A Look Back: Night Of The Demons

[Mitch Henessey]

Night Of The Demons is one of my favorite horror/comedy franchises. In this thread, I’ll provide an extensive recap of each film in the series, including the 2009 remake. Let’s take a look back at Night Of The Demons!

Night Of The Demons (1988)

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The Story ​

It’s Halloween night, and Angela Franklin is planning an unforgettable party. Along with her best friend Suzanne, Angela plans to “scare the shit out of” her party guests. The party will take place at Hull House, a spooky, old rundown funeral home in the middle of nowhere. Many years ago, Old Man Hull ran the business, but Hull was a strange man. He was obsessed with his dead clients, and like the rest of his family, Hull was murdered during a brutal slaughter fest. One night, the entire Hull family suffered a gruesome end, when one unknown member of the family snapped. The Hull’s maid couldn’t escape the massacre, and the identity of the murderer is still a mystery, because the police couldn’t find any true clues amongst the massive piles of blood and guts.

But Angela welcomes the idea of an authentic Halloween party, and she uses the dark past of Hull House as a scare tactic. Frannie suggests a past life séance for the first party game. But this seemingly harmless party game backfires in the worst way, because the teens accidentally unleash Hull House’s resident demon. Foul odors, loud noises, and chilling breezes ruin the feel-good vibe of the party, but the teens will have to worry about bigger problems. Everyone tries to understand the random and bizarre series of events, but the demon takes advantage of the confusion, and the evil force possesses Suzanne.

Crossing the underground stream is one of the only surefire ways to prevent any demon attacks (demons can’t cross over running water), but the entrance gate mysteriously disappears. The evil forces of Hull House will block every exit, while the demonized women seduce their unsuspecting male victims. The remaining survivors will have to evade the fierce attacks until sunrise, or they will lose their souls forever.

Character Rundown​

Angela Franklin (Amelia Kinkade, credited as Mimi Kinkade in this film)- Angela is an outcast. She’s one of those reclusive goth chicks, who craves attention in the worst way. She wears a black wedding dress, and this costume really enhances the dark side of Angela’s character, especially during her scenes as a demon. Although, Kinkade did bring some sex appeal to this character. It doesn’t last long, but Kinkade provides a show stealing scene with her sexy moment. Kinkade is the only reoccurring cast member in this franchise, and she really nailed the Angela character.

Suzanne (Linnea Quigley)- First of all, I love, love, LOVE Linnea Quigley. Quigley is one of the more noticeable scream queens from the 80’s, but she doesn’t showcase her shrieking skills here. Suzanne is flirty, promiscuous, and she provides some of the eye candy. Suzanne oozes sex appeal, and as usual, Quigley shows some skin in a few nude scenes here. The relationship between Angela and Suzanne feels a bit strange. After all, Angela is an outcast and a “weirdo,” but Suzanne fits the mold of the popular girl in high school. I enjoy the odd pairing between Angela and Suzanne, because the typical mean, popular girl bullying the outcast stuff is so predictable and tiresome most of the time.

Judy Cassidy (Cathy Podewell)- Judy is the sweet, innocent, good-girl of the bunch. Cathy Podwell’s performance is very believable, and Judy is one of the more likeable characters in this franchise.

Sal Romero (Billy Gallo, credited as William Gallo)- Sal is the typical high school tough guy. He’s a bully for the most part, but Gallo’s performance is so smooth. Sal is pretty arrogant, but he’s still a likeable character. Sal is cool and laid back, and Gallo did provide one of the more memorable performances for any Night Of The Demons film.

Jay Jansen (Lance Fenton)- He’s a douchebag. Jay tries to be this hip and suave lady’s man, but he is such a tool. There’s nothing wrong with Fenton’s performance, but I really can’t stand this character at all.

Roger (Alvin Alexis)- Roger is the most annoying character in this film. He’s just a cowardly bitch, and when I first saw this film years ago, I actually rooted for his death. Judy actually shows more courage than him, and Roger’s constant whining drives me nuts. Yeah, sorry, but his last heroic act at the end wasn’t enough, and I can’t ignore his overwhelming amounts of cowardice throughout this film.

Stooge (Hal Havins)- He’s a fat, foul-mouthed slob, who doesn’t respect women. Stooge is an asshole, but more importantly, he’s an entertaining asshole.

