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: The Hazing

Cruising Netflix for something to watch and I stumbled across The Hazing, also known as Dead Scared. At first glance, it looks like just another low budget horror movie. You'd be right, that is exactly what it is. It is a good thing that doesn't necessarily mean bad, however, you actually need to watch the thing to find that out. It's a good thing I am here to take the bullet for you, and let you know if any of these are worth watching.