I am long overdue in coming to the Demons series that sees Lamberto Bava and Dario Argento working together to deliver a non-stop gorefest hinged on the flimsiest of plots. The plot isn’t the point, even the characters aren’t too important coming across as little more than stereotypes, instead it’s all about the practical and makeup effects that not only bring the demons to life, but visually create the kills that don’t stop delivering until the credits finally fade to black.

A group of strangers come together having received tickets for a mysterious new film that is about to be screened. For the most part the narrative follows a pair of attractive young women, Cheryl (Natasha Hovey) and Kathy (Paola Cozzo). Cheryl seems to be your typical Final Girl, and we feel that if we hang close to her, we might get through the movie-going experience alright, if a little scarred.

As the group assembles they have a look at the Metropol theatre (an actual location in Berlin), and there are tons of things that you know will come into play later in the film, a dirt-bike (it is the 80s after all), a Samurai sword (of course) and a strange demonic mask. One of the theatre-goers, Rosemary (Geretta Geretta), accidentally cuts herself on the mask, this is something that is reflected in the movie the group is watching, a new horror film about demons possessing people they come into contact with to spread evil across the world.

Well guess what, what happens in the movie-in-a-movie begins happening in the narrative, and soon everyone is fighting to escape the suddenly sealed-in theatre and survive the attack of former friends, lovers and strangers who have fallen to the demons, sometimes with only a simple cut.

Can they survive? Can they escape? How much blood is in this thing anyway?

It’s bloody, a no-brainer, but damned enjoyable, and just loves spilling blood, gore, and bile everywhere, not to mention the iconic image of a demon tearing its way out of someone’s spine! I love practical effects!

Delightfully gory, and reveling in its body count and blood, this is one I wouldn’t have been ready for when I was a teenager, despite it’s rocking soundtrack. Now, it’s just damned good fun. It doesn’t really have a message, it doesn’t really have a story, just survive the night, and I love the ending. It makes you wonder if the sequel carries on with that narrative, or just moves to a new location and tells a different story.

I’m going to find out, as I dig into Demons 2, and then The Church.