Helen (Allison Barron)- Helen is…well she’s just there. Barron has a few highlights/funny moments, when the Helen character insults Stooge, but other than that, Barron really didn’t bring anything special to this film. Barron provided a decent enough performance, but her character doesn’t last long, and Helen is one of the more forgettable faces in the franchise.

Max (Philip Tanzini)-Tanzini provides some enjoyable humor, and he delivered a solid performance for the Max character.

Frannie (Jill Terashita)-Frannie is Max’s girlfriend, and Terashita is just eye candy for the most part. Frannie is an airhead, and Terashita’s most memorable scene involves her exposed breasts, so that should tell you all you kneed to know about this character.

Who’s Behind The Camera?​

Kevin Tenney (credited as Kevin S. Tenney) is the director for this film, and Tenney really provided the perfect touch for Night Of The Demons. Night Of The Demons is short on genuine scares, but Tenney created a very believable spooky atmosphere for this film. The dark cinematography looks great, and the tense moments before certain demon attacks/chases really help pull everything together.

To be honest, I’m not a Kevin Tenney expert. I never had the urge to research his career, and I haven’t seen the vast majority of his films. In fact, I’ve only seen two of his films. Night Of the Demons is one obvious pick, and Witchboard is the other. Kevin Tenney won’t shut the fuck up about Witchboard on the DVD commentary, so I decided to give it a try a few years ago. It’s a decent film at best. Please don’t buy into Tenney’s bullshit, and don’t listen to his loyal and blind followers who praise this film, because Witchboard is far from a cult classic.

My Overall Thoughts ​

Night Of The Demons features one of my favorite intros of all time. This intro has a genuine old school feel to it. It’s spooky, and the gothic theme music is just fantastic:

[YOUTUBE]0XRKv-3mJEI[/YOUTUBE]
​

Night Of The Demons is an outstanding horror/comedy. It’s a campy 80’s horror flick, and the jokes are SUPPOSED to be corny. I love the cheesy humor, and this film provides a good mix of spooky horror and laughs, but Night Of The Demons never reaches a point, where you can’t take the story seriously. It’s not too silly, and you can thank Joe Augustyn’s (who is also the producer for this film) script for that. Augustyn’s hokey jokes provide some good comic relief, but he never forgets the horror side of this film, as the survivors struggle to fight for their lives.

And Hull House is the perfect setting for Night Of The Demons. Hull House is isolated in the middle of nowhere, so the teens can’t run to any neighbors for help. It’s an old, creepy abandoned funeral home, with a chilling atmosphere, and Hull House really enhances feelings of fear and desperation.

After the first possession, Angela explains the difference between “haunted” and “possessed.” Ghosts aren’t causing the problems in Hull House. An evil demon stalks the teens, and Hull House is controlled by mysterious evil forces (they can trap their victims by closing doors, locking doors, blocking other exits, etc.) This crucial piece of information separates Night Of The Demons from other ordinary haunted house films, and the idea of a possessed house feels more refreshing.

Remember that sexy moment I alluded to earlier? Suzanne and Frannie aren’t the only pieces of eye candy here, and for a brief moment, Angela sheds her creepy goth chick persona. Angela‘s bizarre dance in this clip is my favorite scene in the entire series. It’s seductive, strange, dazzling, and Billy Gallo’s “WTF???” reaction is just priceless. Night Of The Demons is loaded with great music and graphic gore, and this scene gives you a taste of both. Oh, and you should skip over this clip, if you can’t handle bloody and disgusting violence, because things get pretty messy towards the end!

[YOUTUBE]oFjR9aJiJB8&feature=fvwrel[/YOUTUBE]​

Like most horror films from the 80’s (especially horror comedies), Night Of The Demons receives harsh treatment from critics. But most critics, who bash this film can’t take the sticks out of their asses, or they really can’t comprehend the COMEDY side of this film.

Yeah, as far as horror goes, you’ll find a lot of bad films and predictable slashers from the 80’s, but Night Of The Demons is a true gem. Night Of The Demons is an easy 10/10 for me. This film features a few annoying characters, but they can’t ruin the movie for me. Also, an unexpected survivor escapes from Hull House….

