Demons (1985)

A group of random people are invited to a screening of a mysterious movie, only to find themselves trapped in the theater with ravenous demons.

Director:

Lamberto Bava

Writers:

Dardano Sacchetti (original story), Dario Argento (screenplay)

Stars:

Urbano Barberini, Natasha Hovey, Karl Zinny

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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	...	Liz

Storyline

Art imitating art is the basis of this demonic tale of a group of invited guests who are granted a free lunch in the form of a screening of a horror film that brings naturalism to life. Baited and penned in, this walled-in feeling quickly turns to screams and fear as those who are dead lust after the flesh of those living. The free lunch has turned full circle in the cinema of hell and it is only a question of time before the demons from the abyss are asking for second portions.

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Plot Keywords:

survival horror | demon | movie theatre | demonic possession | film projector | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Horror

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

30 May 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

Demons

Filming Locations:

Germany

Box Office

Budget:

$1,800,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo (Europe) Mono (US version)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In Germany, this was released as sequel ("Dämonen 2") to the second film which was released as the first part ("Dämonen").

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Goofs

Just after the young boy shoots demonic Cheryl, the jeep begins to drive away into the dawn. One shot later, it is pitch dark -- no morning light is apparent.

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Quotes

[Tony and several other patrons have discovered one of the prostitutes face down on the stage. She has a huge neck wound from Rosemary's attack]
Tony the Pimp: There's some kind of madman loose in here!
[the prostitute's fingernails begin to develop claws]
Tony the Pimp: Son of a bitch! Shit!
[Now the woman's front teeth are falling out, and long, sharp fangs grow in to replace them. Her eyes have also become bloodshot]
Tony the Pimp: Get out! Everybody get away!
[the theater's patrons flee in a panic up the stairs]

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Alternate Versions

The Canadian video release on the Norstar label is the censored-for-Ontario version and is missing a few minutes of graphic footage.

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Connections

Featured in Brivido giallo: Graveyard Disturbance (1987)

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Soundtracks

Demon
Performed by Claudio Simonetti
( Universo Film / RCA )

User Reviews

"That'll teach you to touch stuff!"

WOW! The above quote is what the pimp says to his 'ho after she cuts her face on a mask. A prescient utterance indeed!

With a pounding heavy metal score accented by a phenomenal opening track from Dario Argento's band Goblin, DEMONS grips from the onset and never stops, despite a paper- thin plot that appears as if the filmmakers made it up as they went along. As far as campy genre films go, this one is near the top. I don't consider this a B-movie however, as the production is smooth if not polished and the special effects are very well done. Some of the dubbing is atrocious and the acting is way over the top, but the characters are rich and well cast, and this colorful feature has entertained me greatly many a late night.

The capricious nature of this film and its absence of levity call to mind the lighthearted works of John Carpenter (the throbbing keyboard of the aforementioned title track borrows Carpenter's trademark sound). Carpenter also introduces complex characters with little or no background information or explanation: Stevie Wayne, Adrienne Barbeau's character in THE FOG, obviously has a marked past but the only allusions to such are glances at old newspaper clippings and her deadpan utterance "It's nothing but water Stevie, but it sure beats Chicago." The delivery and structure of the dialog here possesses similar elan: the filmmakers seem to embrace that their work is fiction, celebrating the comical and inane. Characters are killed off with reckless abandon without sentimental moments or glib last words...In this type of film it's not about how long you live, but how well you die!

This lack of pretension creates a freedom to enjoy without conceit, appreciable by viewer as well as production staff. This is integral to the success of many genre films that must compensate for light substance with abundances of style. DEMONS carves its niche in my heart largely with 80's pop culture and stereotypes. The actors here play caricatures more than real human roles. Halfway through the film we see coked up punks cruising Berlin in stolen cars. What needs to be said about them that isn't readily seen? They're all demon fodder anyway, right?

8/10* Terrifically entertaining! Best watched late at night.