Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

The Demons Blu-ray Movie Review

Zooms are mandatory.

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf April 26, 2014

The late Jess Franco was an insanely prolific director with a specific appetite in exploitation cinema. Perhaps 1973’s “The Demons” doesn’t summarize his skills as a helmer, but it’s a solid introduction to his fetishes, delivering a movie that’s stocked with graphic violence and softcore sex scenes. It’s a ludicrous picture at times but it’s undeniably fascinating, with Franco pursuing a provocative screen energy that’s often impossible to achieve, merging lustful antics with historical hysteria. It’s a Penthouse Letter written during Sunday School, and while it’s never secure in its storytelling, often trailing off into inscrutable conflict, “The Demons” is memorable, with a specific visual approach and strange sense of evil that keeps it moving along for its entirely excessive two-hour run time.

Inside a convent during the era of the Inquisition, a group of nuns have been rocked by word that a demonic force is in play, with Sister Margaret (Britt Nichols) caught in a provocative act, with her non-virgin status quickly snowballing into accusations that she’s a witch. Leading the charge for total control is Lady De Winter (Karin Field), who has her eye on trusted priest Renfield (Alberto Dalbes), the right hand man of grand inquisitor Jeffries (Cihangir Gaffari). Caught up in the hysteria is Sister Kathleen (Anne Libert), Margaret’s sister, who’s haunted by Satanic visitations, pulling her toward a dark destiny she doesn’t immediately understand. Renfield, refusing to buy into such vicious methods of torture, shows pity on Margaret, who tears off into the countryside, eventually settling in with painter Brian (Andres Monales). Working to hide her own perversions, Lady De Winter struggles with Renfield’s change of heart, while Jeffries is determined to hunt down signs of witchcraft, destroying any woman who fails tests of godlessness.

“The Demons” opens with a flashback of sorts, watching an older woman tested for signs of witchery. She’s prodded and soaked, with her final destination a pyre, swearing revenge before she’s burned alive. The sequence is important in many ways, as it sets up a cycle of revenge that returns later in the movie, with the woman’s evil awakened by death, not silenced. The first taste of the effort also establishes Franco’s mission to cover every last inch of exposed flesh and bodily horror, setting an uneasy tone of voyeuristic coverage that finds the camera constantly zooming, searching for anything it can exploit. Franco sets the determination of Inquisition hysteria, but he’s really getting an early jump on salacious details, announcing the feature’s to-do list of sins.

“The Demons” is strong stuff, and while it’s hardly unrelenting, Franco sustains a feeling of uneasiness that’s buttressed by violence and sexuality. The tale of Kathleen and Margaret is almost secondary here, with most subplots tended to halfheartedly, as the helmer is more interested in nudity and scenes of seduction. “The Demons” features all types of bedroom antics, from the straight stuff to lesbianism to kinky play, toying with the image of nuns and political leaders losing their moral decency with the devil lingering in the air. Franco uses a zoom-happy technique to linger on writhing bodies, pushing in to inspect pubic hair (which practically takes a supporting role here) and pulling out to witness satanic release, with the nuns lost in ecstasy while those in charge of the witch hunt indulge as well, including Lady De Winter, who gets off on simulating torture techniques used on the accused. And to punctuate every coupling moment, Franco turns up the jazzy score by Jean-Bernard Raiteux, giving this European production a decidedly American-style porno introduction.

It’s a mishmash of extremities and fetishes, with “The Demons” not afraid to set aside plenty of screentime to explore naked bodies. Violence is also a major focus for the film, visiting the torture chamber to witness the burning of flesh, listening to cries of agony. Of course, there’s a story in here somewhere, but Franco’s primary goal is to deliver images that range from sleazy to sensual, making sure every female in the cast has an opportunity to disrobe and be subjected to strange make-up effects.

Moving beyond the exploitation, and there’s a thin tale of survival, with Kathleen enduring Inquisition horrors before finding temporary solace with Brian, and Satanism follows Margaret’s awakening into an unholy menace as her virginity is claimed by evil, joining the family business and she develops a hunger for revenge. There’s an enormous amount of melodrama to cut through concerning panicked leadership and their weakening power over the witch situation, and while performances are dutifully passionate and expressionistic, there’s little dramatic momentum, with conversation always interrupted by a sex or torture scene. Franco finds images and situations that pucker with suspense, but he fails at sustaining anything of interest, with “The Demons” ultimately too scattered and too long to carry the nightmarish power it’s hunting for.

The Demons Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.25:1 aspect ratio) presentation does display some wear and tear, with scratches and debris viewed throughout the film, while framing is occasionally a hair off center. Also curious is a semi-windowboxed treatment that reveals bordering on the left side of the frame, but this only appears in a few scenes. Sharpness isn't a priority here, but fine detail manages to provide some highlights, with anatomy particulars showing off decent textures (and stretch marks), and costuming retains its natural fibrous quality. Close-ups also carry an adequate amount of facial character, while skintones are true. Colors are a tad faded but mostly register with stability and authenticity, with ornate clothing a highlight, along with flashes of deep red bloodletting. Blacks are adequate, rarely showing intense solidification. Some pockets of noise are detected.

The Demons Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 LPCM track is a mixed bag, with some obvious damage contributing to a persistent hiss and the occasional spot of rhythmic humming. A few scenes drop significantly in quality, as though pulled from another audio source entirely. Inconsistency is plentiful, but nothing substantial is lost here, as dialogue exchanges remain clear enough to follow and fluctuations in emotional response are contained, kept away from distortion. Scoring isn't pronounced, but carries without concern, offering a bassy throb to announce sex scenes. Considering the picture relishes scenes of torture, the track isn't hard on the ears, holding evenly when it isn't battling age and condition.

The Demons Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Interview (16:19, HD) with writer/director Jess Franco opens hilariously, with the helmer, after recently rewatching the movie, proclaiming the picture to be just as bad now as it was when it was first released. From there, Franco's opinions settle down, sharing the genesis of the production, which was intended to rip-off Ken Russell's "The Devils." Talk of creative ambition, monetary limitations, and assorted BTS tidbits are included.

• Deleted Footage (10:15, HD) collects random odds and ends from the movie, typically used at the time to create marketing materials. The footage is presented without sound.

• Theatrical Trailer #1 (3:19, HD) and Theatrical Trailer #2 (2:08, HD) are included.

The Demons Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The Demons" is an acquired taste, ideal for those who are well-versed in nunsploitation or Franco's spiraling filmography. It's quite slow and a few dreamscape scenarios introduce confusion, not artful mischief. Still, there's a distinct cinematic fingerprint here that's worth a look to anyone interested in sleazy European releases dressed up as historical inspection with a side of condemnation. Just be ready to stare at pubic hair for at least 15% of the run time.