[katdad]

We're in total agreement about this movie -- viewers please make sure you're renting/purchasing the British full length release "Night of the Demon" rather than the US shorter version "Curse of the Demon" -- it wasn't cut for content or censorship, just length for TV use and there are a couple of excellent scenes missing.

You're correct how superbly the mood is established, creepy -- and the first is that weird wobbly scene in full daylight, at the Brit National Library, that makes Dana Andrews dizzy.

The movie has so many little things to like about it, all adding up. it's genuinely scary even after seeing it many times and its being an older film. Brilliant direction by Tourneau and very good acting were both essential, otherwise it would have been just another toss-off.

One more small touch -- in the final demon attack, when the demon snatches up Karswell, it claws at him for a while, then -- and this is great -- sort of tosses him away as if now bored with the new toy. A quick moment but worth savoring. Little touches like that help make this movie really great.

Yeah, the demon footprints invisibly sinking into the ground was nice -- later copied on Forbidden Planet and who knows how many other movies. And next time you watch the movie, check out how quickly and easily Dana Andrews first cuts through the woods, just a few steps, compared with how long it takes afterward.