The 1988 horror film Night of the Demons is officially 30 years old. Directed by Kevin Tenney and written by Joe Augustyn, the film tripled its budget in its limited theatrical release, becoming an instant cult classic. A franchise was born which would see two official sequels and a 2009 remake, but most fans of the series will always be particularly fond of the original film.
Night of the Demons takes place on Halloween night, with party girls Angela (Amelia Kinkade) and Suzanne (Linnea Quigley) throwing a holiday bash in an abandoned mortuary called Hull House. Many of their costumed friends come along, including our final girl Judy (Cathy Podewell) in an Alice in Wonderland outfit. When the teenage group decides to hold a séance in the building, a demonic force lurking within awakens. It quickly possesses both Angela and Suzanne, turning them into murderous, bloodthirsty demons.
From here on out, the party girls begin killing off their friends, turning each of them into demons as well. As they’re able to hide the evil within, many victims aren’t even aware of what’s happening until it’s too late. When the teenagers die, the number of demons increases, leaving Judy and her friend Rodger (Alvin Alexis), an unlikely survivor, as the only ones left alive. Their attempts to escape from Hull House and its growing army of demons bring about some really intense moments as the pair desperately tries to hold out until dawn.
There are many very memorable scenes in this film that have stuck with viewers for decades. A demonic Stooge (Hal Havins) in his pig mask ruthlessly murdering two fornicating teens in a casket was a horrifying visual. Angela’s intriguing dance scene is perhaps the most legendary in horror history. The unexpected epilogue of the film, with the bitter old man being fed his comeuppance with razor-infused apple pie, is also impossible to forget. And let’s just say nobody has ever looked at pink lipstick quite the same after that makeup scene with Suzanne!
Here are a few fun behind-the-scenes facts about the film:
- The same shooting location was used for the first sequel
- Linnea Quigley married the film’s FX artist Steve Johnson
- The film was originally titled Halloween Party
- Amelia Kinkade was cast because of her dancing in a Stray Cats music video
- The Golden Girls actress Rue McClanahan is Kinkade’s aunt and visited the set
Amelia Kinkade would reprise the role of Angela for both sequels, and each is enjoyable in its own way. The 2009 remake, with Shannon Elizabeth taking over the part, is surprisingly entertaining as well. All four of the films will be thoroughly explored in the upcoming documentary, The Party’s Just Begun: The Legacy of Night of the Demons. The film is set for release in 2019, and you can keep up with its progress on Facebook.
Night of the Demons is a movie that needs to be watched every Halloween season. The film was previously released on Blu-ray by Shout Factory in 2014, however, an all-new Limited Edition Steelbook with an Angela action figure is set to be released in October. If you haven’t seen it in a while – or if you’ve never seen it – give it a watch! The cult classic holds up well and is just as amazing now as it was 30 years ago.
