Demonia – Severin Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1990
Director: Lucio Fulci
Writers: Piero Regnoli, Lucio Fulci, Antonio Tentori
Cast: Brett Halsey, Meg Register, Lino Salemme, Christina Engelhardt, Al Cliver, Paola Cozzo, Lucio Fulci

Release Date: August 25th, 2020
Approximate Running Time: 88 Minutes 38 seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.98

"When a Canadian archeological team begins excavating the ruins of a medieval Sicilian monastery, they will unleash the vengeance of a crucified coven of satanic sisters with full-on Fulci fury." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.75/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "now scanned in 4k from the original negative recently discovered in the attic of a Collevecchio convent."

Demonia comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 28.5 GB

Feature: 22.3 GB

Though the source material used for this transfer is in great shape, colors look correct, and though details generally look crisp, this film has an intentional soft-focus look. It should be noted that this transfer exhibits some compression-related issues.

Audio: 4/5 (DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options: a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. Both audio tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced throughout. Included are removable English subtitles for the Italian language track and removable English SDH subtitles for the English language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include English language theatrical trailer (1 minute 5 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an archival interview with director Lucio Fulci on set filming Demonia titled Fulci Days (4 minutes 29 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an interview with camera operator Sandro Grossi titled Of Skulls and Bones (14 minutes 59 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with screenwriter/assistant director Antonio Tentori titled Holy Demons (33 minutes 17 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with Stephen Thrower, author of Beyond Terror: The Films of Lucio Fulci.

Summary:

Starting with Zombie in 1979 and culminating with The New York Ripper in 1982, this was Lucio Fulci's most creative period as a filmmaker. Over this three-year span, he would direct seven films, most notably his masterpiece The Beyond. Unfortunately, for Lucio Fulci, the Italian film industry would collapse just as he was hitting his peak as a filmmaker. And though he would continue to work until his death, The films that he directed after Manhattan Baby would suffer from a lack of resources.

Case in point: a film like Demonia, which was made the same year as Lucio Fulci’s last great film, A Cat in the Brain. And yet the results are two films that couldn’t be farther apart creatively. Where a film like A Cat in the Brain succeeds despite its limited resources, Demonia quickly crumbles under the weight of its limited resources.

On paper, Demonia should have been better than what appeared onscreen. Religion often played a significant role in Lucio Fulci's films. And yet, the result is an underwhelming cinematic experience that feels like a film that was made by a filmmaker who was going through the motions.

Lucio Fulci had many ups and downs throughout his career. Most of his films, even many of his lesser films, have magical moments that are undeniably Lucio Fulci. Ultimately, Demonia is a rare expectation in a Lucio Fulci film that feels like it could have been directed by anyone.

Demonia gets a first-rate release from Severin Films that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and a wealth of informative extras, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer