Night Of The Demons (1988)(2025 Redo)

 

**This post contains MINOR spoilers**

The Story- On Halloween night, Angela (Amelia Kinkade), with some help from her friend, Suzanne (Linnea Quigley), prepares for a Halloween party at Hull House, an isolated and abandoned funeral home. “Scaring the shit out of” her guests is Angela’s main goal. Judy (Cathy Podewell), Rodger (Alvin Alexis), Helen (Allison Barron), Stooge (Hal Havins), Jay (Lance Fenton), Max (Philip Tanzini), and his girlfriend, Frannie (Jill Terashita) are all invited, but Sal (William Gallo) sneaks in at the last minute. 

A bum stereo temporarily dampens the mood, but Frannie suggests a past life seance. After the seance, the party takes a dark turn, when the group unknowingly unleashes a demon… 

My Thoughts- If you take one look at Angela and Suzanne, you’d never guess the two of them are friends. Linnea Quigley brings a bubbly and enthusiastic spark to Suzanne. She fits the bill for being a wild party girl. 

Angela? You can tell she’s someone, who takes pride in being an outsider, or as Judy says the “weirdo.” Amelia Kinkade’s confident and sharp performance as Angela is just so fun to watch. She relishes in being the evil ring leader after Suzanne passes the demon to her. Angela smiling at Sal after the possession takes a hold of her sticks out as a big moment. It’s a devilish smile, because Angela knows she’s about to cause a lot of trouble. 

But there’s one scene, where Kinkade shows some believable vulnerability. After the seance, Angela realizes the group is in serious danger. Angela is scared, and she realizes she made a mistake. Angela is one of my all-time favorites for horror movie characters. The black wedding dress is a great look for her, and she’s one of those characters that I always have a hard time picturing anyone else playing, because Kinkade is simply phenomenal as Angela. 

Night Of The Demons has a high death count, but it’s not a case where the characters are too thin or disposable, because EVERYONE adds something to the movie. Cathy Podewell nails Judy, playing a humble and innocent protagonist, with a hopeful and positive personality. Judy dressed as Alice from Alice in Wonderland just works on so many levels. Podewell has the perfect look to resemble Alice. On top of that, Judy is stuck in a living nightmare, a nightmare, where’s she forced to fight to stay alive.

For years I couldn’t stand Rodger. He constantly freaks out and panics, he’s whiny, and running away is usually Rodger’s first choice over helping out, or taking a stand to fight. But you know what? I get it now. Imagine being trapped inside an old funeral home, and your possessed friends are trying to kill you. That’s terrifying, so of course Rodger is scared. 

Rodger is smart. While everyone else was more concerned with partying and sex, Rodger was focused on surviving and looking for a way to escape. Rodger’s reactions to everything going on inside Hull House? The way he reacts feels more realistic for how any normal human being would respond to dealing with an unprecedented situation and supernatural threats. 

Stooge? Yes, he’s a wild party animal, and he’s also an asshole. But it’s not that simple with Stooge, because you get the feeling Stooge is someone, who tries way too hard to fit in with the cool kids. There’s one scene, where Suzanne locks herself in the bathroom. Stooge sounds upset and frustrated that he can’t get in. You can hear that disappointed whimper in Hal Havins’ voice, the one moment, where the mask falls off for Stooge.

William Gallo confidently plays the kid, who’s too cool for school and the rebel tough guy, but Sal turns the corner to become one of the heroes towards the end. Lance Fenton’s Jay is kind of a tool, who takes himself too seriously, the guy, who runs into a big problem, because he’s obsessed with chasing sex. 

Philip Tanzini’s Max has an important role here. Max is a jokester, with a snappy and upbeat sense of humor, but he’s also the storyteller, explaining the dark history behind Hull House, and “Old Man Hull’s” unusual lifestyle. And kudos to Donnie Jeffcoat Jr. for a few good laughs during his brief screen time as Billy, Judy’s obnoxious and bratty younger brother.

Hull House is the perfect setting for Night Of The Demons, the old funeral home in the middle of nowhere. Cobwebs, it’s dirty, quiet, and there’s an eerie spookiness throughout Hull House. It’s bad enough you’re being hunted and chased around by demons, and to make matters worse, you’re miles away from civilization. 

