Monster Weekend at the British Museum is the launch event for Gothic: The Dark Heart of Film, which will comprise a major season at BFI Southbank and across the UK from October to January next year. Here is the BFI introduction: Sceptical American psychologist Holden (Dana Andrews) must reconsider
his beliefs when genial occultist and children’s entertainer Karswell
(Niall MacGinnis) passes him a cursed parchment and informs him that he
will die within four days. Aided by perceptive Joanna Harrington (Peggy
Cummins), Holden races to escape his destiny. Adapted from M.R. James’
Casting the Runes by Hitchcock collaborator Charles Bennett, the film
was atmospherically directed by the legendary Jacques Tourneur, who had
built his reputation with an exceptional string of Val Lewton-produced
horrors, including Cat People. Yet Night of the Demon – gripping,
intelligent, eerily entertaining, and chillingly plausible in its
depiction of witchcraft – still might be the finest of Tourneur’s works. The full length British version of the film has been digitally
remastered in high definition by the BFI National Archive from 35mm
negatives.
Fancy dress: Come
along in your best Gothic-inspired costume to make it a spooky night to
remember. To help you out, Angels Fancy Dress is offering a 15%
discount instore and online from fancydress.com using the discount code ‘GOTHIC13’, available until 30 September.
Chicago Reader review: A major work in that minor genre, horror movies.
Intelligent, delicate, and actually frightening (no kidding), this 1957
feaure was directed by Jacques Tourneur, author of many of the best of
Val Lewton's famous series of B-budget shockers. A shot or two of a
cheesy monster (insisted upon by the producer) are the only violations
of the film's sublime allusiveness, through which the unseen acquires a
palpitating presence. Tourneur is attempting a rational apprehension of
the irrational, examining not so much the supernatural itself but the
insecurities it springs from and the uses it may be put to. With Dana
Andrews, Peggy Cummins (of Gun Crazy), and Niall MacGinnis in a witty, Hitchcockian performance as an urbane warlock. Dave Kehr
Here (and above) is a video essay on the film by Chris Fujiwara
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