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Happy 30th Anniversary to Lamberto Bava’s ‘Demons!’

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Demons Anniversary

October 4th marked the 30th anniversary of the release Lamberto Bava’s totally rad horror film Demons. It’s didn’t see an American release until 1986, but the original Italian release was 1985 so we’re counting that as the actual release date. Co-written by Dario Argento himself (and co-starring his daughter Fiore), Demons is a blast from beginning to end. It is quickly paced, gory as hell and has a great sense of humor about itself. In other words, its fucking awesome, so I thought I would write a short piece paying tribute to this 80s classic.

Demons has a rather simple plot: a bunch of people get invited to a secret screening of a new movie about to come out. Final girl Cheryl (Natasha Hovey) and her friend Kathy (Paola Cozzo) skip class to attend the film (skipping class is treated as the “they had sex” moment of the film) and, predictably, a bunch of demons start possessing and attacking the audience members. Is use the word “predictably” as a compliment, as Demons knows exactly the type of film it wants to be and doesn’t pull any punches.

There are a wide variety of characters attending the screening, but the most memorable are probably Tony the pimp (Bobby Rhodes) and his two prostitutes, Rosemary (Geretta Geretta) and Carmen (Fabiola Toledo). To merely list off Tony’s hilarious quotes and one-liners simply wouldn’t do them justice. They have to be heard to get the full effect. Luckily, YouTube user fleshtrashheat has done a supercut of his best lines from both Demons and its sequel (Rhodes plays a gym teacher named Hank in Demons 2. Just go with it.):

I have seen Demons a handful of times, but I was actually able to watch it on the big screen a few months ago. Let me tell you, there is nothing more meta than watching Demons in a movie theater. It is the absolute best way to watch it, and the crowd reactions amplify the film’s effect. Adding to the meta factor is the fact that the characters are watching a movie about a group of teenagers who find a mask that turns one of them into a murderous demon. This same mask is the one found and worn by Rosemary before she gets all demon-y.

As is expected from a film titled Demons, the gore is top notch. Weirdly enough, I find the film to be less and less gory each time I watch it. It must be a desensitization thing, because a first viewing inspired gags from this writer. That may be due to the incredibly grotesque scene in which Rosemary (Demons’ patient zero) has a lot of pus explode out of her face (and you all know how I feel about pus), but either way the practical effects are truly inspired. It’s one of those movies that make you lament the lack of practical gore effects in many of today’s horror films. See below for the scene in question.

Of course, no discussion of Demons would be complete without mentioning the awesome rock/metal soundtrack. While it features songs from Billy Idol, Mötley Crüe, and Accept, the true standout is Claudio Simonetti’s score. My personal favorite is the title song “Demon” which samples from Peer Gynt’s “In the Hall of the Mountain King.”

The film ends on a downer, with final girl Cheryl transforming into a demon and being shot and killed, leaving final boy George to drive off into a transformed world that has been overrun by demons. It’s a shame the sequel never followed up on this plot point (it sort of retcons the first film and acts as another Demons, this time taking place in an apartment  building), because that would have been a lot of fun to see. Granted, that would also have required a much larger budget, so I understand their reasoning for going in a different direction with Demons 2.

Demons is a particularly clever film that knows how to have fun. There are plenty of winks to the audience and standing ovation moments. If you haven’t seen it yet, seek it out immediately and give it a watch. You won’t regret it. Totally unrelated but also a bit of fun trivia: the building used for the exterior shots of the theater is now a club called Goya in Berlin that hosts horror conventions. Might be a good vacation destination if you ever find yourself in Berlin.

What are your thoughts on Demons? Are you as big a fan of it as I am? I don’t think I’ve even scratched the surface of how completely awesome this film is, so share your thoughts and memories on the film in the comments below, or feel free to Tweet me!

A journalist for Bloody Disgusting since 2015, Trace writes film reviews and editorials, as well as co-hosts Bloody Disgusting's Horror Queers podcast, which looks at horror films through a queer lens. He has since become dedicated to amplifying queer voices in the horror community, while also injecting his own personal flair into film discourse. Trace lives in Austin, TX with his husband and their two dogs. Find him on Twitter @TracedThurman

Editorials

‘Leprechaun Returns’ – The Charm of the Franchise’s Legacy Sequel

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leprechaun returns

The erratic Leprechaun franchise is not known for sticking with a single concept for too long. The namesake (originally played by Warwick Davis) has gone to L.A., Las Vegas, space, and the ‘hood (not once but twice). And after an eleven-year holiday since the Davis era ended, the character received a drastic makeover in a now-unmentionable reboot. The critical failure of said film would have implied it was time to pack away the green top hat and shillelagh, and say goodbye to the nefarious imp. Instead, the Leprechaun series tried its luck again.