The house is not haunted, it’s possessed! Another important layer for Hull House, because emphasizing the dangers of a possessed house over a haunted house separates Night Of The Demons from other haunting films, adding a refreshing nugget to the story. Scary stuff, because Hull House is the absolute last place anyone wants to be, demons or no demons.

Going by Max’s stories, Mr. Hull was obviously a weird and creepy dude, who lived a strange lifestyle. The underground running stream working as a barrier to prevent any demons from leaving Hull House is another nice touch. Screenwriter Joe Augustyn puts a lot of effort into building up the dark mystique of Hull House, stepping over the line for an ordinary abandoned building, and crossing into hell on earth territory. 

Night Of The Demons has a fantastic soundtrack, and each song perfectly complements certain scenes and moments throughout the movie. Computer Date for the start of the party, The Beast Inside for Stooge and Angela’s brief slow dance, and my top pick goes to Stigmata Martyr during Angela’s electric dance in front of Sal.

I can’t say enough about the excellent practical and makeup effects here. So many great picks to choose from, but one that always sticks out for me is, Suzanne pushing the tube of the lipstick into her boob. It’s not just the fact that she did it, but Linnea Quigley jamming her finger all the way inside really adds to the squirming reaction they were going for. Angela “warming her hands in the fire”? Truly a gnarly and shocking moment.

Two big problems with the missing gate and the window. Big plot holes, but Night Of The Demons is still a fun horror comedy. Just the right amount of cheesiness, consistent laughs, and the morbid humor is hilarious. Each character has their own unique brand of comedy, and Stooge (“EAT A BOWL OF FUCK! I AM HERE TO PARTYYYY!”) is easily one of my favorites. And that miserable old codger got what he deserved in the end. 

Night Of The Demons is a great hidden gem, if you’re into 80’s horror movies. And thirty-seven years later, Night Of The Demons still has one of the best horror movie intros!

Rating- 9/10

Night Of The Demons (1988)(2025 Redo)

 

**This post contains spoilers**

The Story- On Halloween night, Angela (Amelia Kinkade), with some help from her friend, Suzanne (Linnea Quigley), prepares for a Halloween party at Hull House, an isolated and abandoned funeral home. “Scaring the shit out of” her guests is Angela’s main goal. Judy (Cathy Podewell), Rodger (Alvin Alexis), Helen (Allison Barron), Stooge (Hal Havins), Jay (Lance Fenton), Max (Philip Tanzini), and his girlfriend, Frannie (Jill Terashita) are all invited, but Sal (William Gallo) sneaks in at the last minute. 

A bum stereo temporarily dampens the mood, but Frannie suggests a past life seance. After the seance, the party takes a dark turn, when the group unknowingly unleashes a demon… 

My Thoughts- If you take one look at Angela and Suzanne, you’d never guess the two of them are friends. Linnea Quigley brings a bubbly and enthusiastic spark to Suzanne. She fits the bill for being a wild party girl. 

Angela? You can tell she’s someone, who takes pride in being an outsider, or as Judy says the “weirdo.” Amelia Kinkade’s confident and sharp performance as Angela is just so fun to watch. She relishes in being the evil ring leader after Suzanne passes the demon to her. Angela smiling at Sal after the possession takes a hold of her sticks out as a big moment. It’s a devilish smile, because Angela knows she’s about to cause a lot of trouble. 

But there’s one scene, where Kinkade shows some believable vulnerability. After the seance, Angela realizes the group is in serious danger. Angela is scared, and she realizes she made a mistake. Angela is one of my all-time favorites for horror movie characters. The black wedding dress is a great look for her, and she’s one of those characters that I always have a hard time picturing anyone else playing, because Kinkade is simply phenomenal as Angela. 

Night Of The Demons has a high death count, but it’s not a case where the characters are too thin or disposable, because EVERYONE adds something to the movie. Cathy Podewell nails Judy, playing a humble and innocent protagonist, with a hopeful and positive personality. Judy dressed as Alice from Alice in Wonderland just works on so many levels. Podewell has the perfect look to resemble Alice. On top of that, Judy is stuck in a living nightmare, a nightmare, where’s she forced to fight to stay alive.

