The Lucid Nightmare: June 2013

Demons 2

Director: Lamberto Bava

Year 1986

Demons 2 is a tremendously outrageous sequel that takes all of the fun bits from the original Demons and lets it run wild within the confines of an apartment high-rise, resulting in bloody chaos. Imaginative and unhinged, the film moves at a break-neck pace as it showcases how truly entertaining Italian genre cinema can be. Taking the helm once again, Lamberto Bava religiously follows in the footsteps of his original hit as he sticks to formula and delivers a dangerous combination of blood, guts, and demonic mayhem, which seen through Bava's demented lens is sure to please any fan of this wild genre. Grotesquely sinister fun abounds in this most worthy and entertaining of follow-ups.

The film takes place in a ten story high-rise apartment building on a most horrific night, where mysteriously a demon manifests itself into the world of the living and begins to wreak havoc among the tenants, changing the every day citizens into flesh-ripping demons. One by one, the tenants are transformed into hellish ghouls, forcing the surviving apartment dwellers to fight for their very lives in the most hopeless of situations. Trapped in a ten story tomb and hunted by an army of demons, will anyone see the light of day again?

Demons 2 is a tricky beast, because there really isn't any central character to speak of within the cast. Sure we have our two most likely main characters in the form of George and Hannah, played by David Edwin Knight and Nancy Brilli, but frankly they are just one of a number of roles that are literally jumbled into this smorgasbord of chaos, and believe me chaos is the name of the game in this flick. Awash in a turbulent storm of blood and mayhem, Knight and Brilli do a commendable job in playing the role of the expectant newlyweds, but try as they may they can not break through the outrageous proceedings that Bava has in store for them, and this is not a bad thing. With demons on a rampage, who needs main characters to root for anyway?

What we do get within this chaotic formula is a chance to showcase a motley group of tenants as they try desperately to stay alive. Bobby Rhodes, a fan favorite from the original Demons, essentially reprises his role from the first film yet in name only. In the first movie Rhodes was a pimp named Tony and in the second entry he takes on the moniker of Hank, the badass gym instructor who specializes in demon slaying. Either way you look at it, the guy gives the same exceptionally outrageous performance which is truly legendary to behold. Over the top and out of control, it's not hard to see why Bobby Rhodes has a cult following.

Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni also does a great deal of heavy lifting among the diverse cast, as she is almost extensively under a great deal of prosthetics and makeup for much of the film. With her being the initial infected tenant of the complex, it gives the actress countless opportunities to really ham it up for the cameras as she delightfully goes on her demonic killing spree. You really have to give it up for Tassoni, because she goes all out in bringing this despicable creature to life. She is a true nightmare in the flesh, and her wacky gore-filled antics are a thing of frightening beauty. It's also interesting to note that a young Asia Argento makes an appearance as Ingrid Haller, a young girl trapped inside the demon-infested apartment high-rise. Argento does a great job with the morbid material and she looks as cute as a button.

As previously mentioned, the film is jam-packed with hectic moments which all morph together to make for one hell of a horror opus. Sometimes silly, but always entertaining, these raucous instances produce an unsettling atmosphere that just permeates the movie to its very core. What's interesting about this unparalleled tone is that it is not horrific in nature, but entertainingly demented in presentation. You'll never be truly scared during the run time of this flick, but you will find yourself feeling a great sense of unease at all that is going on. It is a sweeping amalgam of blood, guts, and terror, but it always has that playful aspect to it that always harkens back to the fun factor of the genre and era. I've always enjoyed this magical element that most Italian horror efforts of this time seem effortlessly able to capture, and Demons 2 just takes that approach and runs with it, as it makes you cringe and grin in unison.

Much of the enjoyment factor of the movie has a great deal to do with the practical effects on display and the wonderful creature designs for the various demons. Nasty and grotesque, the demons are as maleficent as they are decrepit and their proficiency at dealing out violent retribution to anyone that crosses their path is without equal. Blood splatters and wounds agape as these vile creatures search every nook and cranny of the complex for fresh meat to tear apart and the effects department do an excellent job in bringing it all to fruition. The transformations of the humans as they painfully morph into demons is a highlight of the film, though in my opinion it was done more feverishly in the original entry. Be that as it may, Demons 2 is an entertaining romp that never seems to wear out its welcome as it goes balls to the wall in its attempts to shock and awe its audience.

Demons 2 is a sequel that truly gives its audience what it wants and that is demonic chaos on an unsettling level. Unrestrained to the point of bafflement, the movie saturates itself with vile moments, despicable scenarios and outlandish prospects, to the point that it all feels as if it will spill out onto the audience in a gore covered mess. In true chaotic form, the presence of David Edwin Knight, Nancy Brilli, Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni, Bobby Rhodes and even Asia Argento, are all lost within the confusion of this claustrophobic terror-dome, making for a film that is quite obscure and out of control. It is in this madness that the film really takes off, as it sweeps us up in the mayhem and puts us front and center, surrounded by the bedlam.

Truly rooted in that sinister Italian horror style, the film boasts a plentiful amount of gore thanks to its wonderful effects crew and makeup department. The demons are truly frightening with their demented eyes and puss spewing features, and the very nature in which they present themselves and dispense death is truly unruly and without remorse. If anything can be said about Demons 2 it's that it is without a doubt demonic, both in its visual flare and in its content. Ridiculously fun and wholly entertaining, this is without a doubt a roller coaster of a film. When it comes down to it, Demons 2 is an outstanding second stab at the genre, even if it doesn't attempt to mess with the formula or shake things up. If you've got a demonic itch to scratch, then look no further. Bava's got your hook-up. Demons 2 is.....