This is indeed a modern reworking of "Casting the Runes," and, unless I missed it, the source material was uncredited in the episode (unusual for The CBS Radio Mystery Theater), so kudos to this website for observing this. Very satisfying ending. Thriller, questioned supernatural elements.

A man is incensed that his book on witchcraft and the occult is panned by a critic. How vows that he will bring the very forces that are ridiculed by the reviewer, to exact his revenge.

A demon expert vs. a reviewer who turns tough, smart and the tables. Great characterizations and acting.

Another radio version of "Casting the Runes" by M.R. James. Better than the perfunctory Red Room Ghost Stories version... Not quite as good as the Escape episode. Interestingly enough the finale mirrors that of the film "Curse of the Demon" in which the demonologist Karswell is also... hit by a train. The film is the best adaptation of this story to date. The film version is "Curse of the Demon" anybody has missed this film, Halloween is just around the corner and that's a good excuse to add it to your collection. In fact this adaptation is very much a combination of the film and the original story. I can understand some of the changes but not the almost complete lack of anything to support the supposed stalking of the protagonist by a supernatural force. He says he feels like he's being stalked but it never comes across with any force. Maybe the sound effect used in The Horla was a bit weak but it was better than nothing to suggest the presence of something unseen. A lot of characters are brought in to help solve the problem. A psychiatrist... No help there. An occult scholar... Aha! Single handedly unravels the whole business. An insider... A character who combines aspects of Karswell's mother and Joanna Harrington from the film version. A professional makeup expert... Good thinking. Very nice bit of practicality here.

"It's in the trees; it's coming!" Second the "Night of the Demon" (looking at wikipedia, ""Curse of the Demon" is a shortened edit of "Night of the Demon") recommendation. You'll also hear the above line, which Kate Bush fans will recognize from her use to open "Hounds of Love" (before sampling was so easy and common).

A demonologist puts a curse on a newspaper writer who gives his book a bad review. The only way he can get rid of his death curse is to pass it along to someone else. 30 minutes of story in 40 minutes of script.

A skeptical reporter writes a scathing review of a book about the occult and incurs the wrath of the author. Worth a listen.

Not one of my favorites. Convoluted. I found myself having an impossible time paying attention. 1 star.

Not a whole lot going on, but well-paced and enjoyable. A nice variety of vocal performances.

An enjoyable supernatural tale. I never read the original story it was based upon, but I am interested in doing so now.

We live in a time, or so it'd seem, where just about anything can happen & where truth is often stranger than fiction. This radio play was certainly fiction but many stories, myths, & legends are often spawned from truth. People don't wanna think that curses can be placed on a person from another or a curse be placed on a certain object which'd, possibly, cause the owner 2 have a string of calamities. 1 gem that was said 2 be cursed was the Hope Diamond(read about it on WIKIPEDIA.ORG) which 4 every owner 2 whom it'd been passed had strings of calamities happen 2 them.....some of which I'd rather not mention & the expedition of Lord Connarvin(I'm not sure of the name's exact spelling) with 1 of the tombs of an ancient pharaoh(I can't remember which 1) exacted some calamities on the explorers. Anyway.....it all boils down 2, again, as said earlier in this paragraph, that truth can often be stranger than fiction. Well, those r my thoughts. So.....until next time.....pleasant..dreams(LOL).

A good supernatural story! Really enjoyed it. Just proves you should not mess around with evil, it might come back on you. Pleasant dreams 😧 hehehe

Creepy and well paced, the tension builds and pays of spectacularly. What makes Mystery Theater great is that they can pay off in the third act after promising so much in the first two. The acting and the writing are all first rate, and this one is great on a rainy evening or driving a lonely road...

Great story. Did anyone catch the fact that the Demonologist name "Rakotz" is the first part of Rakotzbrucke......meaning "The Devils Brigde that actually exists in East Germany?! Very clever!!