Night of the Demons

Director - Kevin Tenney (Witchboard, The Cellar)

Starring - Amelia Kinkade (My Best Friend is a Vampire, Night of the Demons II), Linnea Quigley (Tourist Trap, Graduation Day), and Cathy Podewell (Growing Pains, Beverly Hills Brats)

Release Date - 1988

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "You're invited to my party."

Format - UHD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     When I was in high school I became friends with a student that had just transferred in. He was expelled from his previous school and we became friends after talking about horror, metal, and Johnny Cash. We watched a lot of movies over the next few years. Movies like Zombi, Susperia, Cemetery Man, Dead Heat, and so many more. One of the films I remember watching with him and a metric fuck ton of alcohol is the 1988 Halloween horror flick Night of the Demons. He had snagged it on VHS with some other films on eBay and we were marathoning them one weekend. That movie fucking stuck with me and I had to have it. I did a little digging and was able to snag the DVD and I’ve revisited it a number of times over the years until I upgraded sometime back to blu. When Halloween was quickly approaching I was sent the UHD release of the film from Scream Factory and couldn’t wait to dig into it. I want to thank Scream Factory for sending this one over. It was a nostalgia filled experience to watch it again. 

      The film follows a group of youths who break into an old mortuary known as Hull House to have a party on Halloween. What started out as a night of scares and drinking takes a deadly turn when a séance accidentally unleashes something sinister that has been laying dormant in the mortuary. Now Angela is possessed and her friends are about to be put through hell. 

      Night of the Demons is probably the most underrated Halloween horror film in the history of cinema. When Halloween rolls around most genre fans quickly rush to films like John Carpenter’s Halloween, A Nightmare Before Christmas, Hocus Pocus, and House of 1000 Corpses. While these are solid films that deserve their rightful place on your annual Halloween watch list, there are other films that really deserve your attention. Kevin Tenney’s Night of the Demons is one of those movies. It has a strong fan base and those that have seen it are absolutely ravenous about it. However, I’m always surprised by the amount of horror fans that have never seen the film. It’s a must see during the month of October but it can be appreciated anytime. The acting in this one is solid. The characters are very generic especially for a late 80s horror flick. We have characters that fit into normal clichés like the jock, bully, virgin, outcast, metalhead, and a sexually promiscuous couple. While they are rather generic, they still have personalities that make them stand out. The cast really gets into their roles and deliver some memorable performances that still stick with me after all these years. The story for this one is a bit generic as well but the execution is anything but. Teens partying on Halloween and summoning demons is nothing new to horror. It’s been done numerous times especially during the 80s. However, the scenes in this one makes it stand out. You have Linnea Quigley’s character having a mental break in the bathroom, the Demon Wind like changing of the property, the humorous dialogue, and the clear influence from the classic Italian horror film Demons. The viewer has so much to absorb and it’s a lot of fun to see unfold before you. Finally, the film has some seriously amazing effects. We get some amazing props, practical effects, and a what the fuck moment involving lipstick. Fans of 80s horror will truly appreciate the effects and death scenes that we are given. Overall, Night of the Demons is essential for the Halloween season and a horror title that should be on every genre fan’s shelf. I highly recommend snagging this UHD release from Scream Factory. It’s worth every cent.