For years I couldn’t stand Rodger. He constantly freaks out and panics, he’s whiny, and running away is usually Rodger’s first choice over helping out, or taking a stand to fight. But you know what? I get it now. Imagine being trapped inside an old funeral home, and your possessed friends are trying to kill you. That’s terrifying, so of course Rodger is scared. 

Rodger is smart. While everyone else was more concerned with partying and sex, Rodger was focused on surviving and looking for a way to escape. Rodger’s reactions to everything going on inside Hull House? The way he reacts feels more realistic for how any normal human being would respond to dealing with an unprecedented situation and supernatural threats. 

Stooge? Yes, he’s a party animal, and he’s also an asshole. But it’s not that simple with Stooge, because you get the feeling Stooge is someone, who tries way too hard to fit in with the cool kids. There’s one scene, where Suzanne locks herself in the bathroom. Stooge sounds upset and frustrated that he can’t get in. You can hear that disappointed whimper in Hal Havins’ voice, the one moment, where the mask falls off for Stooge.

William Gallo confidently plays the kid, who’s too cool for school and the rebel tough guy, but Sal turns the corner to become one of the heroes towards the end. Lance Fenton’s Jay is kind of a tool, who takes himself too seriously, the guy, who runs into a big problem, because he’s obsessed with chasing sex. 

Philip Tanzini’s Max has an important role here. Max is a jokester, with a snappy and upbeat sense of humor, but he’s also the storyteller, explaining the dark history behind Hull House, and “Old Man Hull’s” unusual lifestyle. And kudos to Donnie Jeffcoat Jr. for a few good laughs during his brief screen time as Billy, Judy’s obnoxious and bratty younger brother.

Hull House is the perfect setting for Night Of The Demons, the old funeral home in the middle of nowhere. Cobwebs, it’s dirty, quiet, and there’s an eerie spookiness throughout Hull House. It’s bad enough you’re being hunted and chased around by demons, and to make matters worse, you’re miles away from civilization. 

The house is not haunted, it’s possessed! Another important layer for Hull House, because emphasizing the dangers of a possessed house over a haunted house separates Night Of The Demons from other haunting films, adding a refreshing nugget to the story. Scary stuff, because Hull House is the absolute last place anyone wants to be, demons or no demons.

Going by Max’s stories, Mr. Hull was obviously a weird and creepy dude, who lived a strange lifestyle. The underground running stream working as a barrier to prevent any demons from leaving Hull House is another nice touch. Screenwriter Joe Augustyn puts a lot of effort into building up the dark mystique of Hull House, stepping over the line for an ordinary abandoned building, and crossing into hell on earth territory. 

WHERE’S THE GATE! Escaping Hull House is the main goal, when the madness starts, but the gate disappears? Rodger, digging deep to find his courage to save Judy (“Climb girl, climb!”), works as a good moment of redemption for him. 

But here’s my problem with it, if Rodger and Judy managed to escape by climbing over the wall, then why didn’t everyone, or anyone else try it earlier? What was the point of harping on the gate that magically disappeared as the only means of escaping Hull House? Taking a few steps backwards, Rodger jumps through a window to get outside. Okay, again, WHY didn’t anyone think of jumping through the window, or breaking the glass to get outside? 

Judy and Rodger, exhausted, beaten up and worn down, walking together, and holding hands after sunrise as the only two survivors, is a great visual. Still, it’s impossible to ignore the massive plot holes surrounding the gate (they never give an explanation for why the gate vanished) and the window. 

Night Of The Demons has a fantastic soundtrack, and each song perfectly complements certain scenes and moments throughout the movie. Computer Date for the start of the party, The Beast Inside for Stooge and Angela’s brief slow dance, and my top pick goes to Stigmata Martyr during Angela’s electric dance in front of Sal.

I can’t say enough about the excellent practical and makeup effects here. So many great picks to choose from, but one that always sticks out for me is, Suzanne pushing the tube of the lipstick into her boob. It’s not just the fact that she did it, but Linnea Quigley jamming her finger all the way inside really adds to the squirming reaction they were going for. Angela “warming her hands in the fire”? Truly a gnarly and shocking moment. The razor blades bulging out of the old man’s neck during the final moments? The blood oozing out, and that excruciating look of pain on Harold Ayer’s face lets you know the old man suffered during that scene.

