DVD Corner

Night Of The Demons 4K UHD Review

“Night Of The Demons” is pure 80’s horror. 

Set on Halloween night, 1988’s “Night Of The Demons” revolves around a Halloween party that takes place at a former funeral parlor with a dark history (Hull House). Goth girl Angela and her sexual pal Suzanne are throwing the party while Stooge, Judy,  Jay, Max, Frannie, Angela, Suzanne, Helen, Rodger, and Sal are the attendees. After some dancing, the party becomes a nightmare after a demon is released via a seance. The demon initially possesses Suzanna, but it becomes transferred into Angela shortly thereafter. From there on out, all hell breaks loose as bodies begin to pile up and the attendees become trapped in this “possessed house.” 

Directed by Kevin S. Tenney and written by Joe Augustyn, “Night Of The Demons” is a cult favorite amongst the horror crowd. It’s not a standard 80’s slasher, but rather a combination between a demonic possession film and a haunted house film that is filled with gore, sex, rock music, some nifty directorial touches (love the broken mirror shot), and some gruesome special effects make-up by Steven Johnson (the lipstick scene is a classic). Most notably, ‘Demons’ introduces a horror villainess with Angela! There aren’t nearly enough of them. Sure, the franchise didn’t exactly catch fire, but Angela was always the best part of the trilogy thanks to energetic performances by Amelia Kinkade (who also choreographed her own dance here!). Having Scream Queen Linnea Quigley appear in a significant role is always a plus too!

On the downside, the story is a bit of a mess. It sounds supremely simple on paper, but it becomes chaotic and nonsensical particularly in relation to the house and demon mythology. There’s also far too many scenes of characters splitting up and roaming Hull House for virtually the entire middle act. The non-PC sexist comments, ridiculously cheesy lines and frequent suspect acting don’t exactly strengthen the movie either.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.85:1 2160p. How does it look? Presented in a 4K scan of the uncut camera negative in Dolby Vision (the Blu-ray also has a 4K scan of the uncut camera negative), this 4K disc contains the best home video print to date. The colors are crisp, the image is noticeably cleaner, and it maintains the print grain. Fans will be delighted by the results to be sure. 

Audio Track: 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD MA (both 2.0 New Stereo and Original Stereo). How does it sound? The 2.0 tracks are solid, but it’s the 5.1 track that has the most depth here. It provides new spooky layers that you may have never heard before in past releases. 

Extras:
* 3 commentary tracks on the 4K and Blu-ray. One by director Kevin S. Tenney and producers Walter Josten and Jeff Geoffray. The next track is by Kevin S. Tenney, Special Make-Up Effects Creator Steve Johnson and cast members Billy Gallo, Cathy Podewell and Hal Havins. The third track features Linnea Quigley, Kevin Tenney, Philip Tanzini and casting directors Tedra Gabriel.
* Blu-ray copy
* “The Halloween Party” feature-length workprint (AKA the original title for “Night of the Demons”) and alternate title card. Both new extras.
* Theatrical trailer, video trailer, TV spots, radio spot and promo reel.
* Behind the scenes, special effects and make-up, photo gallery, and posters and storyboards still galleries.
* 3 minutes of alternate R-Rated scenes.
* “See You In Hell”- An excellent 71 minute bonus feature that delves into the making of the film. Interviews with cast and  crew members and behind-the-scenes photos are included. Lots of stories about casting, make-up, the script, and so forth.
* 2 separate interviews with cast members Amelia Kinkade and Linnea Quigley.
* “Allison Baron’s Demon Memories”- The actress who played Helen shares her personal photos.
* “A Short Night Of The Demons”- 6 minutes of the film that were shown to potential distributors.
* International cut of “Night Of The Demons” (on the 4K).
* 2 new interviews on the 4K (they are mistakenly listed on the Blu-ray) with writer Joe Augustyn and actress Jill Terashit.
* “The Perfect Pink- Interview with special effects artist Nick Benson (on the 4K).

October 1, 2023 - Posted by nicklyons1 | 4K UHD Review | 80's Horror, Amelia Kinkade, Angela, Halloween, Halloween Party, horror, Horror Movie, Linnea Quigley, Night Of The Demons 4K UHD Review, Scream Factory