This is one of those franchises where I had seen the sequels and even the remake before the original film. From that, I had an idea of what I was going to get. Maybe it's a grower, as I wasn't particularly blown away, yet Kevin S. Tenney's "NIGHT OF THE DEMONS" for most part, remains a fun, twisted 80s low-budget Halloween-based horror. The opening animated credits were imaginatively done, as it did a great job setting up the mood.
One thing that stood out, it does spend quite bit of time fooling about, before the party literally goes to hell. Most of the characters are loathsome, but the humour comes off. At least Linnea Quigley can make a scene in more than one way, from her pun-riddled dialogues, or flaunting her underwear and giving us a party trick (involving her lipstick) that's out of this world. Not to take anything away from Amelia Kinkade's seductive dance number either. What it does show, is that the set-pieces, along with the macabre makeup effects and grisly gore (courtesy of Steve Johnson) were more memorable than the formulaic narrative and bubblegum performances.
The setting of the party in an abandoned funeral home with a horrific past, adds a nicely creepy and isolated vibe that works a treat once it becomes a disorientating demonic party-bash. Taut thrills and lively camerawork follows, where the possessed party guests start toying with each other in a chase format. It ends on a disappointedly staged climax, yet the gimmicky ending was a nice touch.
One thing that stood out, it does spend quite bit of time fooling about, before the party literally goes to hell. Most of the characters are loathsome, but the humour comes off. At least Linnea Quigley can make a scene in more than one way, from her pun-riddled dialogues, or flaunting her underwear and giving us a party trick (involving her lipstick) that's out of this world. Not to take anything away from Amelia Kinkade's seductive dance number either. What it does show, is that the set-pieces, along with the macabre makeup effects and grisly gore (courtesy of Steve Johnson) were more memorable than the formulaic narrative and bubblegum performances.
The setting of the party in an abandoned funeral home with a horrific past, adds a nicely creepy and isolated vibe that works a treat once it becomes a disorientating demonic party-bash. Taut thrills and lively camerawork follows, where the possessed party guests start toying with each other in a chase format. It ends on a disappointedly staged climax, yet the gimmicky ending was a nice touch.