USA, 1977 [production], 1983 [copyright]
95m (UK), 97m (USA)
35mm film, “filmed in Metrocolor”
English
An American horror film directed by James C. Wasson and, in the UK, one of the films on the “video nasties” list. Variety 1Variety 29 October 1980 p.24 claimed that it was shot as early as 1971 under the title The Touch of Melissa and that it was originally released in 1972 as The Curse of Melissa, though the film they’re referring to is actually The Touch of Satan (1971).
Plot Summary
A college professor leads a group of his students on an expedition into the woods in search of the legendary Bigfoot. Inevitably, very few of them are destined to come back alive after the interrupt a black magic ceremony and then encounter the beast itself.
Credits
Crew
Directed by: James C. Wasson
Copyright not shown on screen. The earliest record on the US Copyright Office database is for 10 October 1983 in the names of Alden Company, Inc. and V C II, Inc. though the film was actually made several years earlier.
Amity Entertainment. Jim L. Ball presents an Aldan Company production (opening credits) A Jim L. Ball production for The Aldan Company Incorporated Hollywood, California
Produced by: Jim L. Ball
Screenplay: Mike Williams
From a Story by: Jim L. Ball
Director of Photography: John Quick
2nd Unit Crew Assistant Cameraman: David Essex
Grips: Craig Agins, Craig Johnson, Mitch Howard
Editor: Joy Rencher’s Editorial Services
Music Composed/Performed: Stuart Hardy
Sound by: Fred Ginsburg
2nd Unit Crew Sound Recordist: Ana Krupa
Make-up: Curry Bushnell
Special Effects: Susan Brott
Opticals by M-G-M
Art Director: David Gooch
Cast
Michael J. Cutt
Joy Allen
Bob Collins
Jodi Lazarus
Richard Fields
Michael Lang
Melanie Graham as Wanda
Shannon Cooper
Paul Kelleher
Ray Jarris
William F. Nugent
Lynn Eastman as Susan Nugent
Dix Turner, Bunny Bernhardt, Fred Owens, Heather Eide, Virginia English, Mark Olay (the townspeople)
Eugene Dow (Dr Paxton)
Don Hurst (Dr Hanla)
Terry Wilson (Inspector Block)
Kathy Stilmac (girl scout jr)
Renata Lee (girl scout sr)
Philip Boyd (hunter)
Mark Phalan (woodsman)
Sally Swift (van lover)
Greg Langdon (van lover)
Rob Camp (motorcyclist)
Shane Dixon (monster (2nd unit))
Alternative Titles
Der Teufel tanzt weiter – West Germany
Noc demona – Poland
Links
Extracts included in
Ban the Sadist Videos! (2005)
References
Periodicals
- The Dark Side May 1992 p.26 – review
- In the Flesh 11 p.7 – review
- Sight and Sound vol.3 no.12 (December 1993) p.63 – video review (by Peter Dean)
Books
- Horror and Science Fiction Films II by Donald C. Willis p.280
- The Mammoth Book of Slasher Movies: An A-Z Guide to Over Sixty Years of Blood and Guts by Peter Normanton pp.331-332
