Well my internet has been spotty the last couple days so it’s been harder to get on to write anything, but now I’m trying to catch up.
So I watched two movies Saturday night/Sunday morning, making a double feature. These black and white classics, both of which have been retitled - The Mask of Satan (or La Maschera del Demonio) became Black Sunday, and the UK titled Night of the Demon became Curse of the Demon in the US - are both fantastic examples of their breed. Both are gothic in tone and involve witchcraft and curses, So, I thought to myself, why not put the two together and do this old school? Double feature time!
In Black Sunday, though set in the late 1800's, the story starts 200 years before, when a convicted witch is put to death for her dalliances with the powers of Satan. But as she dies at the hands of her brother the witch curses her family. Now, on the same day, exactly 200 years later, two doctors on their way to a conference in Moscow, temporarily stopped on the road, come upon a chapel in ruins, in which they find the entombed body of the witch. By accident, the witch is set free, and, with power over a few undead minions, seeks her vengeance over her family’s household while also attempting to possess the body of her young look-alike descendant, the Princess Katia.
In Curse of the Demon – based on the classic short story “The Casting of the Runes” by M.R. James - a cult, led by a renowned dark magician, is under investigation by the scientific world. But when one scientist dies under mysterious circumstances, a young professor of paranormal psychology will have to step in and continue the investigation with the aid of the deceased's niece. But when he becomes the dark magician’s next target he will have to overcome his skeptical nature before he can figure out how to avoid the wrath of a demon that has been sicced on him. Any fans of Sam Raimi’s Drag Me To Hell – which I’ll be reviewing at some point in the future – shouldn’t be surprised to find several similarities between it and this classic story, as Raimi has pointed it out as being one of the primary influences for his own film.
I’ve loved both of these movies from the first time I saw them, and not just because I enjoy old black and white horror flicks. All of those greatest aspects of the gothic horror story are here in both of these movies; the gothic castle/manse, the demonic servant, science having to come to terms with magic. For me, my favorite characters in these old movies tend to be the villains. While the protagonists are so naïve and cynical, even a bit emo in certain cases, the villains are vibrant and amusing, not always the two dimensional cut out of a baddy you might expect. For as fun and enjoyable as they are however, these films do have their flaws. Just as you might expect from these older movies there is that certain degree of overacting and cheesiness that tends to be the signature of such early horror films. For me, that’s just one of the fun, nostalgic aspects of these movies that they wouldn’t feel complete without.
So if you’re a fan of classic double features I would definitely recommend trying this twofer out. Even on their own though, both of these films are a must see for fans of old horror films.
For Day 26 I'll be reviewing Super 8 (2011).
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