Plot: What’s it about?
Sally (Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni) lives in a luxurious high rise apartment complex, a home anyone would be envious of. She is not pleased however, as her night isn’t going as planned. Even at her own birthday party in her swank apartment, Sally is pissed off about just about everything around her. She couldn’t find just the right dress to wear, her guests annoy her to no end, and she can’t wait for the evening to come to an end. At least television interests her, as she watches a horror movie about a demon, a movie that really gets a reaction out of her. An imp suddenly appears at the shindig and attacks her, the result of which turns her into a hideous demon of some kind. Now she begins to prey on the guests and the building’s high end security system is put on lockdown, which traps everyone inside. As she slices and dices the party goers, others soon transform into demons and attack, but can anyone survive this horrific birthday bash?
Lamberto Bava’s Demons kicked all kinds of ass. The movie had dark humor, over the top violence, and tons upon tons of blood and gore. So as you watch Demons 2, you might expect the same kind of bloodbath, but that isn’t the case. This time around, Bava chose to focus on exposition, never a good decision in a horror movie. I’ve been disappointed by countless sequels, but this one hit harder than most. I so wanted Demons 2 to be even bloodier and even more fun than the original, but instead it is all build up and no pay off. There is some gore, but most of the violence happens off screen or we see the aftermath, so slashes and gunshots don’t pack the visceral punch we want. The movie has moments to be sure, especially if you like to laugh at ineptitude, but as a sequel to Demons, its hard not to expect greatness. Anchor Bay has given Demons 2 a new proper transfer, so at least if you choose to suffer through this one, it looks better than ever.
Video: How does it look?
Demons 2 is presented in 1.66:1 anamorphic widescreen. This new transfer is most welcome, as it replaces a lackluster non anamorphic presentation on the previous releases. This time around, we’re given a more refined image and while this movie is bathed in darkness, the visuals still come across well. The detail level is good, much improved over the previous edition, while colors also seem to have been corrected here, which is great news. As I mentioned, this movie has a lot of darkness, but contrast performs up to task and no detail is lost in the shadows. The movie isn’t good, but at least this new transfer is.
Audio: How does it sound?
This Dolby Digital 5.1 option sounds good, but isn’t that dynamic. I would say the music gets the most out of the surrounds, but since the music is great, that is good news. The musical soundtrack sounds loud and clear here, so if you like 80s rock, you’ll love how good these songs are presented. The dialogue is presented in an English dub, which works well enough, with no serious concerns. The random sound effects are in order also, from gunshots to screams of terror. This disc also includes a 2.0 surround option.
Supplements: What are the extras?
The same extras have been ported over, with no new inclusions. Lamberto Bava is joined on audio commentary by special effects artist Sergio Stivaletti and journalist Loris Curci, just as on the original Demons. The track is decent, with some talk of changes that were almost made, but isn’t that worthwhile. This disc also includes the film’s theatrical trailer.
