{"id":23698,"date":"2021-10-20T23:28:34","date_gmt":"2021-10-21T06:28:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=23698"},"modified":"2021-10-20T23:28:34","modified_gmt":"2021-10-21T06:28:34","slug":"blasts-from-the-past-blu-ray-review-demons-1985-demons-2-1986","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=23698","title":{"rendered":"Blasts from the Past! Blu-ray Review: DEMONS (1985) & DEMONS 2 (1986)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This \u201cSpecial Limited Edition\u201d 2-disc set is currently available\nin either Blu-ray or 4K formats. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you were a young horror movie enthusiast in the 80s, the\nvideo store was likely your favorite place in the world. Seemingly every week, new\ngenre titles would appear on shelves out of the blue, just waiting to be picked\nup. Many of the flicks were, well, quite poor, but as a kid it was always hard\nto resist giving just about any terror title a rental. During this period, the\ncountry of Italy had made a name for itself as an impressive producer of genre\nflicks, thanks to cult filmmakers like Dario Argento (Deep Red<\/em>, Suspiria<\/em>)\nand Lucio Fulci (Zombie<\/em>, The Beyond<\/em>). By this period, Argento was\nso well known that he could sell a horror flick on his name alone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Demons<\/em> (1985) and Demons 2<\/em> (1986) were directed\nby Lamberto Bava (son of famed Italian horror movie director Mario Bava), but both\nwere co-written and produced by Dario Argento. In fact, Argento\u2019s name was\nprinted on the film\u2019s poster in bold letters almost as large as the title. The\nadvertising approach ultimately worked and the movies were a hit both in their\nhomeland and abroad (although in North America, its success came primarily\nthrough VHS sales and rentals). Now, Synapse Films have decided to give these\nfilms an upgrade, releasing a spectacularly sharp 4K UHD set and an equally\nstunning remastered Blu-ray version. As you might have already guessed, the results\nare tremendous and this is one of the best disc releases of the year for European\nhorror enthusiasts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Demons<\/em> certainly made an impression on me as a youngster.\nAlso known as Demoni<\/em>, this feature tells the story of two friends\n(Natasha Hovey and Paola Cozzo) who receive horror movie preview tickets from a\nstrange man (Michele Soavi) at a Berlin train station. They decide to attend the\nevent and meet up with several eccentric patrons, including a pimp and his\nhookers, a blind man and his adulterous wife, and even some cocaine-sniffing\npunks. As the movie unspools onscreen, the horror extends into the theater\nitself. It seems that the movie props on display in the lobby are capable of transforming\nthe theatergoers into real, fast-moving demonic monsters. Those who aren\u2019t turned\nimmediately are forced to fight their way to safety. Even more trouble arises\nwhen they realize they have all been locked inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It\u2019s a very simple story with little to no fat on its bones,\nfocused entirely on action as the group are pursued and slain through the cinema\nwhile searching for a way out. Some of the acting (or, more to the point,\nEnglish dubbing) is amusingly less-than-stellar, but the technical specs are\nexcellent and the pacing is great. The movie looks far more slickly shot and\nedited than other films of its era, with impressive camera moves, as well as strikingly\nlit scenes with striking colors that bounce off of the screen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, Sergio Stivaletti\u2019s make-up effects are\nmemorably gruesome and there are some phenomenal transformation sequences. The\nmovie also includes a few nasty attacks that include tearing flesh and eye-gouging\nthat\u2019ll \u201cgross out\u201d most viewers. Additionally, there\u2019s a memorable climax in which\na motorcycle sitting in the lobby is actually used by the protagonists to ride\naround and fight back against the monsters. The logic of the movie doesn\u2019t hold\nup at all and it\u2019s extremely gory, but strangely good natured and I can\u2019t help\nbut love the film. This is a wild and crazy ride and the movie works\nexceptionally well in that regard. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As mentioned, the new transfers are outstanding. This is by\nfar the sharpest I have ever seen this movie appear. And you also get two versions\nof the film. There is the extra-gory full-length cut in English and Italian, as\nwell as the shorter US version that features some alternate dubbing and sound\neffects. Obviously, viewers will be purchasing this title to watch the complete\nversions, but for those who remember renting the movie on VHS, it\u2019s great to have\nthe option of watching the alternate cut that appeared on tape. