Gandules
La noche del demonio (Night of the Demon)
Session 2: Magic
Audiovisuals
Free
La noche del demonio (Night of the Demon)*
Jacques Tourneur
1957 / UK / 35 mm / 95 min / OV (English) with Spanish subtitles
Jacques Tourneur elegantly directs one of the best demonic films of all time. Dana Andrews plays Dr Holden, a psychiatrist who attends a convention on the occult in London, despite being a great sceptic about the power of magic. When he arrives, he hears of the strange death of one of his colleagues in an accident apparently related with an occultist called Karswell (Niall MacGinnis). Holden’s meddling prompts Karswell to curse the doctor with magic runes and condemn him to imminent death at the hands of a demonic creature. Superstition, spiritism, grimoires, creatures of the underworld, white and black magic... Night of the Demon unfolds a range of occult practices but from a subtle, intelligent viewpoint that avoids dark or hysterical clichés. Tourneur’s influence made itself felt in later films such as The Ring (Hideo Nakata, 1998) and Drag me to Hell (Sam Raimi, 2009).
*Not recommended for under-16s.
Check the complete programme of Gandules'18 "Illuminated cinema: Magic, altered states and the occult".
This activity is part of Gandules'18, Gandules
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Gandules'18 - Illuminated cinema: Magic, altered states and the occult
From 7 to 23 August, the CCCB’s summer film season brings us nine films that posit illumination as a means to enthuse and enlighten us. Free entrance.
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