halloween marathon watch list. It has everything you're looking for when watching a horror film this time of year: a creepy mansion, monsters and all kinds of gory fun to make any genre fan a happy camper. The story is simple: a group of young teens on Halloween night decide to have their party at the local abandoned mansion on the hilltop (sound familiar?). Soon, they begin to be taken one by one by the demonic forces that were once kept within and its up to the remaining survivors to escape before dawn. 'Night of the Demons' works so well thanks to that genuine Halloween feeling one gets when watching it. As soon as the opening credits start, the creepy music and cartoon ghosts floating about along with a great animation sequence not only makes it one of my favorite horror movie openings, but possibly the best ever. The film never drops this fun factor which I think is what makes the film so enjoyable. Had the film tried to be serious too often, I feel it would have simply been forgotten in time, as without the charm of these fun factors the film really just boils down to an 'Evil Dead' clone.
Even with these typical horror tropes, director Kevin Tenney at least is skilled enough to put his own unique spin on most of them and the special gore and makeup effects are top notch and helps make it one of the best creature features of the 80's. It certainly doesn't hold back in terms of the nasty or the T&A, but through some great atmosphere, music, and mood that youthful Halloween spirit is still retained. The film is also a breeze to sit through thanks to its excellent pacing and the likeable cast. Even characters you're supposed to hate, like Stooge make for some great comic relief moments or they are tolerable enough that we get to see them meet a spectacular and gruesome end. As I mentioned above, the film's score is really helpful with the overall film and this is one of the better examples of how important a score can be to the horror genre when done properly. It's that fun cheesy 80's synth but with a spooky Gothic tone mixed in that makes for a great soundtrack to play in your local haunted house.
So, what doesn't 'Night of the Demons' get right? Well, if I had to point out something I'd say the film's book-ended side story. I won't spoil it here naturally, but other than to kind of nail the point home that it's Halloween it has no connection to the overall narrative. I feel that it was an attempt to homage 'Creepshow' but I could be (and very likely am) wrong but this subplot reminded me of it, but unlike that movie this one really didn't need it at all. It just feels tacked on as a last minute gotcha moment and little else. And really, that's about it. I love 'Night of the Demons' ever since I found it at my local Hollywood video one Halloween night. It never gets old for me and perfectly encapsulates the holiday for me. I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't had the chance. SHAMELESS PLUG: Shout! Factory has a free App on Roku and Fire Stick that will allow you to stream 'Night of the Demons' for free with some ads here and there. Check it out.
4.5/5
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