Spoiler

ROGER and Judy make it all the way to the end, and they are the only living survivors in this film. Judy was predictable, because she is the squeaky clean good-girl, but Roger? He’s such a wimp, and he constantly bails on Judy during life-threatening situations. Roger’s survival is the true shocker here, because the cowards usually don’t make it to the end.

Technically, there are two versions of Night Of The Demons: the 1988 theatrical version and the unrated DVD version. Although, I’ve seen both versions, and I never noticed a big difference. The unrated DVD version is three minutes longer, it features more graphic gore and violence, but still, you won’t see any major changes between both versions.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Night Of The Demons 2 (1994)

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The Story​

It’s been six years since the infamous Hull House massacre. Presumably, Judy and Roger were the only living survivors from Angela’s Halloween party. The cops recovered the remains of the dead teens, but they couldn’t find one person…Angela. Most people believe Angela descended into hell. Here, her powers grew stronger, and the evil villainess still lurks inside the abandoned funeral home. After the party, Angela’s parents received a Halloween card, but this wasn’t a normal Halloween card. The card was covered in blood and dead bugs, and this card included Angela’s signature. The shock was too much to handle, and Angela’s parents committed suicide.

One day, two unsuspecting door-to-door Jehovah’s Witnesses visit Hull House. The door mysteriously opens by itself, and Angela greets the duo. Noticing their creepy surroundings, Albert and Linda quickly refuse a simple offer for a slice of cake. They try to escape, but Angela slaughters both of them with a sword.

Before I continue, I have to point out the stupidity of Angela’s visitors. You willingly walk into an abandoned funeral home after the door opens by itself. Then, you trust this strange woman in a black wedding dress? Seriously? You have to see it to believe it:

[YOUTUBE]Bc5cSHRQfSM[/YOUTUBE]​

Anyway, St. Rita’s Academy is a Catholic boarding school for teens. Now an orphan, Angela’s younger and nerdy sister, Melissa (or “Mouse”) is constantly picked on and bullied as a student. Her best friend, Bibi tries to provide some comfort, but Bibi’s friend, Terri (or Teresa) isn’t so understanding. Shirley Finnerty is a rebellious bully, and torturing Melissa becomes her number one priority. The strict head nun, Sister Gloria tries to protect Melissa, but Shirley devises the ultimate prank.

Johnny and Kurt are best friends. Johnny has the hots for Bibi, and Kurt is seduced by Shirley. With their help, Shirley tricks Bibi into inviting Melissa to a “Halloween party” at Hull House. Rick and Z-Boy are Shirley’s trusted cronies. They help set up the prank, but when they catch Angela’s attention, the group runs into some unexpected trouble. Z-Boy disappears, and using a tube of lipstick as a conveyance to protect her from the underground stream, Angela secretly escapes Hull House.

Back at St. Rita’s Academy, Angela possesses Shirley. Perry is a geeky student, who is obsessed with demonology. He tries to offer his help, and while Perry is able to convince Sister Gloria, the naive Father Bob refuses to buy into the story of a demon attack. Tempted by an offer to reunite with her demonized sister, Melissa leaves St. Rita’s Academy, and she follows Angela to Hull House. Sister Gloria, Perry, Bibi, Johnny, and a reluctant Father Bob try to rescue Melissa from a planned sacrifice, but they will have to fight off Angela’s possessed victims, and evade the deadly traps of Hull House.

Character Rundown​

Melissa Franklin/Mouse (Merle Kennedy)- Melissa is a shy and jumpy geek, and you’ll quickly be able to see why she earned the nickname “Mouse.” Melissa is forced to live the lifestyle of an outcast. Melissa is Shirley’s number one target, and Terri takes her fair share of shots at her. It’s easy to feel sympathy for Melissa, because she endures some pretty rough hazing throughout this film. Also, Melissa’s parents are dead, and her long-lost sister is a sneaky and evil demon. When it comes to acting, Kennedy actually outshines Kinkade in this film. She provides a few laughs every now and then, and Kennedy is very convincing as Melissa.

Angela Franklin (Amelia Kinkade)- Angela is more confident in this film. She’s wickedly evil, and for some unexplainable reason, Angela uses a sword as a weapon here. Her powers are stronger, and Kinkade did bring a very believable devious side to this character.

