Review: Demoni 2 ("Demons 2", 1986, Lamberto Bava)

The battle was won. But humankind was never really safe. Someone makes a tiny mistake, and all hell breaks loose - again!

Yes, yes, and yes. We wanted more, and we got more. If you've seen the first "Demoni", then you pretty much know what the second one is all about. Who needs characters, when you can have hordes of scary, raging demons?

Cinema theatre was yesterday, now we have concrete apartment blocks and video tape. "Demoni 2" changes a couple of parameters, but otherwise uses the same recipe as "Demoni": Overdrive! The way it ties in with the original movie is very nicely done, and stylistically there isn't much of a difference. The good thing about "Demoni" and "Demoni 2" is that you get exactly what you paid for. It's wild, unhinged, in your face, loud, heavy metal, gory, slimy, gothic, demonic, hellish. 

"Demoni" wasn't a particularly intellectual experience, and "Demoni 2" is even less thought-provoking. It was never about deep psychology or evoking the viewer's forgotten traumata (or... was it?), but the second coming of the demons feels a little less charming, a little more wilful and off-the-shelf, lacking some of the quirkier quirks of the first one, so it maybe gets a little more lost in just blind activism.

But that doesn't mean it's boring. Oh no, far from it. The gore and nasty demons and everything is awesome as always, there are shiny muscles a-plenty, there's nice heavy metal music that's half adequate, and half irritating, and "Demoni 2" even manages to find a couple of new, inventive variations of the fantastic presentation of the titular monsters, using light and shadow, and a TV screen, to great, sometimes spectacular effect.

If you liked "Demoni", then "Demoni 2" is a no-brainer. If you didn't, you probably won't like "Demoni 2", too. If you've seen neither of the two, it doesn't really matter too much which one you watch first. Both "Demoni" are (almost) equally enjoyable, because the pacing and the visuals speak loudly and clearly for themselves, as does the music, and the first part also works nicely as a flashback-sequel to the second part. Just remember: It's for your guts, not your brain.

Verdict: We're not done yet! 7/10

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090930/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demons_2

Trailer video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGQoXTy83lM

* * *

Want to read another movie review? Click here to see all.

 

 

Review: Demoni ("Demons", 1985, Lamberto Bava)

The lines between cinema and reality blur, when a mask is found that carries evil. A movie theater becomes the battleground for hordes of bloodthirsty demons invading our world!

It's a mess. It's all over the place. A helicopter. (You'll understand.) We love it so much. 

"Demoni" drops all ballast, plays no games, and goes straight for the marbles. Which, in this case, are the games. It's not about uncovering and dissecting your innermost fears - or, only if they are an unhinged, feverish, surreal, and gory nightmare, that comes at you like a train at full steam. Where in other movies the aforementioned "marbles" would correlate to the underlying suspense, the dramatic arc, or whatever emotional effect the director intends to evoke in between the peak moments, in "Demoni" there is no such thing as an "in between". When the spectacle begins, it gets wilder and wilder, and pretty much doesn't stop until the end. 

The film-in-the-film concept mixes with some colorful outside world shots, there's plenty of action and gore, a bit of sleaze and bad lifestyle. And there's a notable lack of meaningful dialogue sequences, exposé, backstory, etc. - in "Demoni" it's all about the sonic and visual impact. The heavy metal music by Saxon, Accept, and others, used in the soundtrack, might seem a little off on first sight, but it's actually somehow accurate to the pacing of the movie, and also the stereotype that heavy metal music is inherently the devil's work. 

All of this hints at a message, a loophole in which "Demoni" is the very evil that it portrays, spilling over into the real world. But that's certainly a massive over-analysis. First and foremost, "Demoni" is a mash-up of countless themes from Italian horror cinema and fumetti (comics). Gothic demons emerging, some zombie-esque action, a helicopter (...), a hero with shiny muscles, ... If you've ever seen a fumetto like "Dylan Dog" or "Brad Barron", you get the idea. It's a lot.

And it works! There is some really awesome looking use of light and shadow, inventive and bizarre imagery, wild, scary make-up, some epic scenes of demonic onslaught, huge amounts of violence and gore, and so on, and it has a fast pace, so you don't spend much time thinking about all the insanity.

"Demoni" is one of the most spectacular productions of 70s and 80s Italian horror cinema. Does it make sense, or even educate you? No! Beware! Does it keep you tied to the screen, asking for more? Oh yeah, big time!

Verdict: All hell breaks loose in "Demoni"! 8/10

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089013/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demons_(1985_film) 

Trailer video:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HkHDrRa8R4

* * *

Want to read another movie review? Click here to see all.