Two big problems with the missing gate and the window. Big plot holes, but Night Of The Demons is still a fun horror comedy. Just the right amount of cheesiness, consistent laughs, and the morbid humor is hilarious. I always laugh at Sal’s tombstone, because the date for his death is marked as “tonight.” Each character has their own unique brand of comedy, and Stooge (“EAT A BOWL OF FUCK! I AM HERE TO PARTYYYY!”) is easily one of my favorites. And that miserable old codger got what he deserved in the end. 

Night Of The Demons is a great hidden gem, if you’re into 80’s horror movies. And thirty-seven years later, Night Of The Demons still has one of the best horror movie intros!

Rating- 9/10

Character Spotlight- Rodger- Night Of The Demons (1988)

 

**This post contains spoilers**

Hull House is crawling with demons! Run, hide, or fight? Well, panic is Rodger’s (Alvin Alexis) first reaction to everything that happens inside and outside of Hull House. If he can’t run from danger, Rodger will do his best to find the best or any available hiding spots, hoping to wait it out until sunrise. 

Suzanne (Linnea Quigley), Sal (William Gallo), Stooge (Hal Havins), Jay (Lance Fenton), Frannie (Jill Terashita), and Max (Philip Tanzini) were all more concerned with partying and sex. Judy (Cathy Podewell) and Helen (Allison Barron)? They knew something was wrong. And Helen actually saw the demon in the mirror.

Rodger? He warned everyone about the dangers of Frannie’s suggested past life séance. Rodger, the son of a preacher, knows playing around with supernatural evil forces is a bad idea. Notice how seriously Rodger approaches everything compared to everyone else. When Angela (Amelia Kinkade) starts the past life séance, Rodger is the only one, who turns his back to the mirror. He didn’t want to take ANY chances of getting caught up in the madness. 

Rodger, with a justifiably nervous Helen, tried to leave Hull House before anyone else. Sure, Sal eventually realized something was off after Angela’s dance and a bizarre encounter with Suzanne, but it’s a case of too little, too late. 

Is Rodger a coward? He did break Judy’s fall from the roof, but it’s hard to ignore the fact that he bailed on her more than once, when the duo was cornered by demons. The scene in the crematorium? Judy is pushing to escape, to quickly find a way out. Rodger wants to sit and pray, and he’s too scared to make a move.

It’s easy to wag the finger of shame at Rodger. Judy and Sal constantly try to motivate and reassure Rodger, but nothing clicks. He still panics, leading to one conclusion: Rodger is a chicken, who’s only concerned with saving himself. Or maybe he’s not? Imagine this, you’re basically trapped inside a creepy and abandoned funeral home. Your best friends are possessed by demons, and they’re all trying to kill you. On top of all that, you only have a slim chance of making it out alive, IF you can outrun and possibly outsmart Angela and her entire crew until sunrise.

That’s A LOT to deal with, so staying calm, or trying to be the brave hero isn’t so easy. For years, he was an annoying character for me, but if you really pay attention, there’s some strong realism for Rodger’s mindset throughout the movie. He’s reacting and responding how almost anyone would, if they were being chased and hunted by demons. 

Alvin Alexis delivers a convincing performance. You can believe Rodger is genuinely scared. Alexis plays a guy, who’s ready to jump out of his own skin, but Rodger also does whatever it takes to survive, including jumping through a window. Alexis’ performance is also good for a few laughs. Rodger’s outbursts are hilarious, ripping on Stooge, and some chuckles for Rodger bolting at the first signs of trouble. 

It’s also ironic how Rodger winds up being the hero to save Judy (“Climb, girl climb!”) during the finale. Yes, Rodger hesitated. He almost ran away, but he found just enough courage to come back and rescue Judy. You can say a lot about Rodger. He’s a wuss, a chicken, or you could say he’s selfish. Still, what’s important about the ending to his story? The one thing Helen, Stooge, Max, Jay, Frannie, Sal, and Suzanne couldn’t do? Rodger survived. 

