DEMONS 2 (1986) (Synapse Films Blu-ray Review)

DEMONS 2 (1986)

Label: Synapse Films
Duration: 92 Minutes
Rating: Unrated
Region Code: A
Audio: DTS-HD MA English 2.0 Stereo with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p widescreen (1.66:1)
Director: Lamberto Bava
Cast: David Edwin Knight, Nancy Brilli, Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni, Asia Argento

The demonic plague from the first film bleeds over into the confines of hi-tech skyscraper when a sad birthday girl is infected by her TV screen in a scene lifted straight outta David Cronenberg's VIDEDROME. Now transformed into a snarling, blood-spewing demon she attacks her party guests and more demonic mayhem ensues.

We have a nice change of venue as we go from the cinema of the first film to a hi-tech skyscraper, which sort of smacks of Cronenberg's SHIVERS. Another nice change is that the demonic plague is initially transferred via TV and not a movie screen or the demonic metal mask from the first film. Definitely a sequel that takes the GREMLINS 2 approach of throwing everything and the kitchen sink into the sequel with the addition of demonic dog, acidic blood and a demonic child adding new levels of intensity to the demonic onslaught.

There are also quite a few nods to the original, bringing back Bobby Rhodes who played the pimp in the first film, this time as an ass kicking gym instructor who leads a group of shirtless muscle heads and leg warmer wearing ladies who find themselves trapped in the parking garage, sadly he meets a nut-shredding fate.

I loved the make-up effects of the demons here even more than the original film. I don't recall the demons in the first film spewing so much blood from their face, in fact some of the blood is acidic and eats through the floor and into the level below, some of which is lapped up by a dog who transforms into a snarling demon beast. Plus we have an infected child thrown into the mix - a pint-sized demon who torments an expectant before dying, at which time a winged baby demon is spawned from it's corpse.

The most memorable demon after the child is that of the birthday gal named Sally (Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni) who is the first to be infected by her TV and the further spreads the demonic plague as she tears birthday revelers apart. She gets a sweet transformation scene with the gnarly teeth and claws popping out from her fingertips.

A top-notch sequel that amps up the insanity with fun gore gags and a fun Brit pop soundtrack featuring the Smiths, the Cult and Peter Murphy among others.

Audio/Video: As with the DEMONS Blu-ray Synapse come through with a stunning transfer that appears more film like with less brightness boosting than the Arrow Video Blu-ray. The garish colors are perfectly rendered with a fine layer of film grain and black levels exhibiting some very nice shadow detail. Synapse took a lot of time to properly color time the film and this attention to detail really pays off - this is a stunner.

At a few points I did notice the image becomes momentarily jittery and unstable, apparently due to a camera defect during filming and not the transfer. Synapse being the perfectionist that they are did attempt to stabilize the issue but were unsuccessful

The lone audio option is a DTS-HD MA Stereo English 2.0 that is quite nice with some real oomph to it. The 80s alternative soundtrack featuring the likes of the Smiths, Gene Loves Jezebel, The Cult, Fields of Nephilim and Love and Rockets sounds great. The Dialogue, Simon Boswell's score and the effects are all nicely balanced.

The only extras on the movie-only edition is the theatrical trailer but this new color correction of the transfer is quite a stunner. Synapse knock it out of the park yet again with DEMONS 2. Looking forward to what they do with Dario Argento's SUSPIRIA in 2015!

DEMONS 2 is a fun amped up sequel with nods to Cronenberg's SHIVERS and VIDEODROME plus GREMLINS and ALIEN among others. A bit sillier than the original with a non-stop parade of awesome gore from start to finish, a sequel that in my opinion stands toe-to-toe with the original. This is the movie-only version of the film provided as an alternative for fans who for whatever reason couldn't snag the limited edition SteelBook from Synapse. While it is missing the bonus content of that release it does offers up the same superior quality transfer and the new color-timing, a high recommend.

