Demons (4K UHD Review)
- Review Date: Aug 01, 2024
- Format: 4K Ultra HD
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Director
Lamberto BavaRelease Date(s)
1985 (August 13, 2024)Studio(s)
DAC Film/Titanus (Synapse Films)- Film/Program Grade: B+
- Video Grade: A+
- Audio Grade: A+
- Extras Grade: A
Review
During the main producorial phase of his career, Dario Argento was branding several films with his name. In some cases, many folks didn’t realize that he didn’t actually direct the films that his name was attached to for marketing purposes. Such was the case with 1985’s Demons (aka Demoni), directed by Lamberto Bava. Many of Italy’s top genre filmmakers, including Argento, were involved in the film, which features over-the-top violence and gore, beautifully-designed sets, bold lighting, a hard-driving rock and roll and synth-laden soundtrack, and surprisingly highbrow thematic material. Thanks to its frequent availability on home video over the years, Demons, as well as its sequel, continue to thrive as genre fan favorites.
In Demons, a mysterious man in a silver mask hands out tickets to the Metropol, a recently re-opened movie theatre, where a new horror film is being shown. Different groups of people turn up to see it, including some college students, a pimp and two of his prostitutes, a blind man and his daughter, a young couple, and a married couple. Before watching the film, one of the patrons accidentally cuts her face on a mask hanging in the lobby, and once the film is underway, she metamorphisizes into a bloodthirsty demon, attacking audience members ferociously and turning them into demons as well. It’s now a battle for survival as more and more people are killed and transformed into demons while the film continues to plays out similar events in the background.
Demons was shot by cinematographer Gianlorenzo Battaglia on 35 mm film using Arriflex cameras and spherical lenses, finished photochemically, and presented in the aspect ratio of 1.66:1. Synapse Films re-releases this outstanding 4K Ultra HD presentation of the film (which is shared with Arrow Video in Region B territories) in three distinct versions: the International English language version, the Italian language version, and the US English language version. The International and Italian versions were scanned and restored in 4K by Arrow Video with additional work to conform the US version by Michael Mackenzie (all under the supervision of James White), graded for High Dynamic Range (HDR10 and Dolby Vision options are included), and presented here on a triple-layered BD-100 disc.
The various versions of Demons are basically the same visually outside of a couple of minor differences. In the International version, the gang driving around the city is snorting cocaine out of a Coca-Cola can. Three shots where you can see this can clearly are trimmed out of the US version, for obvious reasons. The US version features the Ascot Entertainment Group logo at the beginning, and each version opens and closes with credits in the appropriate language.
This presentation of Demons not only adds dimension, but a tighter grain structure, allowing for higher levels of detail, even in the darkest of moments. It also sports a bitrate that primarily sits in the 80 to 90Mbps range, frequently spiking well above that. Black levels are deep and contrast is perfect. Demons has always been a particularly colorful film, and its palette is boosted enormously here thanks to the HDR passes. The color matches Synapse’s previous Blu-rays, but now with added depth. Scenes are awash with a variety or primaries and neons, whether it’s the interiors of the Metropol theatre, or the city street exteriors. Everything appears stable, clean, and free of any leftover damage or debris. It’s gorgeous.
Both the International English and Italian versions of Demons feature audio in 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio, whereas the US version features audio in English 2.0 mono DTS-HD Master Audio. Subtitles are included in English SDH. The differences between the various soundtracks is far too numerous to list here. There are many and varied alternate overdubbed lines, music cue changes, and sound effects differences. The dubbing is obviously loose against the picture, no matter which option you choose, but the surround and stereo tracks offer plenty of fidelity, especially for Claudio Simonetti and Simon Boswell’s fantastic scores, as well as the hard rock music performed by the likes of Rick Springfield, Billy Idol, and The Scorpions. Dialogue is up front and discernible and the various sound effects, particularly those pertaining to the demons themselves, have ample support. The restored mono track, which many will be familiar with prior to its DVD release, definitely completes this package.
