Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		2.5

Demonia Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman March 30, 2021

Lucio Fulci might be described as the “Rodney Dangerfield” of Italian directors, in that he (to purloin and make grammatically correct Dangerfield’s signature mantra) didn’t get any respect. According to the IMDb, Fulci wrote some 66 films and directed 61, and he also had 25 acting credits to his name (including in the film currently under review). But during his lifetime Fulci was frequently dismissed as a second string director who specialized in exploitation fare and whose late career films were deemed as being especially lackluster. Fulci did manage to craft at least a few films that eventually became acclaimed, including the (now) highly regarded Don't Torture a Duckling, but even his most ardent admirers are often perhaps sheepishly prone to admit that Fulci’s films can have a slapdash quality to them. Demonia is indeed from the last part of Fulci’s career and life, and while it will be of interest to some with a hankering for certain genres (or subgenres, as the case may be), it is another kind of crazy quilt offering that may never quite register as strongly as it may have. In a way, Demonia might make for an interesting double feature with a film by a UK director who sometimes never got his critical due, though he probably fared better overall in that category than Fulci: namely Ken Russell, who explored his own version of “nunsploitation” with his 1971 outing The Devils. Demonia also deals with possessed nuns, though in this instance the story begins in the 15th century Sicily and segues to “modern day” times (Russell’s film dealt with a quasi-historical event in 17th century France, by contrast). An opening sequence documents the kind of pitchfork and torch wielding mob that used to be a regular constant in older Universal horror films, including notably the climax of Frankenstein, although in this particular instance they’re not after a manmade monster, but a bevy of nuns who are supposedly practicing witchcraft. The nuns are gruesomely offered an “up close and personal” experience of what Jesus went through when they are crucified, and then are more or less burnt at the stake just to make sure they’re really dead (and how do you think that is going to work out?).

Fulci hedges his bets a little by hinting that the long prologue set in 1486 is a "vision" being experienced by an archaeologist named Liza (Meg Register), who has for some reason decided to attend a seance in Toronto. With this bridging connective tissue in place, Liza and her mentor, an archaeology professor named Paul Evans (Brett Halsey), head off to the site of a dig in Sicily, which of course turns out to be the location of the long ago event. Also per well worn horror traditions, the pair of interlopers is warned by two of the locals named Porter (Al Cliver) and Turi (Lino Salemme) to stay away from the ruins of a monastery by the dig, but, again following horror tropes that seemingly can't be avoided, Liza chooses not to listen and goes exploring the dilapidated rubble herself.

Probably needless to say, Liza manages to find a hidden room in the monastery that bears the burned remains of the nuns, which is when (perhaps?) supernaturally suffused killings start taking place, including both some locals and members of the archaeological dig. Those events ultimately bring a police inspector named Carter (Lucio Fulci) into the story to try to figure out what's going on. There is at least a bit of nuance provided in terms of Professor Evans' motivations, since he, like some of the locals, keeps warning Liza to not do too much investigating, but if not exactly a red herring, this aspect turns out to be kind of a narrative dead end. Another potentially interesting but arguably inadequately detailed subplot is Liza's interest in the occult, which manifests not just in the seance that links the historical events with the nuns with Liza herself, but also with regard to a kind of local medium named Lilla (Carla Cassola) whom Liza approaches to get more information on what went down centuries ago. Suffice it to say that several of the people with whom Liza interacts end up dead, typically in some kind of horrifying fashion.

Demonia might have offered a more satisfying total viewing experience if it had managed to be a little more ambiguous with regard to whether or not there is a supernatural element at play, and so most of the film's energy is derived from watching various characters meet ghastly ends, rather than trying to discern whether or not ghostly evil nuns are wafting around an abandoned monastery and environs. Performances are all over the map here, as they can tend to be in Fulci's films, and that probably also contributes to a somewhat slapdash quality. There is a palpable mood at play throughout the film, and some spooky moments, but even Fulci himself was reportedly less than completely happy with the end result, faulting Luigi Ciccarese's cinematography in particular for not helping the finished product.

Demonia Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Demonia is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Severin Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.66:1. The back cover of this release states "now scanned in 4K from the original negative", though it perhaps cheekily adds "recently discovered in the attic of a Collevecchio convent", which may tend to undermine any authenticity (and, yes, that's said with tongue planted firmly in cheek). This is a tale of two different basic appearances, with a lot of the brightly lit outdoor material radiating a lot of warmth and a deeply suffused palette (including some incredibly blue skies, with a generally nicely resolved fine grain field, and somewhat more problematic dimly lit material, which can often look fairly soft, not especially well detailed, and with an often splotchy yellow quality to the grain, which may hint at compression hurdles that couldn't be completely overcome. Several dream or "vision" sequences are intentionally stylized with things like soft focus and an almost hazy quality, which inherently tends not to contribute to great fine detail levels. There really aren't many if any signs of age related wear and tear. My score is 4.25.

Demonia Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Demonia features DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono mixes in either English or Italian, though as with many Italian films, either language shows obvious signs of post looping. The Italian language track arguably has a bit more full bodied sound in the mid- and lower ranges, while the English language track probably boasts overall better clarity. It's kind of fun to toggle back and forth between the two to see how some dubbing corners may have been cut; in the opening sequence, for example, there's a lot of actual dialogue from the villagers in the Italian version, while the English version basically just has nuns screaming for their lives. Both tracks deliver dialogue, score and effects with no problems whatsoever. Optional English subtitles are available.

Demonia Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary with Stephen Thrower, Author of Beyond Terror: The Films of Lucio Fulci can be found under both the Audio and Bonus Menus.


• Holy Demons (HD; 33:17) is a "pandemic interview" conducted via Skype with uncredited co-writer and assistant director Antonio Tentori. In Italian with optional English subtitles.


• Of Skulls and Bones (HD; 14:59) is an interview with camera operator Sandro Grossi. In Italian with optional English subtitles.


• Fulci Lives (HD; 4:29) is an archival interview with Fulci (on pretty shoddy looking video) conducted during the shoot of Demonia. There's actually some behind the scenes footage first before the English language interview commences.


• Trailer (HD; 1:05)

Demonia Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Fulci may have not gotten the respect he deserved during his lifetime, but efforts like Demonia show that perhaps critical dismissal of his late career efforts wasn't always completely off the mark. This is a film with some interesting, if derivative, plot elements and some absolutely gorgeous locations that nonetheless never quite manages to work up much suspense or spookiness. There are some pretty graphic deaths, though, for those who enjoy that kind of horror outing. Technical merits are generally solid and the supplementary package appealing for those who are considering a purchase.