‘Demons’
DACFILM Rome, 1985

starring: Urbano Barberini, Natasha Hovey, Nicoletta Elmi and Alex Serra
directed by: Lamberto Bava

the plot: Cheryl (Hovey) is stalked by a mysterious man in a metallic mask as she exits a West Berlin subway. He’s mostly harmless, though, and does nothing more than offer her a pair of tickets for a film at a newly opened movie theater. Cheryl and a friend go to the theater where they meet a pair of cute boys, one of whom, Geroge (Barberini), takes an interest in Cheryl. Also at the theater are a blind man (Serra) and his caretaker and a pimp and two of his hookers. The movie, a violent horror film about an ancient curse that transforms ordinary people into bloodthirsty demons, begins to have an adverse effect on the audience. Life soon imitates art when one of the hookers morphs into demon, spewing green slime and killing whoever gets in her way. It’s not long before other audience members are similarly affected, and the remaining survivors find themselves in a pitched battle against the demons. A car full of cokeheads and a conveniently placed samurai sword provide George and Cheryl with a means of escape from the theater, but little do they know that some of the demons have escaped into the city.

why it’s good: A collaborative effort by Italian horror-master Dario Argento and Lamberto Bava (son of legendary director Mario Bava), “Demons” was a stab at commercial success, and it certainly has all the right elements. “Demons” is every ’80s excess packed into 88 minutes of gore-filled fun: you’ve got coke-sniffing hooligans, dirt bikes, slasher films, bad hair, bad clothes and a soundtrack featuring Billy Idol, Motley Crue and Rick Springfield. “Demons” is not a “good” film—the acting is bad and the English dubbing worse—but it is full of madcap, ridiculous excitement. The outrageous gore and overpowering rock soundtrack give the film spirit, and it’s all worth it to see George and Cheryl, the only survivors in the theater, grab the dirt bike and sword inexplicably on display in the lobby and start buzzing about the theater, hacking at the slimy, grimy demons.

why you should own it: “Demons” is pure, unbridled cinematic cheese and worth owning if you’re a horror buff. Anchor Bay’s DVD features commentary by Bava and fellow crew members and an un-rated version of the film.