Sister Gloria (Jennifer Rhodes)- Rhodes provides a hilarious parody performance of a strict, no-nonsense nun. Sister Gloria tries to protect Melissa from any bullying, and she becomes a leader in the fight against Angela and her minions during the final showdown. Rhodes delivers the majority of laughs, and Sister Gloria is one of the more entertaining characters in this franchise.

Bibi (Cristi Harris)-Bibi is hot, but unlike Shirley, it’s not in a ****ty way. Cristi Harris brings a strong sense of innocence to this character. In a lot of ways, Bibi is Melissa’s REAL big sister, and Harris’ performance is enjoyable.

Shirley Finnerty (Zoe Trilling)- She’s a trashy skank. Sorry, but this is the best way to describe Ms. Finnerty. Shirley is nothing more than a petty bully, and her 50’s hipster persona is kind of annoying. Shirley is a rebel, but she’s not a cool anti-hero, because her character is too unlikable. Trilling is decent enough on the acting side of things, but her body is the main attraction for this film. In her demonized form, Shirley’s breasts become deadly weapons. Shirley provides one of the most gruesome and bizarre kills in this series, but when Trilling transforms into a demon, she loses her sex appeal. The loss of sex appeal kills any interest in Shirley, because Trilling’s acting skills (or lack there of) can’t save this character.

Johnny (Johnny Moran)- Johnny is kind of goofy. Moran is supposed to be this pretty boy/jock, but this character is a klutz at times. His “karate moves” aren’t suppose to be taken seriously, but Johnny is just like a chicken with its head cut off throughout this film. Moran is funny, but the Johnny character sends out too many mixed signals.

Kurt (Ladd York)- Kurt is a brainless meathead. Kurt fits the profile of the popular guy/alpha male in high school. He’s good at sports, the women like him, and he’s a bit of a bully. York is believable, but he’s more entertaining as a demon. Eventually, he develops a dark sense of humor, and Kurt’s brief screen time as a beheaded demon provides a few cheap laughs.

Father Bob (Rod McCary)- McCary really nails this character, and Father Bob is an ass. Father Bob is inept and arrogant, and he almost ruins Melissa’s rescue mission.

Perry (Robert Jane, credited as Bobby Jacoby)- Perry is obsessed with demons, and he is determined to prove Father Bob wrong. Perry is a geek, so of course, Kurt sees an easy target for bullying. Jane’s performance is quirky and funny, and Perry shows some bravery towards the end.

Terri/Teresa (Christine Taylor)- Terri is just a hot blonde. She’s a mean girl, who occasionally joins the “let’s pick on Melissa” gang. Taylor is good eye candy, but towards the end of the film, her character just disappears. She becomes a demon, tries to kill or possess (it‘s hard to tell) Bibi and then poof, she’s gone. But Taylor’s disappearance didn’t bother me, because in the grand scheme of things, her character is pretty irrelevant.

Rick (Rick Peters)- Rick is supposed to be Shirley’s boyfriend, but nothing is confirmed. As far as relationships go, Shirley never shows any sort of true allegiance to her male friends in this film. Anyway, Rick is a loser. He’s one of Shirley’s cronies, and Rick is the type of guy, who dropped out of high school, and never moved on with his life. Peters’ ego is believable, but in the end, Rick is just a douchebag.

Z-Boy (Darin Heames)- As far as personality goes, Z-Boy is just a goofy version of Rick (minus the ego), and he’s another one of Shirley’s cronies. Heames is a comedy character, and he has a few funny moments. He’s one of the bad guys, but they do take a lighthearted approach towards this character.

Who's Behind The Camera?​

Brian Trenchard-Smith is the director for Night Of The Demons 2. Trenchard-Smith provides some spooky atmospherics. The gore is more graphic, and the bloody kills are pretty gruesome. Trenchard-Smith delivers brutal violence, but his comical approach adds some necessary humor during the grotesque moments in this film. Overall, Trenchard-Smith was the right choice for director. His style might feel pretty basic most of the time, but Trenchard-Smith is the second best director in this franchise (Tenney is still #1).

My Overall Thoughts​

Joe Augustyn returns to write the script, and James Penzi helped with the story. Night Of The Demons 1988 provided a good balance of laughs and spooky horror, but Night Of The Demons 2 is more comedy driven. Humor triumphs over horror here, but I can’t complain too much, because the jokes are still funny. You can sense Augustyn’s campy humor, and Augustyn’s return really helps the screenplay. After all, Augstyn did create the original story, so he knows what it takes to produce the right blueprint for any Night Of The Demons film.

