Dèmoni (1985)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Lamberto Bava

Writers:

Dardano Sacchetti (story)
Dario Argento (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

30 May 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

They will make cemeteries their cathedrals and the cities will be your tombs.

Plot:

A group of people are trapped in a large West Berlin movie theater infected by ravenous demons whom proceed to kill and posses the humans one-by-one thereby multiplying their numbers.

Plot Keywords:

Demon | Mask | Friend | Lobby | Pimp

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Urbano Barberini	...	George
Natasha Hovey	...	Cheryl
Karl Zinny	...	Ken
Fiore Argento	...	Hannah
Paola Cozzo	...	Kathy
Fabiola Toledo	...	Carmen
Nicoletta Elmi	...	Ingrid, the usherette
Stelio Candelli	...	Frank
Nicole Tessier	...	Ruth
Geretta Geretta	...	Rosemary (as Geretta Giancarlo)
Bobby Rhodes	...	Tony
Guido Baldi	...	Tommy
Bettina Ciampolini	...	Nina
Giuseppe Mauro Cruciano	...	Hot Dog (as Giuseppe Cruciano)
Sally Day	...	Carla

Also Known As:

Demons (USA)

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:16+ (Quebec) | New Zealand:R18 | Australia:R | Canada:R | France:-16 | Italy:VM18 | UK:18 | USA:Unrated | West Germany:(Banned) | Mexico:D | Argentina:18 | Iceland:(Banned) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Berlin, Germany

Company:

DACFILM Rome

Trivia:

A poster for 4 mosche di velluto grigio (1971) is visible in the lobby of the theatre: it's the title of writer/producer Dario Argento's third film.

Goofs:

Continuity: Moviegoers find out that they can't leave the cinema - there is no way out. But when Metropol is shown from outdoors, we can see lightened rooms through the windows. Were characters too dumb to jump out from the windows or to take down using the rope?

Quotes:

Cheryl: I don't know how to explain it, but it's the movie that's making this happen!
Tony the Pimp: She's right, she put on that mask and scratched herself, get it? Because of that scratch, she became a demon. An instrument of evil, like they said in the damn movie, you heard it. We got to stop it I tell you, we got to stop the movie!

Movie Connections:

References First Blood (1982)

Soundtrack:

Everybody Up

Sanguinary Demons Infest West Berlin

Lamberto Bava's "Dèmoni" aka. "Demons" of 1985 is a gory, stylish and very entertaining horror flick written by the master, Dario Argento. I'm sure getting acknowledged in Horror cinema wasn't easy for director Lamberto Bava , being the son of Mario Bava, beyond doubt one of the all-time greatest horror geniuses in motion picture history. Expectations must have certainly been high. But although Lamberto Bava does certainly not manage to reach his father's brilliance, "Demons" is definitely worth watching.

Cheryl (Natasha Hovey) is given free tickets for a sneak preview by a mysteriously dressed man at a Berlin subway station. Accompanied by a friend, she goes to see the movie at the eerie-looking 'Metropol' cinema. Before the film starts, a woman scratches herself on a creepy silver mask in the waiting hall. The film, which turns out to be a Horror flick tells the story of a prediction by Nostradamus, connected with a demonic mask.

The plot is not that original, but the film is made in a very stylish manner, with a good cinematography, and great color play in the tradition of Mario Bava and Dario Argento. The gore is intense, lots of slicing, stabbing cutting and biting. The cast may not be phenomenal, but Natasha Hovey delivers a good leading performance and there are a bunch of funny characters, such as a black pimp named Tony (played by Bobby Rhodes) and the two whores he is accompanied by, as well as a strange blind guy and his wife and a very strange usherette. The main part of the score was composed by Claudio Simonetti of the great Progressive Rock band Goblin, whose ingenious soundtracks have also complimented many of Dario Argento's movies.

Being a huge fan of Dario Argento, I must say that "Dèmoni" does definitely not live up to most of the movies Argento directed himself. Nevertheless, it is an extremely entertaining Horror flick that doesn't scant with blood and gore, and especially the gory sequences are very stylishly made. If you expect the quality of Argento's or Mario Bava's masterpieces, you will probably be disappointed. Just expect a very stylish, gory and extremely entertaining Horror flick, and your expectations will easily be fulfilled. Recommended. 7/10