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The bonuses are also stellar. There\u2019s a fantastic commentary\nfeaturing director Lamberto Bava, special-effects artist Sergio Stivaletti, composer\nClaudio Simonetti (from the band Goblin<\/em>) and cast member Geretta Geretta\n(who plays the first character to turn into a demon and hunt down fellow\nmoviegoers). It\u2019s a friendly and informal chat, but many interesting questions\nare addressed about the movie and how it was made. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of the funny details include the fact that the costuming\ndepartment had to make far more sets of clothes for the cast of than normal\nbecause of the constant blood being sprayed around the set. Bava also talks\nabout how the crew managed to move a large helicopter into a real movie theater\nto shoot the climax, as well as his experiences working with Dario Argento. Composer\nClaudio Simonetti comments on his memorable score and what inspired the up-tempo,\ndance-inspired sound. The track is a great listen and offers plenty of great\ntrivia from the participants. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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There\u2019s also a second audio commentary featuring the co-hosts\nof the Hell\u2019s Belles<\/em> podcast. Clearly, they\u2019re both big fans of the movie\nand talk about why they enjoy the Demons<\/em> series so much. They offer\ntheir analysis of story elements as well as some of the themes running through\nthe movies. There are some intriguing ideas expressed. Although, while some of\nthe concepts about how the viewing public consumes and are influenced by media may\nhave been intended, other assertions sound like a bit of a stretch. Still, these\ncritics are both entertaining to listen to. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further extras include an informative visual essay on Dario\nArgento\u2019s career as a producer and the titles he helped get made (including a couple\nof his own) under his DAC film company. It largely deals with the filmmaker\u2019s\nearly success and how he used it to help get some projects off the ground,\nincluding co-financing George A. Romero\u2019s 1978 zombie epic, Dawn of the Dead<\/em>.\nThe spot also details his brother Claudio Argento\u2019s experience as a producer\nand his assistance behind the scenes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is also a discussion with Argento himself, who is very\nfrank about his experiences as a producer. Essentially, he notes that he was certainly\npleased to help others out in creating their films, but maintains that he never\nreally enjoyed the role of producer. And there is a second featurette with Argento\nin which he specifically discusses his work on the Demons<\/em> series. It\u2019s very\nenlightening and these bonuses give more details about a lesser-known aspect of\nfamed moviemaker\u2019s career. Additionally, there is an interview with composer Claudio\nSimonetti, another feature on the songs licensed and used in the film, as well\nas plenty of publicity materials. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Naturally, the immediate success of Demons<\/em> warranted\na sequel, so the following year Demons 2<\/em> arrived on the scene. This time\nout, the setting is an apartment dwelling, where an all-new set of characters\nare introduced. The various building residents are throwing parties, or returning\nhome for the evening and having family dinners. When a young woman celebrating\nher birthday gets annoyed by the possible appearance of an ex-boyfriend at the\nevent, she escapes to another room and watches a television program on demons.\nBefore lone, the monsters are reaching through the TV and entering the real world,\nwhere they ultimately go on the rampage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once again, there are plenty of outrageous and impressive camera\nand make-up tricks in this follow-up, including one stand-out moment when a\ndemon pulls themselves out of a TV set. The movie has another killer score and an\neven stronger soundtrack (that includes bands like The Art of Noise<\/em>, The\nCult<\/em>, Love and Rockets<\/em>, The Smiths<\/em> and many others). However,\nthis movie isn\u2019t quite as effective as its predecessor. There are a great many\ncharacters in the story and the movie doesn\u2019t really focus on the protagonists\nuntil later in the movie, leaving the story a little adrift in terms of whom we\nshould be following or care about. There\u2019s also less gore in this one, although\nthere are plenty of striking monster effects and dozens of fast-moving demons\nproviding heaps of crazy