The demons aren’t unstoppable, because the survivors have a dangerous weapon this time around:

Spoiler

holy water

Yeah, it’s simple, but the holy water is effective. The holy water is a refreshing addition to this film, because it gives the survivors a fighting chance. In the previous film, the survivors spend a lot of time running from demon attacks, because they can’t find any weaknesses.

As I said before, Night Of The Demons 2 puts more focus on comedy. Water balloons and super soakers are used as weapons, and Sister Gloria becomes a swashbuckler, but instead of a sword, she uses long rulers. But Night Of The Demons 2 isn’t a horrible film. They just decided to take a different approach here, and I enjoy most of the changes. The introduction of holy water gives the survivors a weapon, so you don’t have to sit through a bunch of chase scenes. Bibi and Shirley show some skin, but as far as nudity goes, you won‘t see any major changes between Night Of The Demons 2 and the original.

They tried to recreate Angela’s dance scene from the first film, but the second attempt just falls flat. The music played a big part in Angela’s dance scene from Night Of Demons, but in Night Of The Demons 2, Angela dances to this awful generic rock music. And to top it off, she inexplicably pours a bowl of punch on herself. Angela’s dance scene from Night Of The Demons 2 provides a jaw-dropping moment, but not for good reasons, though.

Oh, and I can’t get over Angela’s sword. Angela’s sword is a deadly weapon, but we don’t know where it came from, or who gave it to her. The sword gives Angela a bad-ass edge, and she’s a lot more dangerous with this weapon. Still, when it comes to the origins of the sword, the audience has to assume everything. Sorry, but this important detail really bothers me.

Unlike the 1988 original, Night Of The Demons 2 wasn’t a theatrical release. This was a straight-to-video film, but Night Of The Demons 2 doesn’t feel like a straight-to-video release. The awful CGI snake at the very end is the only downside for the special effects, because the production values are noticeably better. And unlike most straight-to-video horror films, Night Of The Demons 2 isn’t held down by shitty acting.

Night Of The Demons 2 is a respectable follow up to the 1988 original. The story maintains continuity, and they did a good job of building up Angela’s character. Angela Franklin is a dark and evil legend, and Terri’s stories/explanations of her past provide the essential mystique.

As far as quality goes, it’s a step down, but if you enjoyed the first film in this series, Night Of The Demons 2 should provide some entertainment for you. Merle Kennedy is fantastic as Melissa, Amelia Kinkade is still sharp as Angela, Christi Harris and Jennifer Rhodes provide a few good performances, and the rest of the cast is solid. Night Of The Demons 2 is gory, funny, and yes, this film is scary at times.

I would give Night Of The Demons 2 a 7/10. Along with the original and the 2009 remake, Night Of The Demons 2 provides plenty of rewatch value for me. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same thing about Night Of The Demons 3.……

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Night Of The Demons 3/Demon House (1997)

I browsed YouTube, DailyMotion, and other places, but I couldn't find an English language trailer. Oh, and this trailer is pretty graphic and gory, and it's loaded with spoilers:

[YOUTUBE]bT8ylR6DZaQ[/YOUTUBE]

The Story​

Alone and bored, Officer Larry (or Unit 66) is patrolling Hull House on Halloween night. The night watch is quiet at first, but a strange noise catches Larry’s attention. Larry investigates, but once he enters Hull House, Angela suddenly appears. Larry tries to convince Angela to leave, but she refuses. Larry asserts his authority as a police officer, but Angela uses her powers to grab Larry’s badge. She catches it, turns it into a weapon, and Angela kills Larry with his own badge.

Meanwhile, Holly, the popular and successful cheerleader, and her geeky friend, Abbie are stranded on the side of the road. They’re on their way to the high school Halloween dance, but some unexpected car problems create a serious dilemma. Noticing the broken down car and two women, who need help, a group of friends on a joy ride in a van decide to help. Orson is the driver, Vince and his girlfriend, Lois are the troublemakers, Reggie sees an easy opportunity for a one-night stand, and Nick is trying to control his urges to punch Vince in the face. Holly is skeptical at first, but Abbie quickly accepts the offer for a free ride. Holly reluctantly joins Abbie for the ride, but a slight remark from Nick angers Holly.