Character Spotlight- Angela Franklin & Angela Feld- Night Of The Demons

**This post contains spoilers**

It's Halloween night, and with some help from her friend, Suzanne (Linnea Quigley), Angela Franklin (Amelia Kinkade) plans to throw an unforgettable Halloween party. Angela is not interested in fake cobwebs, bobbing for apples, or a group circle for cheesy ghost stories, while the storyteller holds a flashlight up to his or her face, with a scrunched look to top it off. No, Angela wants authenticity, so she chooses Hull House, an abandoned funeral home with a dark past, for the party's location.

Angela's guest list (with the exception of an uninvited Sal crashing the party) includes Judy (Cathy Podewell), her boyfriend, Jay (Lance Fenton), Roger (Alvin Alexis), Helen (Allison Barron), Stooge (Hal Havins), Sal (William Gallo), Max (Philip Tanzini), and his girlfriend, Frannie (Jill Terashita), and the group enjoys music, booze, and dancing. The vibrant atmosphere for the party dwindles after a few hiccups, but things pick up, when Frannie suggests a past lives seance. But the seance takes an unexpected turn for the worst, when the group unleashes a demon from Hull House's crematorium.

Is Angela the popular kid at school? Nope. Angela Franklin is an outcast, or if you listen to Judy, she's a "weirdo." Angela chooses a black wedding dress as a costume, and her Gothic style look and her make-up complements her persona, as a confident vixen. She's an enthusiast for the dark side and mischievous mayhem, and Angela relishes the opportunity to show-off her newfound powers, when Suzanne passes the demon to her with one kiss.


                            

Demonized Angela terrorizes her party guests during the fiasco at Hull House, and Angela has a grotesque appearance in her demon form, but in her normal human form, Angela uses seduction as a weapon for her male victims. After Angela performed a sultry dance in front of him, Sal was smart enough to notice something strange. Sal walked away to avoid Angela's trap, but a gullible Stooge couldn't resist Angela, and he lost his tongue, as Angela passed the demon to him. Let's take a minute to admire Amelia Kinkade's memorable dance scene:

                                      


Kinkade takes center stage with a charismatic performance, and she establishes her presence in the Night Of The Demons series, as the devious primary antagonist with a dark sense of humor in Night Of The Demons 1988. Roger and Judy were lucky enough to walk away from a rough night with bumps, bruises, and scars during sunrise, and after a bloody night of carnage, Angela is stuck at Hull House (Remember the underground stream at the gates of Hull House? Demons can't cross over running water). Still, Angela is not done yet, so it's time to fast forward to Night Of The Demons 2!


                                    

In Night Of The Demons 2, the mythos of Angela has evolved past the point of some freak occurrence at Hull House or a gruesome massacre from Angela after the events in the first film. Now, Angela Franklin fully embraces her status, as the malicious bogeywoman, who haunts the halls of Hull House, and in the sequel Angela has a new mission: She wants to sacrifice her estranged sister, Melissa (or "Mouse"). First, Angela has to overcome a few small hurdles, because Melissa is a student at St. Rita's Academy, and Angela misses her first opportunity to grab Melissa inside Hull House   
during Shirley Finnerty's prank/party.

Eventually, Angela manipulates Melissa into believing she wants to reconnect with her, so Melissa follows Angela to Hull House, forcing Sister Gloria to lead a rescue mission to save Melissa. Before and during the rescue mission, Angela pulls out a familiar bag of tricks, including seduction to torment, possess, and murder the students (and Rick and Z-boy) of St. Rita's Academy. And for some reason, Angela uses a sword as a weapon here. Yes, you can say it's a cool accessory for her character, but there's no explanation for it, how Angela acquired the sword, or who gave it to her, but for some strange reason Angela has a sword? Okay then.

Kinkade delivers another entertaining performance, and she has her moments as Angela in NOD 2. My only complaint is the sequel trying to recreate Angela's dance scene from the first film. It happens during Angela's invasion at St. Rita's Academy, and during the Halloween party, Angela puts on a show with another sexy dance, but the moment falls flat for me, and it's not Kinkade's fault. The music is terrible, it kills the mood for Angela stealing the show, and everything feels forced.  

In the end, Melissa comes to her senses ("My name is Melissa!"), when she stabs Angela in her lower abdomen, causing a crippling wound. And with some help from Johnny, Bibi, and Sister Gloria, Melissa finally defeats Angela (in a more imposing form, as a large snake), but we're talking about horror films, so Angela has to make another inexplicable comeback in Night Of The Demons 3, right?  

