Lamberto Bava’s mid-80s Italian monster-fest features a group of people who are trapped in a large cinema in West Berlin that is infected by ravenous demons, who then proceed to kill and posses the humans one-by-one, thereby multiplying their numbers.
It’s literally a movie within a movie, with the film within the film acting as a sort of gateway to Hell for all those in attendance.
The climax features a man riding a motorbike up and down the aisles of the cinema, wielding a scimitar, and beheading an endless stream of demons to the foot-stomping strains of Fast as a Shark by Accept (pictured below).
Bava doesn’t need to top this moment for spectacle, but he does so by crashing a helicopter through the roof of the cinema, bringing the film to its conclusion.
Demons was produced by the legendary Dario Argento, who really should have known better.
The film boasts a soundtrack of wall-to-wall 1980s heavy metal of the type best described as “kick-ass”, featuring Mötley Crüe and Saxon.
A 1986 sequel – imaginatively titled Demons 2 – had zombies emerging from a TV set in an apartment during a teen birthday party. Once again, everyone was trapped in the building in a virtual remake of the original. Acid blood goes through floors, and there’s a zombie dog and zombie bodybuilders. It was released directly to tape in the US.
George
Urbano Barberini Cheryl
Natasha Hovey Ken
Karl Zinny Hannah
Fiore Argento Kathy
Paola Cozzo Carmen
Fabiola Toledo Ingrid (Usherette)
Nicoletta Elmi Frank
Stelio Candelli Ruth
Nicole Tessier Rosemary
Geretta Giancarlo Tony
Bobby Rhodes Tommy
Guido Baldi Nina
Bettina Ciampolini Hot Dog
Giuseppe Cruciano Liz
Sally Day
Director
Lamberto Bava
Video
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