Demons & Demons 2: 4K UHD Review
In 2021 Synapse Films released Demons 1 & 2 in a Special Edition Collection on both 4K UHD and Blu-ray. At the time, I had reviewed the Blu-ray set. This week, Synapse will release both films as stand-alone disks and this time around, I got my hands on the 4K UHDs. Admittedly, Italian horror has not always my cup of tea. Yet, Lamberto Bava and Dario Argento’s 1985 demonic gorefest, Demons struck a cord with me more than 30 years ago and I have remained a fan ever since.
The original Demons is mostly set in a movie theater where people have been invited to attend a sneak preview of a mysterious new horror film. College student Cheryl (Natasha Hovey) is given an invitation to the screening by a creepy guy in a metal mask that is following her at the train station. She assumes that he is an actor from the film, using the scary disguise as a promotional gimmick for the film. Excited about going to see the film, she invites her friend Kathy (Paola Cozzo), who hates horror films to be her plus-one.
In the theater lobby a prostitute named Rosemary (Geretta Geretta) scratches her face while trying on a demonic mask. Unfortunately for her, that scratch leads to a full demonic transformation and when she attacks her fellow prostitute, we see the domino effect, which turns half the audience into monsters and the other half fighting to survive. Rosemary’s pimp, Tony (Bobby Rhodes) is easily the most entertaining character in the film, which is most likely why despite what happens to him in this film, the actor is brought back for the sequel to play another character (reminds me a bit of Return of the Living Dead Part II).
Demons is a great deal of fun. I love the movie theater setting and the make-up effects are simply fantastic. When a person is transforming into a demon, we see their human teeth being pushed out of their gums, to make way for the massive demon fangs and it looks glorious.
While Demons 2 lacks the same spark of the original, the quickly produced sequel still manages to be an adequate but sub-par follow-up. While not being much more than a retread of the first film, Bava and Argento change-up quite a few of the rules established the first time around. This time contact with demon blood can transform a person, rather than just a bite or a scratch. Another big change is that the blood can now eat through metal and concrete, which is how so many people in the new apartment building setting are transformed. Aside from that it’s basically people running from demons in a big building again. Still, Demons 2 does deliver on the gruesome goods and still manages to be fun if you don’t watch it back-to-back with the first film right away. Thankfully they brought back Bobby Rhodes who injects a great burst of much needed energy as the personal trainer in the building’s gym.
As mentioned before, I had only seen the 1080p Blu-rays of both remastered films upon the 2021 release. Both films looked great then. However, having now seen both films in the 2160p presentation with Dolby Vision, I can easily see what I was missing. The locations in the first film really pop. From the city streets to the interiors of the theater, the details are definitely more noticeable. Surprisingly, the sequel (which may be a lesser film), actually looks even better. While the Blu-rays were definitely strong, the 4K UHD’s are worth the upgrade. The gore effects also get a bump. The Italians love their deep red blood and here we get plenty. The International English and Italian versions of Demons includes both the 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio. However, the US version features audio in English 2.0 Mono DTS-HD Master Audio. The English and Italian versions of Demons 2 include 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio.
As for bonus features, there is so much packed into this release. For Demons, we get the full-length International cut in both English and Italian as-well-as the shorter U.S. version. Just like the set released in 2021, we get a reproduction of the original movie ticket from Demons and a Demons 2 birthday party invitation. See below for a full rundown of bonus content, which was also included on the previous set. If you are a fan of Italian horror or even just the two Demons films, I highly recommend picking up this release. Both restorations were sourced from the original camera negatives.
Demons Bonus Content:
- Newly remastered in 4K from the original camera negative in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
- Two versions of the film: the full-length original cut in English and Italian, and the shorter U.S. version featuring alternate dubbing and sound effects
- Uncompressed DTS-HD MA English & Italian 5.1/2.0 audio mixes on the original cut derived from the archival audio masters
- Uncompressed DTS-HD MA English 2.0 U.S. theatrical mono audio
- New audio commentary by critics Kat Ellinger and Heather Drain, co-hosts of the Hell’s Belles podcast
- Audio commentary with director Lamberto Bava, SPFX artist Sergio Stivaletti, composer Claudio Simonetti and actress Geretta Geretta
- Produced by Dario Argento: a new visual essay by author and critic Michael Mackenzie exploring the legendary filmmaker’s career as a producer
- Dario’s Demon Days: interview with writer/producer Dario Argento
- Defining an Era in Music: interview with Claudio Simonetti
- Splatter Spaghetti Style: interview with long-time Argento collaborator Luigi Cozzi
- Carnage at the Cinema: Lamberto Bava and His Splatter Masterpiece
- Dario and the Demons: Producing Monster Mayhem
- Monstrous Memories: Luigi Cozzi on the making of Demons
- Profondo Jones: The Critical Perspective
- Splatter Stunt Rock: interview with Ottaviano Dell’Acqua
- Stivaletti Q&A at the 2019 UK ‘Festival of Fantastic Films’
- Original Italian and English international theatrical trailers
- S. theatrical trailer
- Newly translated optional English SDH subtitles for the English version
- Newly translated English subtitles for the Italian version
Demons 2 Bonus Content:
- Newly remastered in 4K from the original camera negative in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
- Uncompressed DTS-HD MA English 5.1 & Italian 5.1/2.0 audio mixes derived from the original archival audio masters
- Uncompressed DTS-HD MA English 2.0 true stereo theatrical mix
- New audio commentary by film critic Travis Crawford
- Bava to Bava: interview with Luigi Cozzi on the history of Italian horror
- Creating Creature Carnage: interview with Sergio Stivaletti
- Demonic Influences: Federico Zampaglione Speaks
- The ‘Demons’ Generation: Roy Bava discusses a legacy in lacerations
- The New Blood of Italian Horror featuring Sergio Stivaletti
- Screaming for a Sequel: The Delirious Legacy of Demons 2 with Lamberto Bava
- A Soundtrack for Splatter: interview with composer Simon Boswell
- Together and Apart: a new visual essay on the space and technology in Demons and Demons 2 by author and critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
- Original Italian and English theatrical trailers
- Newly translated optional English SDH subtitles for the English version
- Newly translated English subtitles for the Italian version
By: Marc Ferman
