The Devil’s Gift 1984

An elderly woman named Elmira Johnson communicates with spirits through a Ouija board. One spirit grows furious, manifesting as a cymbal-banging monkey toy. The toy’s eyes glow red, and its metallic cymbals ring out in a way that coincides with a sudden lightning strike, leaving Elmira’s house devastated and her fate uncertain.

Meanwhile, Bob Mendelsohn as David Andrews celebrates his son Struan Robertson as Michael’s ninth birthday. Michael receives the monkey toy as a gift from David’s girlfriend, Vicki Saputo as Susan, who bought it at an antiques store. The monkey soon begins to act on its own, and a string of disturbing events follows: houseplants die, a fire destroys the family dog, and David is plagued by nightmares that blur the line between sleep and waking life.

Seeking answers, David visits Adrienne, a fortune teller played by Madelon Phillips, who explains that demons often possess ordinary objects. Realizing the monkey is connected to the misfortunes, he investigates its origins. An antiques-store clerk tells him the toy was found unharmed in the ruins of Elmira Johnson’s house. Despite this clue, the disturbances intensify: Susan becomes possessed and tries to drown Michael, forcing David to eject her from the home.

Adrienne provides David with a protective necklace and urges him to dispose of the cursed monkey. Yet Michael retrieves the toy from the garbage, and the uncanny incidents continue. David tries to bury the monkey, but it inexplicably returns. As the family struggles to escape, the monkey activates its cymbals, and the story closes on a chilling, ambiguous note with a final chime and an explosion, implying the family’s demise.