Dark August

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Dark August is a 1976 American supernatural horror film directed by Martin Goldman. It stars J. J. Barry, Carolyne Shelyne, and Kim Hunter. The story, set in rural Vermont, follows Sal Devito, an artist from New York who moves to Stowe with his girlfriend Jackie. After a car accident in which a young girl dies, the grandfather, Ned McDermott, believes Sal is to blame and places a curse on him. Sal begins to suffer painful symptoms and is haunted by a hooded figure in the woods.

With help from locals, including a clairvoyant named Lesley and a psychic named Adrianna Putnam, Sal learns that the curse is real. Adrianna advises burning Sal’s unfinished art studio, where the hooded figure first appeared, but a fire is stopped and Sal is arrested. Jackie confronts McDermott and discovers evidence of witchcraft. Adrianna leads a ritual to protect Sal, but McDermott shoots her during the ceremony. The ritual continues, and the demonic force turns on McDermott.

Some time later, Sal again sees the hooded figure. He goes to confront it with a shotgun, but his dog senses danger and attacks him. Sal shoots the dog to save himself and consoles the dying animal, leaving the ending tense and unresolved.

Dark August opened regionally in theaters, starting in Shreveport, Louisiana on September 10, 1976, and in San Antonio, Texas on September 17. It was distributed by Howard Mahler Films. In 2019, Arrow Video released Dark August on Blu-ray as part of the American Horror Project, Volume 2 box set.