Maria's B-Movie Mayhem:Night Of The Demon

This little gem has gotten quite the reputation since it's release. I saw this for the first time on a beaten up VHS last year, and when I heard Code Red had released it I was excited and had to have it. AFter ordering it and watching it I was as happy as i was the first time I saw it. The acting is horrible, the pacing is slow as frozen pancake syrup flowing uphill, the special effects are just like a low low LOW budget Fulci film (including lurid close ups)This low budget gem deserves to be on every schlock/shock/exploitation lover;s shelf.
There is a disclaimer at the start of the movie apologizing for the source they had to use, but truth be told it doesn't detract from the film in any way. When you are into these kind of movies you expect quality that can vary, and if anything it adds to the experience while watching it. If anything I think Code Red should be commended for getting this out to us.

I've heard of this film for years, due to its notoriety as a video nasty and the fact that copies were not easy to find, and I had read about the most infamous scene involving a biker, so this film has always stayed with me as a title I'd like to eventually see.

Now, thanks to Code Red, I have seen this film and it has more than lived up to my expectations. Be careful with some reviews here and elsewhere, as they have spoilers, and believe me, the less you know about this film, the better, however, there are some spoilers towards the end if you want them...

The source is a 1 Inch master tape, not a film print, since none could be found, and the artwork is not of the original movie poster, since this film was so low budget it didn't have a poster (it probably played third bill at the drive in circuit anyway, and didn't need one). The image is full screen, but since the film was shot 16mm and blown up to 35mm, you are actually not losing any of the picture as with many full screen presentations, and the quality is decent.

The music is a minimalist moog score, and reminds me of the music in another film made around the same time called "Burial Ground", and the lack of a distinct theme (this isn't a Carpenter/Howarth score) lends to the surreal proceedings - believe me, this is an insane Bigfoot movie, and had me surprised at every turn.

Unlike other Bigfoot films made in the 70s, you do get a good look at the costume, and considering the low budget, it's not too bad.

I enjoyed this film so much that I've watched it twice so far, and will probably watch it a third time in the next week or so. I'd much rather watch a film like this than most multi-plex garbage littering movie screens across the country.

As the cliché goes, `they don't make `em like they used to', but thanks to companies like Code Red, films like this are getting unearthed for all to see.

Keep `em coming...

***SPOILERS***

This was one of a few R-rated films released by the adult film company VCX, and when the bigfoot spies on the couple having sex in the van and pulls the man out and kills him, the woman sees his body falling across the window and her cries/screams sound very orgasmic. I'm convinced this was an in-joke by the filmmakers.

There's debate whether or not some of the outrageous scenes were intended to be funny (many people today view older films with contempt and derision and think everybody making movies back then were clueless idiots), but picture yourself on the set when the biker was castrated, the two girl scouts were stabbed to death by their own hands (with a little help from the Bigfoot), or Bigfoot swinging someone's intestines as a lasso, and ask yourself if you would be stifling laughter. I think many of these scenes were intended to be darkly humorous, back then and now.

Oh ya! Amazon was late but that dosen't matter because this film is awesome! Highly suggested, the quality has been minorly toned up but that was the best they can do, this film is also the 95 min uncut version! BUY THIS FILM FROM CODE RED!

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 11 reviews  3.5 out of 5 stars