Vince wants a pack of cigarettes, so the group stops at a gas station. Reggie tries to buy alcohol with a fake ID, but the clerk, Mr. Morris won’t accept the phony identification. Reggie reaches for his wallet, but Mr. Morris suspects something fishy, so he threatens Reggie with a shotgun. While Mr. Morris aims the shotgun at Reggie, Vince takes advantage of a lackadaisical mistake from Morris, and he snatches the shotgun. Vince turns the tables on Morris, but two armed policemen interrupt the tense situation. Vince panics, so he aims the shotgun towards the cops. During the standoff, Morris grabs Vince, the shotgun goes off, and Vince accidentally shoots one of the officers. The other cop returns fire, and during the shootout, Reggie suffers two gunshot wounds to the stomach. During the escape, Orson secretly steals a gun from one of the officers.

Armed with a shotgun, Vince declares himself the leader, but the group must face some serious problems. They’re losing fuel from a damaged gas tank, and Reggie is bleeding to death. Vince tries to figure out a solution, but he can’t think of a safe hideout….until Lois suggests Hull House. Vince forces the uncooperative witnesses (Abbie, Holly, Nick) inside Hull House, and everything is calm and quiet at first. Eventually, Angela shows up and Vince tries to secure another hostage, but Orson proudly flaunts his new gun, and he volunteers to keep a close eye on Angela.

Lieutenant Dewhurst is hours away from retirement, but he has one more case to solve before he turns in his badge for good. Dewhurst is assigned to the case of the gas station shoot out, but Angela begins to hatch another sneaky plan. The underground stream will protect the survivors from any demon attacks, but time is running out. Dewhurst will have to find Vince and the other witnesses quickly, or Angela will complete another Halloween massacre at Hull House.

Character Rundown​

Angela Franklin (Amelia Kinkade)- For the first time, Angela loses the black wedding dress. Instead, she wears a more provocative black dress. Still, Kinkade is devious and evil, and as usual, Kinkade provides an enjoyable performance for this character.

Holly (Stephanie Bauder)- She’s supposed to be the likeable, hot cheerleader, but Bauder’s performance is rigid and contrived. Bauder is an attractive woman, but her terrible performance kills any interest in this character.

Abbie (Patricia Rodriguez)- Rodriguez is believable, as the shy and soft-spoken geek. Her character makes a few stupid mistakes, but there’s nothing wrong with her performance.

Vince (Kristen Holden-Ried)- He’s a jackass. Vince tries to be this hip and cool bad boy, with a mean streak, but Holden-Ried’s performance isn’t convincing. His performances feels forced, and Vince is easily the most annoying character in this film.

Lois (Tara Slone)- Lois continues the pattern of promiscuous women for this film series. But Slone can’t act to save her life, and she joins a pretty lengthy list of annoying characters here.

Nick (Gregory Calpakis)- Nick is one of the good guys. He stands up to Vince, and Nick refuses to put up with his constant bullying. Nick and Vince develop a rivalry throughout this film, but Calpakis’ dull performance is painful to watch.

Reggie (Joel Gordon)- Reggie is supposed to be the “funny guy” in the group, but he’s a terrible comedian, and you’ll hear a bunch of lame jokes from this character. Fortunately, once Reggie suffers the gunshot wounds, you won’t hear too much dialogue from this character, and this IS a good thing.

Orson (Christian Tessier)- Orson is a nervous wimp, but when he steals the gun, Orson develops a dark side. Orson is pretty gullible and stupid, but Tessier’s performance pulls a few laughs out of me.

Lieutenant Dewhurst (Vlasta Vrana)- Dewhurst has a good sense of humor. He’s an easy-going veteran, and Dewhurst tries to lend a helping hand towards the end. Vrana delivers a solid performance, and the Dewhurst character has some funny moments here.

Mr. Morris (Ian McDonlad)- He’s a fat slob, who works at a gas station. Morris is the catalyst for the teen’s downward spiral, but McDonlad’s character is only shown in two scenes here.

