Go to Church: Examining La Chiesa as Demons 3

Beware of Spoilers....

In 1985, Lamberto Bava and Dario Argento introduced the world to the reality of Demons. That film delivered fun and frights in an overly gory film that has become a cult favorite. They wasted no time in following that success with the equally crazy and perhaps even more unglued sequel in 1986 with Demons 2. Clearly they did not want to let up the momentum but also did not have a unified creative direction as to where to take the series, so in 1989 The Church (aka La Chiesa) was released and is often considered Demons 3, despite the lack of direct connection. Of course, it is one of three films to be referred to as Demons 3. If there is one thing fun about Italian horror, it is navigating the web of alternate titles.

A Night at the Metropol - Examining Demons 1 and 2

Beware of spoilers…..

In 1985 a movie exploded out of Italy that provided genuine frights and genuine fun at the same time. It is that rare movie that succeeds at all turns. The sort of movie that you can watch over and over again and not get sick of. That movie is none other than Demons. It is a blend of action, horror, and (unintentional) comedy that just tantalizes the senses. It churns the stomach as it causes a giant grin on your face. Filled with memorable characters and some of the best practical gore effects this side of The Thing, it is easy to get into, yet it is not exactly a simple movie. Demons gives you the beginnings of a new world while not bogging you down in the details. It sets up a horrific world full of possibilities waiting to be filled in by your imagination.

Movie Review: Demons 2

In 1985 Dario Argento, coming off the release of his insect driven horror film Phenomena, teamed with Lamberto Bava (son of the great Mario Bava), coming off of Blastfighter, to create an absolute splatter classic. The movie was called Demons and it is an amazing, surreal, stream of consciousness gorefest that sees the events taking place in a horror movie crossover and start affecting the audience in the movie theater. It was a successful release a sequel was put into production and released just a year later. Demons 2 came out in 1986 and for a long time I thought it to be by far the inferior film. Things change.

Movie Review: Tenebrae

Much like Fulci, Dario Argento is another director who I really admire and enjoy his films, but have seen precious few of them. It is not something I am proud of, but at some point I need to step up my horror game and start scratching titles off the old list of shame (kind of like what I did with Aenigma the other day). While I still need to see Profondo Rosso and Inferno, not to mention Four Flies on Grey Velvet, I did get to scratch off one of Argento's bigger titles. That movie would be none other than Tenebrae (or Tenebre, seems to be some dissent on the spelling), known in cut form as Unsane. I have to say, not bad at all.

My Gateway to Italian Horror

This first appeared during 2013's Italian Horror Week at DocTerror.com.

When it comes to horror movies, I have a lot to learn. I was late to the game and missed the glory days of the 1970s and 1980s. So, I guess it goes without saying that I spend a lot of time playing catch up. During that catching up I have found a love for Italian horror. There is something about them that is very alluring. There is a very distinct look and feel to them, they truly stand out from a crowd. When you find one, it is very hard to mistake it for anything else, if anything, you will find films from other countries that emulate that distinctiveness, whether on purpose or not (for a recent example, check out Rob Zombie's Lords of Salem).

Movie Review: Dario Argento's Dracula

There are some classic monsters and characters that always seem to be remade and reinterpreted every so often. The classic Universal monsters are among the most popular, with countless Dracula and Frankenstein tales being told over the years. It is almost like any horror director feels the need to prove themselves with their interpretations and ideas on the classics. I have absolutely no problem with this. Good movies, good ideas, good interpretations, these things will always rise to the top. Unfortunately, sometimes there are wrong steps taken, things just do not come together in the execution. This is an example of that. Dario Argento's Dracula (released theatrically in 3D) just does not work. Period.