i've never been a fan of Italian horror films.... i just had to say that right off the bat.... for some reason they just never appealed to me.... i've seen several and tried to get into them, but the only one that i can say that i love and even own is Lucio Fulci's 'Zombi'.... but a friend of mine told me that i should check out the pair of Dario Argento produced films called 'Demons' and 'Demons 2'.... i was hesitant, but he insisted and i read the premise of the first one and it intrigued me.... so over this past weekend, i rented it from Netflix and last night i had the time to sit down and absorb the movie and give it the proper attention it needed.... the storyline begins with a strange man' with a silver mask and disfigured face, handing out free movie passes to a cinema called the Metropol.... the theater had been shut down for years, but this was the grand re-opening.... gradually we're introduced to several groups of people attending the premire and we're told little bits about them.... so as to make us worry about them when the poop hits the fan.... as the film begins, we find out that it's a horror film about Nostradamus and demons taking over the earth.... soon art begins to imitate life, when one women turns into a demon herself and begins infecting everyone else in the theater.... it's a fight for their lives to try and find a way out.... and that's all i'm going to give away.... sounds pretty intriguing, right....?
i have to admit and i'm not too big to say this.... i enjoyed this film from start to finish.... it was a lot closer to a zombie movie.... or '28 Days Later' than to anything else i've seen.... the virus spreads in the same way, for the most part, and the demons move fairly quickly.... which of course heightens the tension.... i think that's the reason that i really dug this movie.... was the original plot and the zombie-like similarities.... the special effects are overly gory.... the demons are extremely gooey and bloody.... the sets are used very effectively.... and it's amazing how much use you can get out of one movie theater for the plot of a horror movie.... hands down one of the first Italian horror movies i've seen in a long time that i enjoyed.... easily 3 out of 5 stars and highly recommended for zombie fans.... i might even go up to 4 stars on this one, once i see the 2nd one and find out where the story goes.... as i was a little let down by the end of this one.... and you'll see that for yourself if you watch it.... i want to take them as a whole piece of work, not just one film.... to sum this up, this movie comes Joel recommended.
if you enjoy this, check out: 'Zombie', '28 Days Later' and 'Dawn of the Dead' (2004)