                                  

Well, it's Halloween night, and Angela is all alone and bored inside Hull House, so she has to have some fun. After a shootout at a convenience store, Vince leads a reluctant group to Hull House, but Angela flips the script, when Vince plans to use Hull House as a hideout.

                              


Kinkade's presence and her performance are on a short, short list of a highlights in Night Of The Demons 3 (or Demon House), a lousy and forgettable sequel. Kinkade delivers another classic Angela moment, when she disarms Orson (figuratively and literally) after she performs fellatio on his gun. Also, Angela has another dance scene in NOD 3, but it's nothing to brag about. Kinkade tries to hold this one together, as the anchor for a sinking ship in NOD 3, but she's not a miracle worker.

Angela toys with another set of dimwits and a few unlikely heroes (Holly and Nick) in NOD 3. And of course, Part 3 leaves us with another "it's not over yet" cliffhanger after Holly and Nick "defeat" Angela, when Angela's voice wishes the audience a "Happy Halloween" with a sinister laugh before the credits roll.

Remember the eccentric outsider in Night Of The Demons 1988? Well, things change in the 2009 remake.

                                 


Angela Feld (Shannon Elizabeth) is not an outcast. She's a cocky party girl, who's not afraid to take what she wants. Angela hosts a Halloween bash at The Broussard Family Mansion, and Angela gives herself a grand entrance for officiall kick-off. But when Diana steals the money, and when the cops pull the plug on the party, Angela is stuck in a miserable dilemma.

Maddie, Lily, Jason, Dex, Colin, and Suzanne join Angela as stranded party guests, and all hell breaks loose, when a skeleton in the basement bites Angela's finger. The demon eventually possesses Angela's body, and when Angela passes the demon to Dex during a game of spin the bottle, she unleashes the demon's vicious wrath, sparking a chaotic life-or-death struggle for Maddie, Jason, and Colin.

                              


Shannon Elizabeth's Angela is more arrogant in the remake, and if you're wondering, yes, Angela uses seduction as a weapon here (just ask Suzanne and Dex). Angela is still the ringleader for her demon minions in the remake, and you'll see a more intimidating demonized form for Angela here. Elizabeth delivers an entertaining performance as Angela, and one of the more memorable Angela moments happens, when Angela taunts Maddie, as she reveals her plans to mutilate Colin before she turns him, while Maddie, Jason, and Colin are hiding in the upstairs bedroom protected by the maid's spells.

The 2009 remake is a solid and enjoyable film, but it's hard to ignore a missed opportunity for a one on one final battle between Angela and Maddie. A more ferocious and aggressive version of Angela facing off against Monica Keena, a woman with a reputation for being a tough and resilient final girl in horror films? Sign me up! 

If we're talking about popularity and legacies, you can't put Angela in the upper echelon with the likes of  Myers, Jason, and Krueger, but she definitely deserves a spot on the all-time list for forgotten or obscure horror characters. Charisma, a dark sense of humor, a never ending appetite for carnage, and sex appeal? Yep. As a character, Angela has everything any horror fan could ask for and more, but if she tries to offer you a kiss or a dance, saying no is the best option, because there's a good chance you'll lose your tongue (Stooge), your face (2009 Suzanne), or your soul.  


If you're interested, you can follow the links below to read my reviews for Night Of The Demons (1988), Night Of The Demons 2, Night Of The Demons 3, the 2009 remake, and a Character Spotlight post for Melissa "Mouse" Franklin:

Night Of The Demons (1988)- http://mitchmacready.blogspot.com/2012/11/night-of-demons-1988.html

Night Of The Demons 2- http://mitchmacready.blogspot.com/2012/11/night-of-demons-1994.html

Night Of The Demons 3/Demon House- http://mitchmacready.blogspot.com/2012/11/night-of-demons-3demon-house-1997.html

Character Spotlight for Melissa Franklin- http://mitchmacready.blogspot.com/2014/03/character-spotlight-melissa-mouse.html

Twitter- https://twitter.com/LQuigleyFan1

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/mitch.macready