Night of the Demon

Carroll defines the horror genre based on two main components: the first is a supernatural, disgusting monster and the second is a complex discovery plot. In the film "Night of the Demon", the monster is made apparent in the opening scene. It obviously meets all of the criteria for a monster in that it is fearsome, disgusting, and obviously unexplainable by science. The complex discovery plot is also apparent throughout the film. With both of these criteria for a horror story met, Carroll would most definitely consider "Night of the Demon" to be in the horror genre.
I, too, think that the film could be placed within the horror genre. However, I disagree with Carroll's reasoning. For myself, I would place "Night of the Demon" in the horror genre specifically because the creators of the film had it as their main agenda to evoke fear onto audiences. That, to me, is the only important factor when trying to classify a film or story in the genre.
"Night of the Demon" also does a very good job of delivering the emotional response that Carroll identifies as a characteristic of the horror genre. According to Carroll, it is important that the story makes the audience sympathize with the characters' predicament and fear for their fate. Especially since the demon was actually shown on film in the very beginning of the film so the audience knows without doubt that the demon exists, they become even more worried that the characters will fall victim to the sinister plot of Karswell. There is certainly a sense of "cosmic fear" as well. This is seen by Karswell's tampering with this black magic throughout the film, which is obviously outside of his full understanding or control since ultimately it is what kills him. Audiences aren't entirely sure what powers he possesses, or the outcomes that will follow as he uses those powers.
The film utilizes both the Complex Discovery Plot and the Overreacher Plot Carroll defined. The onset, again, is the opening scene of the film where the monster is seen and made apparent to audiences. The discovery aspect happens over time as more and more supernatural things begin to occur and the characters of the film slowly but surely allow themselves to believe in the black magic taking place. The confirmation is the end result as both Joanna and Dr. Holden believe that the monster truly exists. The confrontation aspect of the complex discovery plot typically involves the characters battling the monster to survive. This doesn't directly happen in the film, however, it can be argued that they are fighting the monster by trying to trick Karswell into taking back the ancient parchment. The Overreacher Plot is typically defined as the protagonist of the film delving into forbidden knowledge, using that knowledge, then dealing with the consequences. However, in "Night of the Demon," it is Karswell, the antagonist, who is actually using the black magic. It can still be argued, however, that even Dr. Holden deals in black magic since he wants the ancient book to learn about it and then he uses the parchment's abilities at the end to trick Karswell.
The most suspenseful scene of the film in my opinion is the end scene on the train. The clock slowly dwindles down as Holden and Joanna chase down Karswell and attempt to pass the parchment back to him. Karswell refuses again and again until the audience believes there is no longer hope for Holden. Then ultimately, Holden is able to pass the parchment back to Karswell in his jacket. Throughout the entire scene, the audience is led to believe that Holden will be unable to pass Karswell the parchment because time is running out and Karswell refuses, knowing what will happen if the parchment is returned. Thus, the morally disturbing outcome is expected during the entire scene.
I do not believe that there are any social, political, or moral themes within the film. I believe the creators specifically made it to be a horror film and nothing more. Perhaps a small Lovecraftian theme tied in in terms of meddling with the supernatural, but overall it was only meant to frighten viewers.
Tourneur employed sound very well in the film to heighten the sense of fear of the demon appearing again. Another technique used was the camera angle. Specifically in the scene where Holden snuck into Karswell's mansion to find the book, Tourneur uses angles throughout to make audiences believe that Holden was being watched. In fact, they even placed an eerie, unexplained hand in the scenes to convey the idea that perhaps the demon was there in the mansion with him.