6.3 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A British woman visits her husband at the Mexican mine he is attempting to reopen and discovers that the workers refuse to enter the mine fearing an ancient curse. The couple enter the mine to prove there is no danger and inadvertently release a demon which possess people's left hands and forces them to behave in a suitably diabolical manner. The only way for a possessed person to free themselves from this torment is to cut off their left hand after which it scurries away in search of its next victim...
Starring: Samantha Eggar, Stuart Whitman, Roy Jenson, Lew Saunders, Narciso BusquetsHorror | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English SDH
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
DVD copy
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
1980’s “Demonoid” is about a severed hand that kills. For some, the review ends there, scratching a B-movie sweet spot that promises exquisite horror and camp. The feature isn’t completely unleashed, but writer/director Alfredo Zacarias certainly strives to give viewers a sufficiently berserk ride, filling the feature with violence, action, and the central image of a roving hand on the hunt for fresh victims. As bottom-shelf insanity, “Demonoid” is tremendously entertaining and bluntly bizarre, with Zacarias orchestrating a chase picture that touches on marital unrest, spiritual challenges, and Satanic omnipresence, while star Samantha Eggar classes up the joint with a semi-committed performance, selling the oddity of an unstoppable hand and its determination to possess all those who come into contact with it.
The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation will likely be a true revelation for "Demonoid" fans, which offers a 2K scan from the original camera negative. The results are fantastic, and while original cinematographic limitations remain, including softness, the viewing experience is refreshed with bold colors that emerge from location greenery, period costuming, and Las Vegas neon. Skintones are also natural and welcome. Detail is encouraging, identifying make-up borders and facial particulars in close-ups, while distances are secured. Grain is present and filmic. Delineation is communicative. Whites can be a tad bloomy. Source has its share of damage, but nothing unexpected or distracting, while speckling and minor scratches are consistent.
The 1.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix does have its limitations, with highs on the crispy side, while inherent issues tend to prevent dialogue from reaching complete consistency. Still, intelligibility remains, with dramatics easy to follow as the actors reach weird levels of semi-panic. Scoring isn't crisply defined, but it supports quite well, adding musical tension when necessary. Atmospherics are thick but available, contributing to mine exploration and casino visits. Sound effects are secure.
"Demonoid" works its way to a church showdown between the heroes and the hand, using the space with some degree of invention, playing around with Father Cunningham's interest in stained glass art. However, instead of riding off the rails, the feature ends somewhat conventionally, slowing to a stop while the rest of the effort suggests a complete implosion before the end credits arrive. There's some disappointment with the conclusion, but, overall, "Demonoid" makes solid impression with lowered expectations, offering just enough excitement and unusual visuals to distract from gaps in plot and a gradual dwindling of fresh ideas. As killer hand movies go, perhaps Zacarias could've aimed a little higher with his thematic push and scripted depth, but he's secured movement to the effort, rarely stopping completely to remind viewers that what they're watching is completely ridiculous.
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