The Nightmare Returns
Directed by #lamberto bava.
Written by Dario Argento, Lamberto Bava, Franco Ferrini and Dardano Sacchetti.
AKA
Dèmoni 2… l’incubo ritorna (Demons 2 the nightmare returns …)
La profecía satánica (The satanic prophecy)
Demons 2: The Nightmare Is Back
Dèmoni 2
Os Demónios 2 – Um Novo Pesadelo (The Demons 2 – A New Nightmare)
Dance of the Demons 2
Demons 2 is again presented by Dario Argento and directed by Lamberto Bava. The music is by Simon Boswell this time who takes over from Claudio Simonetti. Actors Bobby Rhodes and Lino Salemme return in different roles; Rhodes plays a gym instructor and Salemme plays a security guard.
This one’s set in a high-rise apartment building where Sally (Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni) is having her birthday party. Other people in the high-rise include; George (David Edwin Knight) and his pregnant girlfriend Hannah (Nancy Brilli); Ingrid (Asia Argento in her debut) and her parents played by Antonio Cantafora and Luisa Passega; Tommy (Marco Vivio), a little boy who’s been left at home alone; and a group of people in the building’s gym with gym instructor Hank (Bobby Rhodes).
The possessed film, on TV this time, is about a group of people trespassing in an abandoned city where a demon outbreak has occurred. This ties in nicely to the first film. One of the trespassers, a girl, cuts herself and her blood brings a demon back to life.
Birthday girl Sally, who has locked herself in the bedroom away from the party, because a guest invites a character she has a problem with called Jacob (Bruno Bilotta), is watching the film on TV, as are others in the high-rise, and the demon (Stefano Molinari) comes through the TV and attacks her in her room (The Ring, anyone?). When Sally returns to her party and transforms into a demon, panic breaks out and Sally attacks them. The demons’ blood burns through into other apartments and spreads the infection.
Pregnant Hannah goes to Sally’s apartment but no one answers as inside Sally’s apartment the party goers are transforming into demons. The demons break out of Sally’s apartment and attack people in the gym. Some of the people from the gym barricade themselves into the garage as others tackle the demons throughout the high-rise.
If you enjoyed the first Demons then you’ll probably enjoy this; personally I love both equally. I think the atmosphere of the first film is very much present and undiminished here. Like the first film there are some cool songs on the soundtrack: Heartache by Gene Loves Jezebel, Blue Heart by Peter Murphy, Rain by The Cult, Power by Fields Of The Nephilim, De Profundis by Dead Can Dance: amongst others. The effects are great throughout; the creature that breaks out of Demon Tommy (Davide Marotta) is pretty funny and looks more like something out of Ghoulies (1984) but it’s so 80s that it’s simply great despite its silliness.
Anyone familiar with Spanish found footage horror [REC] (2007) will recognise the scenes on the stairs, this film was clearly an influence on that. Watch it and see if you agree.
It’s the perfect sequel in my opinion. The Blu-ray release by Arrow is superb with only minor flaws from the original print (a slight shaking in the picture at a couple of points) that are barely noticeable; both video and audio are the best I’ve ever known them and I recommend the Arrow Blu-ray versions of both films wholeheartedly. You even get a two-part Demons 3 comic (original story) with the Arrow versions and a double-sided poster for each film.
Also stars Maria Chiara Sasso as Ulla, Lamberto Bava in a cameo as Sally’s Father, Annalie Harrison as Sally’s Mother, Virginia Bryant as Mary, Michele Mirabella as Hooker’s Client, Anita Bartolucci as Woman with Dog, Yvonne Fraschetti as Jacob’s Girl, Furio Bilotta as Man in back of Jacob’s car, Giovanna Pini as Girl in back of Jacob’s car, Angela Frondaroli as Susan, Fabio Poggiali as Muller, Pasquele Valente as Tommy’s Father and Kim Rhone as Tommy’s Mother.
In my next review I’ll be looking at The Church (1989) directed by Michele Soavi. The Church is one of three films to have gone under the title Demons 3 (unofficially), the others being The Ogre (1988) directed by Lamberto Bava and Black Demons (1991) directed by Umberto Lenzi. So, until then…
Other films directed by Lamberto Bava:
Macabre (1980)
A Blade in the Dark (1983)
Demons (1985)
Midnight Killer (1986)
Delirium (1987)
Graveyard Disturbance (1987)
The Ogre (1988)