DEMONS (1985) (Synapse Films Blu-ray Review)

DEMONS (1985)

Label: Synapse Films
Duration: 89 Minutes
Region Code: A
Rating: R
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Stereo with Optional English SDH Subtitles
Video: 1080p Widescreen (1.66:1)
Director: Lamberto Bava
Cast: Urbano Barberini, Natasha Hovey, Geretta Geretta, Bobby Rhodes

A young woman (Natasha Hovey) is approached by a menacing man in a metal mask (Michele Soavi) in the Berlin subway, she attempts flee but it turns out he only wishes to offers her free passes to a movie screening at the Metropol Cinema.Joined by her friend (Paola Cozzo) and the teens arrive at the cinema where they meet two young flirtatious men (Barberini, Natasha Hovey, Karl Zinny).

Also in attendance are a bad-ass pimp (Bobby Rhodes) and two prostitutes, one of which is played by a familiar face, Garetta Garetta of RATS (1984). In the lobby of the theater there is a movie prop of a samurai on top of a motorcycle wielding a samurai sword with a creepy metal mask. Garetta's character pulls the mask off the mannequin and wears it for a second. It scratches her only slightly but draws blood, I love it when the pimps reprimands here with "That's what you get for touching stuff"!, the dubbing of the pimp is awesome.

As the movie begins we see that it's a demonic horror film involving a group of teens and the prophecies of Nostradamus. It's a fun movie-with-a-movie device, as the story line in the movie unfolds it seems to mirror what is happening in the theater at the same time. The hooker that was scratched by the mask starts to feel ill and heads to the bathroom where she discovers the scratch has become infected. The pulsating boil erupts in a spray of demonic jizz as she transforms into a gnarly toothed, slime drooling demon with a fierce set of claws.

As the movie goers slowly become aware that something terrifying is happening in the theater they are helpless to escape as the doors have been barred. The pimp played by Bobby Rhodes takes charge of the situation hollering out a barrage of quotable gems as they attempt to thwart the demonic siege that is well underway..

The gruesome make-up effects from Sergio Stivaletti are plenty of fun with loads of torn flesh and gouged-eyes with an excess of blood and gore. A scene of a demon being birthed from the back of one of the infected is quite violent and fun - definitely a film that does not disappoint with a steady barrage of squirm inducing practical in-camera special effects.

DEMONS is directed by Lamberto Bava (DELERIUM) and produced and co-written by Dario Argento (FOUR FLIES ON GREY VELVET) and the great Italian screenwriter Dardano Sachetti (THE BEYOND). The film has a distinct Argento flavor about it with some great moody lighting and stylistic choices - this is a a vibrant film. Away from the Argento influence it should be noted that Bava (son of Mario Bava) is quite a good director in his own right with the films A BLADE IN THE DARK (1983) and MACABRE (1980) under his belt, that said it's the DEMON movies he's probably most known for but I recommend digging into his other films to discover a few fun late-era Giallo entries.


The film has a few storytelling hiccups along the way such as the introduction of a group of coked-up punk rockers forty-minutes into the film whom add very little to the story other than some appreciated nudity. At time it does feel like a series of gore skits patched together and the pacing suffers at points but not enough to suck out the fun.The onscreen action is fast and furious with a fun sword-swinging spin on a motorcycle through the theater and a helicopter which crashes through the ceiling of the theater all set to a fun metal-infused soundtrack, this is a damn fun party film.

BLU-RAY:
Both DEMONS and DEMONS 2 were released in as Limited Edition SteelBooks last year and featured a new HD scan of the original 35mm negative featuring all-new color correction supervised by Synapse Films. The colors are vibrant and if you have ever seen this film you know it is oozing with neon gore, synapse have raised bar with this new transfer. Additionally black levels and grain are managed nicely, a very solid transfer from start to finish.

