Os Demónios

I know that many people give Italian horror a pass on this, but for me the absence of a reasonable script (for the standards of the genre) is a fundamental flaw that I simply can’t ignore. As a result, during the parts that should be great fun all I could do was to watch in disbelief and laugh at the behaviour of the main characters, who’ve seen logic only from a very long distance, if at all. The beginning, where reality alternates with events on screen gave me hopes for the quality of the story to follow, but that unfortunately wasn’t the case and all I got was some people running around in a cinema and toe-curling performances. The gore, however, was delicious. 50% (03/06/2008)

Demons stands on the side of horror fans, not on the side of the dumb movie heroes, which is made clear by the constant winking and allusions for those who have seen some horror. The choice of victims is funny (an arrogant black guy, a quarrelling couple, a blind man), as most of them watch the horror unfold without giving proper respect and then only with extreme reluctance do they accept the role of active participants in the absurdly ultra-drastic action. They couldn’t enjoy the film, so the film will enjoy them. The final incursion of evil into the previously normal world occurs symbolically after the projection screen is ripped. Besides the involvement of cinephilic games with a dual reality, Demons also offers a deceptive anti-religion exhibition (the projection booth as a “place” where people in distress seek salvation – in vain) or, in short, you can enjoy the excellent (in the sense of “tasteless”) masks, punk soundtrack and exceedingly trashy ending. All from the comfort and safety of home. If something doesn’t rip your throat out. 65% (27/04/2011)