Demons on 4K Ultra HD sits in a black Amaray case alongside a reproduction of the Metropol movie ticket containing information about the transfer of Demons on the back, as well as a 24-page Synapse Films 2024 Product Catalog. The reversible insert features artwork from the New World Pictures VHS release on the front and the US theatrical poster artwork on the reverse. The following extras are included:
- Audio Commentary by Kat Ellinger and Heather Drain
- Audio Commentary by Lamberto Bava, Sergio Stivaletti, Claudio Simonetti, Geretta Geretta, Mike Baronas, Art Ettinger, and Mark Murray
- Produced by Dario Argento (HD – 27:13)
- Archival Special Features:
- Dario’s Demon Days: Dario Argento Remembers Demons (HD and SD – 10:30)
- Defining an Era in Music: Claudio Simonetti on Demons (HD and SD – 9:34)
- Splatter Spaghetti Style: Luigi Cozzi’s Top Italian Terrors (HD and SD – 11:27)
- Carnage at the Cinema: Lamberto Bava and His Splatter Masterpiece (HD and SD – 36:01)
- Dario and the Demons: Producing Monster Mayhem (HD and SD – 15:51)
- Monstrous Memories: Luigi Cozzi on Demons (HD and SD – 30:18)
- Profondo Jones: The Critical Perspective (HD and SD – 17:39)
- Splatter Stunt Rock: An Interview with Ottaviano Dell’Acqua (HD and SD – 9:12)
- Sergio Stivaletti Q&A (HD – 36:13)
- Promotional Materials:
- Italian Theatrical Trailer (HD – 2:09)
- International English Theatrical Trailer (HD – 2:09)
- US Theatrical Trailer (HD – 1:32)
The first audio commentary features writers and critics Kat Ellinger and Heather Drain, which is noted to have been recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. The pair discuss facts about the film and their love for it. The second audio commentary, recorded in 2012, features director Lamberto Bava, special makeup effects artist Sergio Stivaletti, composer Claudio Simonetti, and actress Geretta Geretta, moderated by Mike Baronas, Art Ettinger, and Mark Murray. The seven discuss the film, often in Italian, but the disc offers a subtitle track to cover those moments. Produced by Dario Argento is an excellent new video essay about the career of the acclaimed filmmaker by author and critic Michael Mackenzie. Archival extras include Dario’s Demon Days, an interview with Dario Argento; Defining an Era in Music, an interview with composer Claudio Simonetti; Splatter Spaghetti Style, an interview with filmmaker Luigi Cozzi; Carnage at the Cinema, an interview with director Lamberto Bava; Dario and the Demons, another interview with Dario Argento; Monstrous Memories, another interview with Luigi Cozzi; Profondo Jones, an interview with author Alan Jones; Splatter Stunt Rock, an interview with stuntman Ottaviano Dell’Acqua; and a Sergio Stivaletti Q&A, which took place at The Festival of Fantastic Films in Manchester, England in 2019, moderated by Michelangelo Stivaletti and Calum Waddell. The rest of the extras consist of three trailers for the film.
Not included from the Arrow Video Region B UHD release is the 1998 audio commentary with Lamberto Bava, Sergio Stivaletti, and Roy Bava, moderated by Loris Curci, as well as a Japanese souvenir program for the first film. It’s worth noting that the 1999 Anchor Bay DVD release included a brief Behind-the-Scenes featurette, which hasn’t carried over to any release since. And quite obviously, this release doesn’t include Demons 2, its extras, or the deluxe packaging from Synapse’s previous UHD release, which was limited to 6,000 units.
If you somehow missed out on the excellent Demons I & II: Special Limited Edition UHD release, this single release of the first film (as well as the second film) should definitely make up for it. These are the exact same discs from those releases, just split apart. If you’re an Italian horror fan and don’t already own these films, these are must haves. Highly recommended!
- Tim Salmons
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