Audio options include both the International English DTS-HD MA 2.0 and the U.S. DTS-HD MA Mono alternate dub soundtrack. Both export the dialogue, score and gruesome effects with a powerful clarity. The tracks are well-balanced and the metal soundtrack featuring Motley Crue, Saxon and Accept is a blast. Claudio Simonetti of Goblin fame provides his own electronic flavor to the proceedings which accentuates the onscreen demonic action.

This budget minded release is pretty bare bones with only the Original US Theatrical Trailer for the film but the new transfer and color timing is fantastic, appreciate that Synapse offered this as an option for the fans who couldn't afford the deluxe SteelBook edition. .

VERDICT:
DEMONS (1985) is a classic Italian splatter film and a fun watch, a can be a bit disjointed at times but it earns high marks for the sweet gore and fist-pumping soundtrack. A phenomenal transfer from Synapse Films only sweetens the deal, this is a high recommend for those who couldn't purchase the Limited Edition SteelBook edition, which is still available from www.synapse-films.com. DEMONS is one of the best rock n' roll horror films out there, right up there with THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD and it never fails to deliver the demonic good.

DEMONS & DEMONS 2 on Blu-ray 11/11 from SYNAPSE FILMS minus the extras from the SteelBook!

SYNAPSE FILMS are releasing a more stripped down version of their DEMONS and DEMONS 2 SteelBook Editions on November 11th. Same stellar transfer minus the extras...

DEMONS (1985) Label: Synapse Films Release Date: November 11th 2014 Duration: 89 Minutes Region Code: A Rating: R  Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Stereo with Optional English SDH Subtitles Video: 1080p Widescreen (1.66:1) Director: Lamberto Bava Cast: Urbano Barberini, Natasha Hovey, Geretta Geretta, Bobby Rhodes THEY WILL MAKE CEMETERIES THEIR CATHEDRALS, AND CITIES WILL BE YOUR TOMBS!  From the minds of Dario Argento and Lamberto Bava comes the horrific Heavy Metal splatter film classic, DEMONS! Presented in a stunning new high-definition transfer and re-mastered audio! A strange masked man offers tickets to a horror movie sneak preview at the mysterious Metropol cinema. When a patron is accidentally scratched by a prop displayed in the lobby, she transforms into a flesh-ripping demon! One by one, the audience members mutate into horrible creatures hell-bent on destroying the world. Can anyone escape this gory orgy of terror? Features an amazing soundtrack of '80s rock/heavy metal by Billy Idol, Scorpions, Motley Crue, Accept, Saxon and MORE! Bonus Features:  - Theatrical Trailer - Newly translated optional English SDH subtitles

DEMONS 2 (1986) Label: Synapse Films Release Date: November 11th 201 Region Code: A Rating: R Duration: 92 Minutes Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Stereo with Optional English SDH Subtitles  Video: 1080p Widescreen (1.66:1)  Director: Lamberto Bava Stars: David Knight, Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni, Bobby Rhodes, Asia Argento WATCHING TELEVISION CAN BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH-- AND BRING THE END OF THE WORLD! From the minds of Dario Argento and Lamberto Bava comes DEMONS 2, the sequel to the surprise horror hit, DEMONS! Presented in a stunning new high-definition transfer and re-mastered audio! There's a scary movie on television and the residents of a luxury high-rise building have their eyes glued to their sets. Unfortunately for a young birthday girl, an eternal demonic evil is released through her TV and partygoers soon find themselves fighting an army of murderous monsters! Acid blood, demonic dogs, possessed children and rampaging zombies wreak havoc for the trapped tenants! Starring Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni (Dario Argento's OPERA), Bobby Rhodes (DEMONS), and a young Asia Argento in her very first film role, DEMONS 2 is a jaw-droppingly gory film from the golden age of Italian "splatter" films! Features an amazing soundtrack of '80s rock/heavy metal by The Smiths, The Cult, Dead Can Dance, Art of Noise, Peter Murphy and MORE! Bonus Features: - Theatrical Trailer - Newly translated optional English SDH subtitles