action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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So, even if it isn\u2019t nearly as good, it\u2019s still an enjoyable\neffort with plenty in it to recommend. And the extras on both discs detailing\nthis title are even more enlightening. There\u2019s an interesting film critic\ncommentary that goes over some of the details in getting this sequel to the\nscreen and providing plenty of background details. The extras also mention that\nthe initial plan for the movie was to continue the story of the survivor from\nthe previous film. Unfortunately, the person had no interest in returning for a\nfollow-up, leaving Argento, Bava and the other writers to come up with an all-new\ntale on the spot. There were also told by distributors to back off on the gore on\nthis installment, so the demons spout more black fluid than blood this time\nout. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The disc also includes another talk with Sergio Stivaletti\non the effects he created for the film, while Lamberto Bava\u2019s son Roy discusses\nthe legacy of the series. Naturally, Lamberto Bava is also interviewed and provides\nhis experience writing and rushing to get the movie completed for its release.\nThere\u2019s also a visual essay on the use of space and technology in the Demons<\/em>\nseries by an author and critic. Again, provides an unusual and mildly\nexaggerated thesis on how the movie separates and different groups of people\nwithin the building to comment on isolation. The person also argues that the\nseries possesses a disdain for TV and media, which is a far more convincing\npitch. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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My favorite extra is a discussion with composer Simon Boswell\non his score for this title and other Italian genre movies. The English musician\ndescribes being asked to help out on the project after frequent Argento collaborators\nGoblin<\/em> found themselves with too much scoring work. Boswell discusses\nthe amusing process of working on Italian productions. He was also responsible for\nthe incredible tunes playing in the background of the film. The musician describes\ntrying to move Argento away from prog rock and heavy metal and embracing more\nthe bands he enjoyed and know. This leads to a great story of how he managed to\nconvince Morrissey to allow The Smiths song \u201cPanic\u201d to be used in the film. Then,\nBoswell elaborates on how his work on Italian genre movies began getting him scoring\ngigs on Santa Sangre<\/em>, Shallow Grave<\/em>, Hardware<\/em>, Hackers<\/em>\nand other movies, including the recent Blithe Spirit<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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So, if you haven\u2019t already guessed, this is another\nincredible set from Synapse that comes as highly recommended as can be. I\u2019ve had\na great time with these films since my childhood and not only does the new image\nlook outstanding, but the many extras provided fascinating information about\nthe features that I never knew. The movies themselves are still enjoyable and\nthis \u201cSpecial Limited Edition\u201d 2-disc set expertly shows Demons<\/em> and Demons\n2<\/em> in the best possible light. If you\u2019re a fan of foreign genre films, be\nsure to pick it up.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This \u201cSpecial Limited Edition\u201d 2-disc set is currently available in either Blu-ray or 4K formats. If you were a young horror movie enthusiast in the 80s, the video store was likely your favorite place in the world. Seemingly every week, new genre titles would appear on shelves out of the blue, just waiting to be […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":23711,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[117,119,1639,2923,2931,3005,3067,5200,5680,5686,5687,5697,8172,8528,10042,12048,14197,14324,18809,19487,19488],"class_list":["post-23698","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dvdblu-ray-reviews","tag-117","tag-119","tag-apartment-complex","tag-blasts-from-the-past","tag-blasts-from-the-past-blu-ray-reviews-demons-and-demons-2","tag-blood","tag-blu-ray","tag-dario-argento","tag-demon","tag-demons","tag-demons-2","tag-demons-i-and-ii","tag-genre","tag-gore","tag-italy","tag-lamberto-bava","tag-monster-movie","tag-movie-theater","tag-special-limited-edition","tag-synapse","tag-synapse-films"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23698","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=23698"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23698\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=23698"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=23698"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=23698"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}