There are those that love Italian Genre films. There are those that do not love Italian Genre films. This review falls into the former and not the latter. That is important when I say that director Lamberto Bava’s insane nightmare Demons isn’t just a good horror movie it’s secretly one of the best Zombie-not-a-Zombie Movies made.
A various people attend the premiere of a new movie at the newly restored Metropol theater in Berlin (which is dubbing for some American city). Each is given a golden ticket. That golden ticket is straight to Hell as the movie has an effect on the various patrons of the theatre turning them into demons. The theatergoers attempt to try to escape this theater and the various nightmarish imps. Heads and other various body parts are literally bitten and torn from torsos with demonic glee.
Most Bava films are never about the plot. Demons does really make a damn bit of sense but no matter because it makes sense “cinematically”. Mood, music, visuals, sex, violence, and drugs all mix together in the way only an Italian genre film can. Bava directs the film like he is directing a perfume-style ad for the gateways to hell. Everything is designed to be beautiful and a sheen of artifice that by the time the movie screen in the theater and the movie itself sync up you don’t question anything that’s happening … it just does.
Demons is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. Most people will not understand what the allure is of watching in extreme closeup the mangling and ripping out of throats or the transformation of humans into demons. It doesn’t mean that Demons is bad. It just means it isn’t your cup of tea. For those who do love that kind of horror and have never experienced the Bava classic: Take the ticket and enjoy the ride.
It’s blood and fun as the hell they’re depicting.
The Transfer
Wow. Even on previous editions of Demons, the transfer was good but never this good. The Dolby Vision encoding gives the film a luster and glow in the black levels that even the best film print can reproduce. The neon-soaked locations of Berlin shimmer off the screen. The image itself is a beautiful representation of the 35mm image shot by cinematographer Gianlorenzo Battaglia. Having the honor of seeing this film projected, the 4K UHD bests even the most perfect repertory screening of a freshly minted 35mm print. The contrast levels have been upgraded by this new remastered edition and give you better image quality which primarily plays out at night in a darkened theater.
The Extras
They include the following;
Two versions of the film: the full-length original cut in English and Italian, and the shorter U.S. version featuring alternate dubbing and sound effects
New audio commentary by critics Kat Ellinger and Heather Drain, co-hosts of the Hell’s Belles podcast
Audio commentary with director Lamberto Bava, SPFX artist Sergio Stivaletti, composer Claudio Simonetti, and actress Geretta Geretta
Produced by Dario Argento
Dario’s Demon Days
Defining an Era in Music
Dario and Demons: Producing Monster Mayhem
Splatter Stunt Rock
Original theatrical trailer
English international theatrical trailer
U.S. theatrical trailer
The all-new commentary by Kat Ellinger and Heather Drain begins with the fact that they’ve recorded the commentary 2-weeks into the COVID lockdown. Some of the details include the state of Italian Genre Production when Demons is made and how the success helped the entire industry, the work and career of Lamberto Bava, the various visual movie ephemera, the film within a film that plays and details around the production of that, the production of the film in Berlin, Bava’s want to homage German Expressionism (the grandmother of Horror), the 80s hair metal band soundtrack, the self-awareness in the film and in horror in general, a discussion about heavy metal and how it related to Demons, the effective use of the heavy metal needle drops which shows care and understanding by Bava, the use of “splatstick” (aka the same sort of Horror/Gore/Comedy of the likes Dead Alive, The Evil Dead, and more), the intended trilogy for Demons and how that changed, how The Church is the official Demons 3 not Demons 3 or the multiple Demons 3 around the world, the use of color of the film, the difference between the Italian horror vs English language horror, the dream logic in most of the Italian horror, the subgenres Demons belongs to and how it was a response to Zombies in Italian horror, and much more. Ellinger and Drain have recorded a highly entertaining and thoroughly researched commentary track.
The second track is an archival track introduced by Mike Rose, Art Ettinger, and Mark Murray to the group track from director Lamberto Bava, SPFX artist Sergio Stivaletti, composer Claudio Simonetti, and actress Geretta Geretta. Some of the details include how the project came together, the multiple hats worn by Michele Sovani (the masked man at the theater who was also the 2nd Unit Director), why the theatre was chosen in Germany and how they achieved the look, the casting of the film, the production of the film within the film, how the heavy metal soundtrack came to be, how they achieved some of the more striking FX work, how Bava constructed the screenplay, the success of Demons in Italy and abroad, how the film was the first film released in Dolby Stereo in Italy, the possibility of a remake, how Demons 2 isn’t a sequel but a different story, Dario Argento as a producer, and more. The primary commentators are the filmmakers and have a nice conversation about the production itself. In English and in Italian with English Subtitles.
