Night of the Demon (1980) coming from Severin

[drownsoda]

It was announced last weekend in the Severin thread along with the other Black Friday releases (still no release details), but I wanted to make a thread dedicated to this underrated bigfoot/slasher flick—it's one of my favorite horror movies from the early '80s. It's utterly bizarre, but extremely atmospheric and a lot of fun. The genesis of the film is shrouded in mystery in a lot of ways (the copyright is 1980, and some sources state it was released in November that year, while others state 1983). I've tried to find evidence of this, but have been unable to, and I think the title being so close to 1988's Night of the Demons, or the 1957 film of the same name, make it more difficult to research. There is such little information about the production of this film, so I really hope Severin was able to procure some interviews or context about the history of the film. While the Code Red DVD is decent, I am ecstatic to see this film upgraded to Blu-ray.

Update (11/22/2021): Damn, Severin really has stacked this release. I am passing on the bundles as I don't much care for merch stuff in general, but the Blu-ray set is plentiful.

Amid the gush of early ‘80s low-budget backwoods horror, only one lost classic brought together softcore sex, hardcore violence, Satanic sex cults and a limb-tearing, gut-slinging, dick-ripping beast for “the best and bloodiest Bigfoot movie ever made.” (Buried.com): When a group of Anthropology students heads deep into the forest to investigate a series of Sasquatch attacks, they’ll discover an immortal brain-blast of crazy hermits, mutilated Girl Scouts, interspecies copulation and “one of the goriest final scenes in the whole history of splatter flicks” (A Slash Above). Producer/co-writer Jim L. Ball and director James C. Wasson deliver “an anti-masterpiece that moves like a bullet, unlike anything you’ve ever seen” (Mondo Digital) now scanned in 4K from the recently discovered 35mm answer print with over 5½ hours of Special Features on two discs.
Special Features for Night of the Demon:

DISC 1
*Exclusive Slip Case
*Just A Little Green Kid Outta Waco, Texas — Interview With Producer Jim L. Ball
*The Demon Made Me Do It — Interview With Director James C. Wasson
*Eye Of The Demon — Interview With Cinematographer John Quick
*FRATERNITY OF HORROR — Previously Unreleased 1964 Feature Produced By Jim L. Ball And Shot By John Quick
*Trailer

DISC 2
*Cryptid Currency: Transgression Aggression In Bigfoot Cinema — Video Essay By David Coleman, Author Of The Bigfoot Filmography
*Tales From The Cryptid — Interview With Stephen R. Bissette, Co-Author Of Cryptid Cinema
*Deconstructing Patty — Interview With William Munns, Author Of When Roger Met Patty
*Mondo Bigfoot — Interview With Lyle Blackburn, Author Of Boggy Creek Casebook
*BAN THE SADIST VIDEOS!
*BAN THE SADIST VIDEOS! PART 2
*My Nasty Memories — Interview With BAN THE SADIST VIDEOS! Director David Gregory
Feature Specs for Night of the Demon:
*Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
*Audio: English Mono
*Closed Captions: English SDH
*Region: All

[ste71]

I saw this on VHS in the mid 80's and again a few years ago....I'll stop now.

[Member-222782]

I wish I could remember something about this movie but I don't. And I own a copy of the Code Red DVD! Maybe if I watch a cleaned-up edition it'll make more of an impression on me.

[El_Fez]

Originally Posted by Cinema84

I wish I could remember something about this movie but I don't.

How do you not remember Bigfoot tearing some dude's wang off?!?

[Ruemorgue10]

The best "murderous, horny, genital-ripping bigfoot" movie of them all!!

[Member-222782]

Originally Posted by El_Fez

How do you not remember Bigfoot tearing some dude's wang off?!?

Maybe I remember that part and chose to block the memory

[Killer Meteor]

Originally Posted by drownsoda

It was announced last weekend in the Severin thread along with the other Black Friday releases (still no release details), but I wanted to make a thread dedicated to this underrated bigfoot/slasher flick—it's one of my favorite horror movies from the early '80s. It's utterly bizarre, but extremely atmospheric and a lot of fun. The genesis of the film is shrouded in mystery in a lot of ways (the copyright is 1980, and some sources state it was released in November that year, while others state 1983). I've tried to find evidence of this, but have been unable to, and I think the title being so close to 1988's Night of the Demons, or the 1957 film of the same name, make it more difficult to research. There is such little information about the production of this film, so I really hope Severin was able to procure some interviews or context about the history of the film. While the Code Red DVD is decent, I am ecstatic to see this film upgraded to Blu-ray.

From memory, THIS Night of the Demon was released to UK VHS in 1982 then US video a couple of years later, with no theatrical release.

The Night of the Demon that appears in cinema listings from 1980 is a retitled Touch of Satan.

[Killer Meteor]

Here is some info from The Amazing Dr. Kiss -

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/mons...747544#p747544

I'm likewise very skeptical about the 1980 date... although not to the point of ruling it out entirely as a possible production date. From looking at the movie itself, one can conclude that it was produced no earlier than 1978, when the new Girl Scouts logo was introduced that appears prominently on sweaters worn in the film. At one point, a front cover of M Magazine is seen [link], which might possibly help with dating. Beyond that, there's actually a calendar on the wall in one of the cabins, but it's impossible to read.

