Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Night of the Demon (1980)

Professor Nugent wakes up in a hospital bed with a bandage covering the bottom half of his head. For a man who's been horribly mutilated and severely burned, he's pretty cheery and has no problem speaking. It's amusing to watch since when he speaks nothing moves on screen except for an occasional slight flutter of the bandage.

The Professor was found wandering in the woods and the police want the story on what happened to the five students  that went camping with him.  Nugent is eager to talk and in a flashback which lasts almost the whole movie, we learn that he took some students into the woods to learn about Bigfoot. (If I believe the B-movies, there are a surprising number of professors who teach classes in Bigfoot Studies.)  Also on the trip is Carla, whose father was murdered by Bigfoot.  That's right, I said murdered.

The group heads to Carlson's landing, where they attempt to talk to Mr. Carlson.  Apparently he provided information about Bigfoot in a letter, which is never explained. It seems like this letter about Bigfoot must have been found during their research than actually sent to them since Carlson is aloof, doesn't seem to want them there, and disappears into the woods claiming he's going hunting. In an incredibly awkward decision, the group sets up their tents and decides to camp on his lawn.

Later that night one of the students has a conversation with Carlson who mentions a woman named Crazy Wanda who lives deep in the woods.  While in town for supplies, Professor Nugent and his students scour the town for info about Wanda. Surprisingly the small town folks are more than happy to tell talk about her.  The group is told that Wanda hasn't spoken since her Daddy died, which was right around the time she gave birth to a baby that was deformed.

As their Bigfoot adventures continue, Nugent and his students stumble across a strange ceremony in the woods which involves the Sheriff, their boat disappears, there are multiple flashbacks (keep in mind we are already in a flashback), stories are told of previous killings by Bigfoot, and things get even weirder when they finally locate the home of Crazy Wanda deep in the woods.

So if you go in the woods, watch out for freakin' Bigfoot. Because according to this movie Bigfoot is way more dangerous than anyone would think.  Apparently he might take an ax to you, twirl you in a sleeping bag over his head, or rip your penis off.  So that's different. And if you're a Girl Scout, he hates you too.  My advice to the Girl Scouts is that if you're each holding a knife, and Bigfoot starts smashing you into each other, drop the damn knives.  It may save your life.

This is a ridiculous, crazy, sort of boring, sometimes laughable film.

Nothing awkward about this
He's been mutilated and burned, but only on the bottom half
of his face and amazingly his bandage is still clean
Hi cranky loner, we've decided to camp in your yard.
Bigfoot doing what he does best - swing a sleeping bag
above his head and killing a camper 
From the back - woodland creature covered in hair,
from the front - shaved caveman.
Classic Bigfoot-vision
Oh no, I don't want to die like my father.

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