Demons [DVD] [1985]

I already have the region 1 Anchor bay release of DEMONS DVD
but then i found out that Arrow films U.K. have also released on Demons on DVD and blu-ray
which i bought only cause there's more special features on this arrow films release than the Anchor bay release
any fan of DEMONS knows what the films about
so this review is about the different dvd releases between the Anchor bay release and this Arrow films release

both DVD release's have the films in perfect widescreen format anyway and the picture quality is excellent

but the Anchor bay release only has an audio commentary track by Lamberto Bava and Journalist Loris Curci
and also has behind the scenes footage of the make up department, that's it there are no interviews but the picture quality and audio is excellent on the Anchor bay release

on the other hand, Arrow films release has interviews with Dario argento and music composer Claudio Simonetti aswell as a Doco on italian Horror films
there's 2 audio commentary tracks on this arrow films version
the first commentary is with Lamberto Bava and Journalist Loris curci taken from the Anchor bay release
the 2nd commentary is brand new with some of the Actors from the film, the actors introduce themselves in English but there commentary is in italian
so your watching the film with english subtitles if you want to listen to the commentary
the actors were'nt interviewed for this arrow films version unfortunately for some reason.
as a fan it would've been Great to see 1 or 2 interviews with the actors from the film
i'm sure they speak english, but the commentary was done in italian

So the audio commentary will have to do with English subtitles

so the Arrow films has interviews with Dario argento etc and 2 audio commentaries
the Anchor bay version has less special features than that.

so it's up to what version you want.

Lamberto Bava's Demons is your typical eighties horror fest with plenty of gore, a sometimes good, sometimes bad soundtrack and enough cheese to top a pizza. Cheryl (Natasha Hovey) is pursued in a deserted Berlin subway by a mysterious man wearing half of a mask (Michele Soavi). He gives her a free ticket to a horror screening at a cinema. Cheryl takes along her friend Kathy (Paola Cozzo) and they settle down for a gruesome horror flick about demons attacking people and turning them into other demons. The transfixed audience suddenly find events on the big screen becoming a reality when one woman is infected and proceeds to turn the other cinemagoers into demons. Trapped inside, the remaining people face a desperate battle for survival.

In the build up to the film a trio - Tony (Bobby Rhodes), Carmen (Fabiola Toledo) and Rosemary (Geretta Giancarlo) - are inspecting an exhibition involving a motorbike, a samurai sword and a demon mask. For unknown reasons, Rosemary puts on the demon mask which leaves a cut on her face. Watching the movie, the crowd witness some friends unearth a book of Nostradamus including the same demon mask seen earlier. When one of the friends puts it on, he becomes a demon and attacks his friends. Rosemary dashes to the toilets not feeling well and suddenly becomes a demon. She attacks and kills the other cinemagoers with anyone bitten or scratched becoming a demon themselves. Cheryl and Kathy hook up with George (Urbano Barberini) and Ken (Karl Zinny), while Tony leads the resistance with cinema seats used as barricades to temporarily great effect. Even a group of drugged up teenagers gatecrash the cinema at one stage and wish they hadn't.

Demons is a gore fest with the cinemagoers being dispatched in pretty unpleasant ways. A lot of the effects are pretty good with the lack of computer technology evident. A soundtrack of eighties hits backs up what is a very silly but amusing film. The best bit is undoubtedly George and Cheryl hijacking the motorbike and driving around the cinema taking out the demons with a samurai sword. Absolute genius. The ending is quite surprising as well, dispensing with any soppy romance and letting the demons reign supreme.

Demons isn't the greatest horror film but it is gruesome, cheesy and amusing in places which is all you need really. I do like the more serious and atmospheric horror films of today but you can't beat a nostalgic trip to the eighties with a film like this. Silly but fun.

I remember my uncle having this and Demons 2 on VHS growing up, I grew up with a lot of old school horror films from the 80s & 90s. This film is absolutely fantastic if you are a real connoisseur to the Horror genre! Forget Saw! Demons is a great film with some fantastic visuals for it's time, as it originally was filmed in Italy I believe, the dubbing is pretty good also considering!