The earliest verifiable release of this film in any form was on vhs in the United Kingdom; it appears in the Iver Film Services catalogue of releases for June 1982, and adverts for it first appear in the British video trade press from that month also.

In the U.S., its initial vhs release was as a 'rental only' tape from VCII in 1984; there was also a 'sell thru' release from VCII in 1986. By way of confirming these dates, the front-cover artwork for both VCII releases actually bears a copyright date at the bottom of it, for 1984 and 1986 respectively [both covers can be seen at this link]. The movie itself was copyrighted in the U.S. on October 10th, 1983, jointly by production company Aldan Company Inc. and video distribtor VCII (copyright V2028P738). Further copyright records exist for the VCII video packaging, from January 10th, 1984 (copyright VA0000155303), and for the home video transfer of the film, on March 15th, 1984 (copyright PA0000416821).

Writing at CinemaKnifeFight.com [link], Nick Cato asserts that he saw NIGHT OF THE DEMON on a double-bill with OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN at the Amboy Twin Theatre in Staten Island in 1983. I checked the cinema listings for the Amboy Twin, and OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN indeed played there from November 25th through December 8th, 1983. However, no mention is made of any second feature (and neither does NIGHT OF THE DEMON show up in any listings for many tens of movie theatres in New York and New Jersey that I could locate). This either means that we're dealing with a case of faulty memory, or else that NIGHT OF THE DEMON literally 'snuck out', without press announcements or movie paper. The fact that Nick Cato reproduces the wrong artwork, for the reissue of THE TOUCH OF SATAN, is indeed indicative of the fact that, prior to the 1982 UK and 1984 US video covers, there simply is NO artwork for this movie.

One further tidbit: the movie commences with the credit "Jim L. Ball presents an ALDAN COMPANY production" (with Jim L. Ball also having come up with the story). Trade publication Boxoffice first lists Aldan in its annual buyers' directory in (August) 1982, as "Aldan Producers & Distributors of Motion Pictures, 355 S. Mansfield, Los Angeles, CA 90036, president Dr. Jim Ball." In the (September) 1983 buyers' directory, the company name has changed to "The Aldan Company", which is how the company continues to be referred to until its last buyers' directory entry, in (August) 1991. This again points to 1980 being simply too early, if Aldan only started trading and referring to itself as 'The Aldan Company' in 1982/83.

[rillog]

I would love to see the old German VHS cover on a flip side since for me it's the best artwork for the movie I have seen.

notd_german.jpg

[Hern]

Looking forward to throwing out this bootleg.

https://imgur.com/a/h1M0CvF

[El_Fez]

Originally Posted by Hern

Looking forward to throwing out this bootleg.

https://imgur.com/a/h1M0CvF

Dude! Interactive menus AND scene selection? How can you carry on without that!

[Hern]

Originally Posted by El_Fez

Dude! Interactive menus AND scene selection? How can you carry on without that!

You're right I should treasure this one.

I'm looking to get the book too.

[MadJack]

https://severinpolicies.com/

There's a little bit of info about the release, as well as a bunch of merchandise: Mask, Dick Demon figure, pin, poster, patch, keychain, sticker, ...novelization? Interesting. As well as bundle info.

[cakefactory]

This inspired me to dig up my Code Red DVD to take a look at it - I bought it a long time ago and never watched it. It reminded me of nothing so much as Manos in the first five minutes! To quote MST3K, "every shot looks like someone's last-known photograph." I am very surprised this thing was produced sometime between 1980 and 82; apart from the gore and the fashion it looks more like a relic of the 60s thanks to the godawful faded film stock and whatnot (which might be a problem with that DVD). I would be curious to see some kind of extras, but the movie itself really is quite terrible. I will wait to see what's going to be on the release, I guess.

[gunnerg]

Best title sequence ever! I remember bananaman of code red saying his dvd release was the best he could get from the porno backgrounded owner. It did improve on the old rental VHS. I am praying this is from ocn elements! Surreal announcement. Thank you, Severin!

[mca213]

Originally Posted by rillog

I would love to see the old German VHS cover on a flip side since for me it's the best artwork for the movie I have seen.

Attachment 268565

You got your wish

[gunnerg]

Here's a look at that bundle via Instagram

[drownsoda]

I am beyond thrilled that they managed to get interviews with the producer, cinematographer, and director—I would have assumed they may not even be alive. I hope this gives more context to the making of this film, since it's always been kind of shrouded in mystery. This is maybe my #1 release of the year—which is really saying something given Criterion's Citizen Kane and Severin's All the Haunts Be Ours set. I will be waiting patiently at 9:00pm PST Thanksgiving night to place my order for this (and praying the site doesn't crash).

[eddyw78]

Originally Posted by Hern

Looking forward to throwing out this bootleg.

https://imgur.com/a/h1M0CvF

I have this bootleg too. Had it for years. It has to be the worst cover in my collection!!! Apparently it was in DTS too

[Damonstein]

Originally Posted by eddyw78

I have this bootleg too. Had it for years. It has to be the worst cover in my collection!!! Apparently it was in DTS too

It's too bad severins special features aren't as good.