The general consensus for the Leprechaun films was never positive, and the darker yet blander Leprechaun: Origins certainly did not sway opinions. Just because the 2014 installment took itself seriously did not mean viewers would. After all, creator Mark Jones conceived a gruesome horror-comedy back in the early nineties, and that format is what was expected of any future ventures. So as horror legacy sequels (“legacyquels”) became more common in the 2010s, Leprechaun Returns followed suit while also going back to what made the ‘93 film work. This eighth entry echoed Halloween (2018) by ignoring all the previous sequels as well as being a direct continuation of the original. Even ardent fans can surely understand the decision to wipe the slate clean, so to speak.

Leprechaun Returns “continued the [franchise’s] trend of not being consistent by deciding to be consistent.” The retconning of Steven Kostanski and Suzanne Keilly’s film was met with little to no pushback from the fandom, who had already become accustomed to seeing something new and different with every chapter. Only now the “new and different” was familiar. With the severe route of Origins a mere speck in the rearview mirror, director Kotanski implemented a “back to basics” approach that garnered better reception than Zach Lipovsky’s own undertaking. The one-two punch of preposterous humor and grisly horror was in full force again.

LEPRECHAUN

Pictured: Linden Porco as The Leprechaun in Leprechaun Returns.

With Warwick Davis sitting this film out — his own choice — there was the foremost challenge of finding his replacement. Returns found Davis’ successor in Linden Porco, who admirably filled those blood-stained, buckled shoes. And what would a legacy sequel be without a returning character? Jennifer Aniston obviously did not reprise her final girl role of Tory Redding. So, the film did the next best thing and fetched another of Lubdan’s past victims: Ozzie, the likable oaf played by Mark Holton. Returns also created an extension of Tory’s character by giving her a teenage daughter, Lila (Taylor Spreitler).

It has been twenty-five years since the events of the ‘93 film. The incident is unknown to all but its survivors. Interested in her late mother’s history there in Devil’s Lake, North Dakota, Lila transferred to the local university and pledged a sorority — really the only one on campus — whose few members now reside in Tory Redding’s old home. The farmhouse-turned-sorority-house is still a work in progress; Lila’s fellow Alpha Epsilon sisters were in the midst of renovating the place when a ghost of the past found its way into the present.

The Psycho Goreman and The Void director’s penchant for visceral special effects is noted early on as the Leprechaun tears not only into the modern age, but also through poor Ozzie’s abdomen. The portal from 1993 to 2018 is soaked with blood and guts as the Leprechaun forces his way into the story. Davis’ iconic depiction of the wee antagonist is missed, however, Linden Porco is not simply keeping the seat warm in case his predecessor ever resumes the part. His enthusiastic performance is accentuated by a rotten-looking mug that adds to his innate menace.

LEPRECHAUN RETURNS sequel

Pictured: Taylor Spreitler, Pepi Sonuga, and Sai Bennett as Lila, Katie and Rose in Leprechaun Returns.

The obligatory fodder is mostly young this time around. Apart from one luckless postman and Ozzie — the premature passing of the latter character removed the chance of caring about anyone in the film — the Leprechaun’s potential prey are all college aged. Lila is this story’s token trauma kid with caregiver baggage; her mother thought “monsters were always trying to get her.” Lila’s habit of mentioning Tory’s mental health problem does not make a good first impression with the resident mean girl and apparent alcoholic of the sorority, Meredith (Emily Reid). Then there are the nicer but no less cursorily written of the Alpha Epsilon gals: eco-conscious and ex-obsessive Katie (Pepi Sonuga), and uptight overachiever Rose (Sai Bennett). Rounding out the main cast are a pair of destined-to-die bros (Oliver Llewellyn Jenkins, Ben McGregor). Lila and her peers range from disposable to plain irritating, so rooting for any one of them is next to impossible. Even so, their overstated personalities make their inevitable fates more satisfying.

Where Returns excels is its death sequences. Unlike Jones’ film, this one is not afraid of killing off members of the main cast. Lila, admittedly, wears too much plot armor, yet with her mother’s spirit looming over her and the whole story — comedian Heather McDonald put her bang-on Aniston impersonation to good use as well as provided a surprisingly emotional moment in the film — her immunity can be overlooked. Still, the other characters’ brutal demises make up for Lila’s imperviousness. The Leprechaun’s killer set-pieces also happen to demonstrate the time period, seeing as he uses solar panels and a drone in several supporting characters’ executions. A premortem selfie and the antagonist’s snarky mention of global warming additionally add to this film’s particular timestamp.

Critics were quick to say Leprechaun Returns did not break new ground. Sure, there is no one jetting off to space, or the wacky notion of Lubdan becoming a record producer. This reset, however, is still quite charming and entertaining despite its lack of risk-taking. And with yet another reboot in the works, who knows where the most wicked Leprechaun ever to exist will end up next.


Horror contemplates in great detail how young people handle inordinate situations and all of life’s unexpected challenges. While the genre forces characters of every age to face their fears, it is especially interested in how youths might fare in life-or-death scenarios.

The column Young Blood is dedicated to horror stories for and about teenagers, as well as other young folks on the brink of terror.

Leprechaun Returns movie

Pictured: Linden Porco as The Leprechaun in Leprechaun Returns.

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