Demons
A.K.A.
Dèmoni
Directed by
Lamberto Bava
Cast
Urbano Barberini ………. George
Natasha Hovey ………. Cheryl
Karl Zinny ………. Ken
Fiore Argento ………. Hannah
Paola Cozzo ………. Kathy
Fabiola Toledo ………. Carmen
Nicoletta Elmi ………. Ingrid, the usherette
Stelio Candelli ………. Frank
Nicole Tessier ………. Ruth
Geretta Giancarlo ………. Rosemary
Bobby Rhodes ………. Tony
Guido Baldi ………. Tommy
Bettina Ciampolini ………. Nina
Giuseppe Mauro Cruciano ………. Hot Dog
Run Time: 88 minutes
Rated R
DVD Release date: September 25, 2007
Demons 2
A.K.A.
Dèmoni 2 …L’incubo Ritorna
Directed by
Lamberto Bava
Cast
David Edwin Knight ………. George
Nancy Brilli ………. Hannah
Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni ………. Sally Day
Bobby Rhodes ………. Hank, gym instructor
Asia Argento ………. Ingrid Haller
Virginia Bryant ………. Mary the Prostitute
Anita Bartolucci ………. Woman with Dog
Antonio Cantafora ………. Ingrid’s Father
Luisa Passega ………. Helga Haller, Ingrid’s mother
Davide Marotta ………. Tommy the Child Demon
Marco Vivio ………. Tommy
Michele Mirabella ………. Hooker’s Client
Lorenzo Gioielli ………. Jake
Lino Salemme ………. Security Guard
Maria Chiara Sasso ………. Ulla, partygoer with camera
Run Time: 91 minutes
Rated R
DVD Release date: September 25, 2007
Gorehounds can rejoice; Demons and Demons 2 have made it into anamorphic 16×9 widescreen for the first time. For the rest of the world, let’s see if I can explain these flicks.
Demons is a classic ’80s Italian splatter flick, featuring an exceptionally ’80s soundtrack including tracks from the likes of the Scorpions, Motley Crue, Rick Springfield, and Billy Idol. It is produced by Mr. Dario Argento, and directed by Lamberto “son of Mario” Bava.
The story goes csomething like this: a man in a strange metallic “Phantom of the Opera” mask hands out some flyers to a sneak preview of an unnamed film showing at a West Berlin theater nobody seems to know much about. A couple of dozen folks lack the requisite survival instinct to turn down this offer. The film within the film ends up to be a horror flick about a group of plucky teens who decide to rob the corpse of Nostradamus. Before long, the actions on the screen start to mirror the ations in the theater, the exits are sealed and demons invade.
The demons of Demons are a sort of amalgam of various movie monsters. A scratch from a demon makes one become a demon. Unlike the sometimes subtle zombiefication process, turning into a demon usually involves a horrifying Howling style transformation scene in which teeth fall out and are replaced by fangs, fingernails fall out and are replaced by talons. The demons main end seems to be making more demons. They have some limited supernatural abilities, confined, it seems, to being able to keep doors from opening. The demons are at times super-strong, and generally much faster than Romero zombies.
It’s hard to say exactly who the star of Demons is, as we follow various persons and couples, and the film follows the cardinal rule of the drive-in: Anyone can die at any time. Personally, my money is on Bobby Rhodes as Tony; he has the coolest facial hair.
Bava and Argento teamed up to make Demons 2 the following year. They even brought back Bobby Rhodes, this time as Hank, the gym instructor. This also marks the film debut of Asia Argento (Land of the Dead, xXx). The setting is now a “modern” apartment complex and this time a demon pops out of a television program about the demon infestation of the previous year. The demon literally pushes himself out of the tv screen, then infects a girl named Sally, completely ruining her birthday party. The infestation soon spreads around the building, including kids and dogs. An average couple of newlyweds must do whatever it takes to escape the demonic hordes, and save the life of their unborn child.
All in all, it seems that Demons and its sequel were designed to give nightmares to kids. Both films send the message “Hey kid! You know that monster movie you’re watching? Well, it’s real. Not only is it real, it’s happening to you right now! Don’t get too close to the screen or a monster might come out and get you! And you know what? You can’t get out; the door won’t open!” In Demons 2 the crafty little boy watching the scary show while home alone gets demonized! The monsters will get you! Combine this with some absolutely grotesque effects by Sergio Stivaletti (don’t eat anything while watching these flicks), and you’ve got a workable combination of terror, horror and revulsion.
Demons is required viewing for fans of the genre. Demons 2 is more hit-or-miss, a bit more predictable, and makes a tad less sense. Both films afford enough gross-out fun to merit a viewing.
And if you want to scar your kids for life. . .
The DVD
Audio and Visual
The movie looks and sounds fine.
The Extras
Both discs feature Audio Commentary with Bava, Stivaletti, and journalist Loris Curci. They aren’t the greatest commentary tracks around, and there is a lot of Italian-to-English interpretation which slows the pace down significantly.
Both films feature appropriate trailers.
Demons also includes a bit labeled as “behind the scenes” footage, but is more aptly described as “looking at a prop from the movie for about a minute.”
