Big mistake to show the demon

I don't know, those scenes where we see the demon from the distance were pretty creepy.

I don't think that the demon should have been shown. Takes away the natural creepiness of the film somehow. For me anyway.

I remember as a kid reading an old book about horror films (probably published 60s) that said Tourneur was either forced by the studio to add the image of the demon or the studio added the image after it was completed. Can't remember which; but I do remember Tourneur didn't want it. He wanted the mood to carry it.

Not showing the Demon at all, as Tourneur wanted (having been influenced in the horror genre by Val Lewton) wouldn't have worked, in my opinion. Showing it in full only at the very end would have been best. And perhaps with fewer appearances, the budget for Demon models/masks could have gone farther, giving us a much better Demon.

Though knowing the Demon was real from the start did add something to the whole story. When you know the whole time that Holden is wrong about Karswell being a phony, and is walking closer and closer to a diabolical fate, it ratchets up the suspense.

I saw the movie last weekend, coming in during the airplane scene. I was really enjoying it until they showed the monster. It rather spoiled the movie for me.

You're right. Another scary scene is where Holden is in the hotel corridor,eery noise but no monster in sight but very frightening.

I think they showed it too soon. It would've been better if we were unsure whether or not everything that happened was coincidence until the end. But the demon was so cool looking (especially for 1957) that it didn't really hurt the film for me. I still enjoyed it very much.

Yes, although I could have been okay with just a distant view. The close up with really cheesey.



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