Age of Demons Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		3.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		3.0

Age of Demons Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf March 11, 2024

1993’s “Age of Demons” endeavors to explore the end of the world, with mischievous sorceresses aiming to resurrect evil through magic and murder, attempting to trigger some type of apocalypse. It’s the stuff of epic filmmaking, but writer/director/star Damon Foster doesn’t have the resources to really capture exciting visuals. Instead, he goes the shot-on-video route, and he’s very interested in turning the picture into a farce, using every opportunity he can find to add jokes and silliness to the offering. While it initially seems like a horror movie, “Age of Demons” quickly labors to be as wacky as possible, with Foster attempting all kinds of comedy, eventually turning the effort into an homage to Japanese kid show entertainment. The feature is definitely out there, but not in an inviting way.

Three sorceresses (Becca Torez, Alice Cooper, and Susan Richie) are helping to strengthen the Temple of Zordak, collecting victims to create blood sacrifices to aid in the summoning of demons. They require 100 targets to conjure their magic, with their latest acquisition (Tammie Garcia) giving them the power they need to complete an opportunity to open a demonic doorway to Hell. Ready to expand the Zordak Empire and take over Earth, the sorceresses are looking for extra magic from a psychically gifted citizen. They focus on Mitch, a member of a punk band trying to push his group into more substantial musical offerings, ready to take on the world. However, he finds trouble with a local Mexican street gang, and he’s soon collected by Zordakian warriors for dark service. The only person who can save the day is Mitch’s brother, Don (Damon Foster), a martial art student who dabbles in robotics, perfecting the creation of Cybertron, a mechanical hero summoned into action when the sibling struggles to muster a rescue operation with his limited fight skills and wacky sense of humor. With the end of civilization on the line, the fighters take on the Zordak Empire, hunting for way into a castle of horrors.

“Age of Demons” opens with a word of warning. The production notes that “sensitive viewers” should steer clear of the feature, with its troubling content perhaps unwelcome to most audiences. “The intention is to amuse, not offend” is the goal of the picture, with Foster careful to cover himself from criticism before the movie even begins. It’s a curious creative decision, but the reality of “Age of Demons” is quickly established, finding the screenplay happily playing with racism, homophobia, and exploitation during its run time, trying to throw a small-screen party with Foster and his friends, who take to suburban streets, backyards, and local parks to create this battle between the forces of darkness and a robot constructed at a nearby high school.

Before robotics come into view in “Age of Demons,” the material explores the end game of the sorceresses, who need blood sacrifices to help bring Hell to their castle. For some reason, 100 bodies is the key to unlock a portal, with a poor woman selected as the final step on this odyssey of death. For reasons unknown, the victim must first lose her top before being killed, and Foster is right there, returning to this nudity as much as he can, hoping to add some cheap thrills to a feature that also makes time for down-shirt videography. The saga of Mitch soon joins the story, with the punker striving to make sense of his future, also dealing with psychic powers the Zordakians need. Before such a confrontation arrives, “Age of Demons” kills time with the arrival of a Mexican gang (one guy is decked out in a sombrero and poncho set), permitting some early fights to wake up the picture. And there’s the introduction of Don, an arrogant jester who’s committed to martial arts, cracks inappropriate sex jokes, and tinkers with Cybertron. He’s an obnoxious addition to the tale, but Foster seems to be aiming the whole thing in this direction.

Age of Demons Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.34:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "Age of Demons" looks a little rough at times, perhaps reflecting the homemade nature of the production. Deck-to-deck editing is evident, joined by some brief tracking and general age. Detail isn't available, with only a general sense of frame information present, exploring the characters in motion. Locations aren't dimensional, but outdoor adventures are understood, along with castle and school interiors. Colors are washed out some, but more striking primaries on costuming and makeup are mildly appreciable.

Age of Demons Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix also deals with age and technical limitations. The track is a muddier appreciation of dialogue exchanges, fighting occasional battles with unintelligibility, finding subtitles giving up at one point. Music is more chaotic than clear, but some sense of scoring and soundtrack selections is available. Sound effects are blunt but appreciable. Also, the subtitles do pop out of sync around the 20-minute-mark, returning to alignment at the 44-minute-mark.

Age of Demons Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features director Damon Foster.

• "The Making of 'Age of Demons'" (109:13, SD) is an extended look at the construction of the feature, with cameras capturing the creation of takes, cast and crew camaraderie, and a topless woman struggling with wrist restraints. There's a fly-on-the-wall quality here that's interesting, getting a true sense of the technical challenges facing the picture as stunts are worked out and special effects are attempted.

• Behind The Scenes (38:59, SD) opens with a brief explanation from director Damon Wise, who tried to fill his original videotape releases with content before putting them up for sale. This collection of BTS footage, outtakes, and commentary looks to deliver some sense of the filmmaking journey for Wise and his vision for a free-for-all genre movie.

• Super 8mm Films (67:45, SD) collect early offerings of moviemaking imagination from director Damon Foster, who provides commentary for the cinematic journey.

• Damon Foster Trailer Reel (48:12, SD) provides a look at the helmer's other projects, including titles such as "Ultra Cyborg," "Devils, Dragons, and Vampires," and "Devils, Dragons, and Blood-Sucking Bats."

• And Trailer #1 (2:45, SD) and Trailer #2 (3:51, SD) are included.

Age of Demons Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Age of Demons" spends its first half marching around with the characters as they deal with daily business and personal relationships. The second half is mostly devoted to battles between the Zordakians and Don's band of brothers, with the gang planning to storm the sorceress castle to save the day. Standing in the way are soldiers wearing what appears to be bedazzled go-kart helmets, and there's a demon on the loose, flying around making a mess of everything. Foster looks to jazz up the movie with low-fi camera tricks to sell Don's fists of fury, and a bit of fun is found with crude split-screen effects and forced perspective shots. The helmer certainly seems like he's having a grand old time with the endeavor, creating fights and unleashing villains, and the last act huffs "Ultraman" fumes as war is declared between robot and demon. There's a small amount of potential here to make some bottom shelf noise, but Foster values his debatable sense of humor over filmmaking momentum, and the depths of comedy visited here are too abyssal to ignore, killing the viewing experience.