Produced by Dario Argento (27:13) – is an all-new visual essay by author and critic Michael Mackenzie examining Dario Argento’s career as a producer. Starting with his origins as a critic, then screenwriter, director, and his iconic filmography then transitioning to his produced films and working in a TV series Door into Darkness as its host ala Hitchcock, his rise as a directing superstar and personality, producing Dawn of the Dead with George Romero, his separation from his father and brother (who produced his films), how this unleashed Argento to go wherever his fetishes wanted, also how this freed him up to be a producer on Demons and others, details about the production of both Demons film, the way this affected the films, the commercial consideration brought on his projects, the various directors he helped as producer, and more. This essay has some great behind-the-scenes photos, and scenes from the various films Mackenzie discusses.
Dario’s Demon Days (10:30) – is an archival interview with writer/producer Dario Argento discussing how he came onto Demons as a producer and his involvement. In Italian with English Subtitles.
Defining an Era in Music (9:34) – is an archival interview with composer Claudio Simonetti of Goblin fame. The composer discusses his contribution and how he produced the score with multiple synthesizers, working with Lamberto Bava and his working style, the style of the score, and having to find that style and more. In English.
Dario and his DemonsProducing Monster Mayhem (15:52) – an archival interview with Dario Argento producing Demons and Demons 2, his collaboration with Lamberto Bava (who was the second unit director of a few Argento films), the makeup FX work, and much more. In Italian with English Subtitles.
Splatter Stunt Rock (9:13) – an archival interview with star Ottaviano Dell’Acqua. The actor discusses beginning his work in Italy with Fellini moving to Poliziotteschi and finally working with Bava on Demons, why he was cast in the film, the stunt work (a lot of which he did, crazily), his work in Germany as a stunt double, and more. In Italian with English Subtitles.
Original Italian theatrical trailer (2:09)
English international theatrical trailer (2:09)
U.S. theatrical trailer (1:32)
The Final Thought
Demons in this 4K UHD remastered version is a must-buy release. HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATIONS!!!
Lamberto Bava’s insane fevered nightmare horror film Demons gets a single disc remastered 4K UHD edition from Synapse Films.
The Film
There are those that love Italian Genre films. There are those that do not love Italian Genre films. This review falls into the former and not the latter. That is important when I say that director Lamberto Bava’s insane nightmare Demons isn’t just a good horror movie it’s secretly one of the best Zombie-not-a-Zombie Movies made.
A various people attend the premiere of a new movie at the newly restored Metropol theater in Berlin (which is dubbing for some American city). Each is given a golden ticket. That golden ticket is straight to Hell as the movie has an effect on the various patrons of the theatre turning them into demons. The theatergoers attempt to try to escape this theater and the various nightmarish imps. Heads and other various body parts are literally bitten and torn from torsos with demonic glee.
Most Bava films are never about the plot. Demons does really make a damn bit of sense but no matter because it makes sense “cinematically”. Mood, music, visuals, sex, violence, and drugs all mix together in the way only an Italian genre film can. Bava directs the film like he is directing a perfume-style ad for the gateways to hell. Everything is designed to be beautiful and a sheen of artifice that by the time the movie screen in the theater and the movie itself sync up you don’t question anything that’s happening … it just does.
Demons is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. Most people will not understand what the allure is of watching in extreme closeup the mangling and ripping out of throats or the transformation of humans into demons. It doesn’t mean that Demons is bad. It just means it isn’t your cup of tea. For those who do love that kind of horror and have never experienced the Bava classic: Take the ticket and enjoy the ride.
It’s blood and fun as the hell they’re depicting.
The Transfer
Wow. Even on previous editions of Demons, the transfer was good but never this good. The Dolby Vision encoding gives the film a luster and glow in the black levels that even the best film print can reproduce. The neon-soaked locations of Berlin shimmer off the screen. The image itself is a beautiful representation of the 35mm image shot by cinematographer Gianlorenzo Battaglia. Having the honor of seeing this film projected, the 4K UHD bests even the most perfect repertory screening of a freshly minted 35mm print. The contrast levels have been upgraded by this new remastered edition and give you better image quality which primarily plays out at night in a darkened theater.
