This 4K Ultra HD release is currently available from Synapse Films. It can also be purchased as a standalone Blu-ray.
So, if you’ve read my recent 4K Ultra HD review of Demons (1985), you’ll know that I’m a big admirer of that over-the-top gorefest. Admittedly, so were many others during its original release. The immediate success of the first picture warranted a sequel, so the following year Demons 2 arrived on the scene.
Truth be told, for this reviewer the follow-up isn’t quite as impressive as the original. Regardless, it is a whole lot of fun and includes so much monstrous mayhem that it’s hard not to appreciate the movie on its own merits. Synapse Films has put just as much work into this “Standard Edition” 4K Ultra HD release (a Blu-ray version is also now available for purchase). The movie looks as good as it possibly can or perhaps ever will appear on disc. And like the 4K Demons disc, it’s chock full of phenomenal bonus features. The care taken makes the movie well worth picking up and sitting on the shelf right beside the original.
This time out, the setting moves from a cinema to an apartment dwelling, where an all-new set of characters are introduced. The various building residents are throwing parties, returning home for the evening to have family dinners, or meeting with a, well, sex worker. When a young woman celebrating her birthday gets annoyed by the possible appearance of an ex-boyfriend at the event, she escapes to another room and watches a television program on demons. Before long, the monsters are reaching through the TV and entering the real world, going on the rampage and infecting whomever they come into contact with.
Once again, there are plenty of outrageous and impressive camera and make-up tricks in this follow-up, including one stand-out moment when the first demon pulls themselves out of a TV set. Additionally, there are elaborate attack scenes involving animals, children and a surprisingly large-scale battle between humans and monsters that takes place in a parking garage. The movie has another killer score and an even stronger soundtrack (that includes tunes from bands like The Art of Noise, The Cult, Love and Rockets, The Smiths and many others).
Admittedly, it isn’t quite as effective as its predecessor. There are a great many characters in this sequel and the movie doesn’t really focus on the protagonists until later in the story, leaving the plotting a little adrift in terms of whom we should be following or care about. There’s also less gore in this one, although there are plenty of striking monster effects and dozens of fast-moving demons. It isn’t perfect, but despite these problems it still delivers heaps of crazy action with plenty in it to recommend.
The picture is good, although not quite as brilliantly crisp as in the previous entry. There is a note in the disc packaging stating that the negative film stock used for this sequel wasn’t as good as in the original. Therefore, there is a slightly heavier layer of grain visible. Indeed, it isn’t as jaw-dropping as its predecessor, but the image is still pretty darn great (it certainly looks as good or better than any other low-budget title of the era). The lengthy fight in the parking structure is still very dynamic on the eyes and helps emphasize some of the impressive photography being used. So, it’s still worth it, if possible, to pick up a 4K Ultra HD edition of the title.
As far as extras, once again, everything has been ported over from the spectacular 2021 box set. There’s an interesting film critic commentary that goes over some of the details in getting this sequel to the screen. It provides plenty of background details that were new to this reviewer. The extras mention that the initial plan for the movie was to continue the story of the survivor from the previous film. Unfortunately, the person had no interest in returning for a follow-up, leaving Argento, Bava and the other writers to come up with an all-new tale on the spot. The production team was also told by distributors to back off on the gore on this installment, so the demons spout more black fluid than blood this time out.
The disc also includes another talk with Sergio Stivaletti on the effects he created for the film, while Lamberto Bava’s son Roy discusses the legacy of the series. Naturally, Lamberto Bava is also interviewed and provides his experience writing and rushing to get the movie completed for its release. There is also a visual essay on the use of space and technology in the Demons series by an author and critic. It provides an unusual and mildly exaggerated thesis on how the movie separates different groups of people within the building to comment on themes such as isolation. The person also argues that the series possesses a disdain for TV and media in a far more convincing pitch.
My favorite extra is a discussion with composer Simon Boswell on his score for this title and other Italian genre movies. The English musician describes being asked to help out on the project after frequent Argento collaborators Goblin found themselves with too much scoring work. Boswell discusses the amusing process of working on Italian productions. He was also responsible for the incredible tunes playing in the background of the film. The musician suggests that he tried to move Argento away from prog rock and heavy metal to instead embrace more the bands that he enjoyed and knew. This leads to a great story of how he managed to convince Morrissey to allow The Smiths song “Panic” to be used in the film. Then, Boswell elaborates on how his work on Italian genre movies began getting him scoring gigs on Santa Sangre, Shallow Grave, Hardware, Hackers and other movies, including the recent Blithe Spirit.
It isn’t quite as awe-inspiringly crazy, but Demons 2 still has its charms and the 4K Ultra HD version is another incredible release from Synapse that comes as highly recommended as can be. I’ve had a great time with these films since my childhood and not only does the new image look outstanding, but the many extras provide fascinating and enlightening information about the productions that may surprise many viewers. Synapse’s 4K Ultra HD Demons 2 certainly presents the film in the best possible light. If you’re a fan of foreign genre titles, be sure to pick it up.