A Halloween party in an abandoned funeral parlor turns into a fight to make it to sunrise in Night of the Demons (1988). The guests unleash a demon during a séance, and their friends become its next hosts.
The movie delivers its Halloween atmosphere with a synth score, elaborate creature makeup, and plenty of practical gore.
Amelia Kinkade plays Angela, the goth teen hosting the party at Hull House, a former funeral parlor with a reputation for being cursed. Her guests are high school students treating the séance as entertainment. It releases something from the building’s crematorium, and the possessions spread through the group as the survivors try to escape.
Linnea Quigley plays Angela’s friend Suzanne, whose infamous lipstick scene is among the film’s practical-effects showcases. Cathy Podewell plays the more reserved Judy.
Steve Johnson’s makeup effects give the demonic transformations their gruesome detail, while animated opening credits and a darkly comic bookend involving razor-blade apples add to the Halloween setting.
Director Kevin S. Tenney and writer-producer Joe Augustyn built the low-budget supernatural horror movie around a mix of teen-party antics, haunted-house danger, and outrageous violence. Its campy performances and raunchy humor make it an easy fit for a Halloween horror night with friends.
Reviews were mixed when it arrived in 1988, with critics taking issue with its familiar ideas and clichés. It went on to develop a cult following, spawning sequels and a 2009 remake.