The Extras
They include the following;
The all-new commentary by Kat Ellinger and Heather Drain begins with the fact that they’ve recorded the commentary 2-weeks into the COVID lockdown. Some of the details include the state of Italian Genre Production when Demons is made and how the success helped the entire industry, the work and career of Lamberto Bava, the various visual movie ephemera, the film within a film that plays and details around the production of that, the production of the film in Berlin, Bava’s want to homage German Expressionism (the grandmother of Horror), the 80s hair metal band soundtrack, the self-awareness in the film and in horror in general, a discussion about heavy metal and how it related to Demons, the effective use of the heavy metal needle drops which shows care and understanding by Bava, the use of “splatstick” (aka the same sort of Horror/Gore/Comedy of the likes Dead Alive, The Evil Dead, and more), the intended trilogy for Demons and how that changed, how The Church is the official Demons 3 not Demons 3 or the multiple Demons 3 around the world, the use of color of the film, the difference between the Italian horror vs English language horror, the dream logic in most of the Italian horror, the subgenres Demons belongs to and how it was a response to Zombies in Italian horror, and much more. Ellinger and Drain have recorded a highly entertaining and thoroughly researched commentary track.
The second track is an archival track introduced by Mike Rose, Art Ettinger, and Mark Murray to the group track from director Lamberto Bava, SPFX artist Sergio Stivaletti, composer Claudio Simonetti, and actress Geretta Geretta. Some of the details include how the project came together, the multiple hats worn by Michele Sovani (the masked man at the theater who was also the 2nd Unit Director), why the theatre was chosen in Germany and how they achieved the look, the casting of the film, the production of the film within the film, how the heavy metal soundtrack came to be, how they achieved some of the more striking FX work, how Bava constructed the screenplay, the success of Demons in Italy and abroad, how the film was the first film released in Dolby Stereo in Italy, the possibility of a remake, how Demons 2 isn’t a sequel but a different story, Dario Argento as a producer, and more. The primary commentators are the filmmakers and have a nice conversation about the production itself. In English and in Italian with English Subtitles.
Produced by Dario Argento (27:13) – is an all-new visual essay by author and critic Michael Mackenzie examining Dario Argento’s career as a producer. Starting with his origins as a critic, then screenwriter, director, and his iconic filmography then transitioning to his produced films and working in a TV series Door into Darkness as its host ala Hitchcock, his rise as a directing superstar and personality, producing Dawn of the Dead with George Romero, his separation from his father and brother (who produced his films), how this unleashed Argento to go wherever his fetishes wanted, also how this freed him up to be a producer on Demons and others, details about the production of both Demons film, the way this affected the films, the commercial consideration brought on his projects, the various directors he helped as producer, and more. This essay has some great behind-the-scenes photos, and scenes from the various films Mackenzie discusses.
Dario’s Demon Days (10:30) – is an archival interview with writer/producer Dario Argento discussing how he came onto Demons as a producer and his involvement. In Italian with English Subtitles.
Defining an Era in Music (9:34) – is an archival interview with composer Claudio Simonetti of Goblin fame. The composer discusses his contribution and how he produced the score with multiple synthesizers, working with Lamberto Bava and his working style, the style of the score, and having to find that style and more. In English.
Dario and his Demons Producing Monster Mayhem (15:52) – an archival interview with Dario Argento producing Demons and Demons 2, his collaboration with Lamberto Bava (who was the second unit director of a few Argento films), the makeup FX work, and much more. In Italian with English Subtitles.
Splatter Stunt Rock (9:13) – an archival interview with star Ottaviano Dell’Acqua. The actor discusses beginning his work in Italy with Fellini moving to Poliziotteschi and finally working with Bava on Demons, why he was cast in the film, the stunt work (a lot of which he did, crazily), his work in Germany as a stunt double, and more. In Italian with English Subtitles.
Original Italian theatrical trailer (2:09)
English international theatrical trailer (2:09)
U.S. theatrical trailer (1:32)
The Final Thought
Demons in this 4K UHD remastered version is a must-buy release. HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATIONS!!!
Synapse Films 4K UHD edition of Demons is out August 13th
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