Officer Larry/Unit 66 (Larry Day)- Well, Angela kills Larry in the opening scene, but he makes a return as a demon. In his demonized form, Larry becomes this hyper and obnoxious goofball. Day’s performance is too over the top, and most importantly, he’s NOT funny at all.

Who's Behind The Camera?​

Jim Kaufman’s terrible directing really hurts this film. His style is bland and unappealing, and Kaufman is easily the worst director in this entire franchise. Plus, Night Of The Demons 3 isn’t scary at all, and any sort of tension is non-existent in this one.

My Overall Thoughts​

Kevin Tenney returns to write the screenplay, and Joe Augustyn’s absence from the writing department is noticeable here. Augustyn provides some hilarious hokey humor for the first two films, but Tenney’s jokes are just awful. In Night Of The Demons 3, the comedy devolves into a painful barrage of unfunny “yo momma” jokes. But more importantly, there’s one too many unlikable and stupid characters here, and the ending is beyond silly.

Night Of The Demons 3 features more nudity and sex. The nude scenes feel so random, and the sex scenes are unnecessary. I guess they needed a few reasons to distract the audience from the horrible plot, but the extra nudity and sex doesn’t help Night Of The Demons 3, because this film has too many obvious flaws.

The story doesn’t maintain continuity. What happened to Melissa, Johnny, Bibi, and Sister Gloria? They actually survived Angela’s attacks, and there was a cliffhanger at the end of Night Of The Demons 2. During the opening scene, Larry alludes to the “kids from St. Rita’s Academy,” but still, they don’t provide a thorough explanation for their whereabouts. I don’t have a big problem with Bibi, Sister Gloria, and Johnny, but Melissa? Come on, she’s Angela’s sister! Night Of The Demons 3 feels like a stand-alone film most of the time, because a real connection to the previous films doesn’t exist.

The lack of continuity is annoying, and the shitty acting in this film is just dreadful. Kinkade, Vrana, and Rodriguez tried to save this one, but the bad performances outweigh the enjoyable ones here.

And they tried to recreate Angela’s dance scene from the first film AGAIN. The second attempt in Night Of The Demons 2 was embarrassing enough, but Angela’s third attempt is just pitiful. She does this slow and awkward sensual dance for Orson, and for some odd reason, Angela performs ******io on Orson’s gun. Of course, Angela wanted Orson to lower his guard. She wanted to distract him, and it worked, because Angela uses her tongue to kill/demonize Orson (it’s similar to Stooge’s death in the “Angela’s Dance” clip). Still, the dance is just atrocious, but Angela’s third attempt is laughably bad.

What the fuck happened to Hull House? In the first two films, Hull House is a creepy, old funeral home. Hull House provides the perfect spooky atmosphere, but in Night Of The Demons 3, Hull House is actually clean and neat? Hull House ’97 is a perfect candidate for a home decorating magazine, and that’s a major problem. In the first two films, Hull House enhanced feelings of desperation and fear, but in Night of The Demons 3, Hull House becomes a future dream home for any happy family.

Oh, and I know I’m suppose to use suspension of disbelief for movies, but Reggie’s survival after the gunshot wounds is unbelievable. He takes multiple shots to the STOMACH, is bleeding profusely, and somehow he survives well past the halfway point of this film without medical attention? Please.

No tension, no real scares, and horrible writing. Night If The Demons 3 is an absolute travesty. Night Of The Demons 2 was a straight-to-video release, but it didn’t feel like a straight-to-video release. Well, Night Of The Demons 3 was a straight-to-video release…..and it feels like a straight-to-video film, a bottom of the barrel straight-to-video film. It’s not even worthy of Wal-Mart’s five dollar bin. Yeah, it’s that bad.

Two versions of this film exist, the R-rated version and the unrated version. Although, you won’t see a big difference between both versions. The unrated version is a little bit more gory, that’s all.

Sorry, I love Amelia Kinkade, but I can’t push myself to give this film a one rating. Besides a select few, the acting is shit, the production values are shit, the directing is shit, and the writing is shit. It’s an easy 0/10 for me, and Night Of The Demons 3 provides one of the most disappointing finales for any franchise.

 

[Police Penis Sucking Goat Fucker]

Great job makeing a thread for Night of the Demons you really summed up everything. I own the first two on VHS one of my favorites too. This is a movie that I think everyone should watch if they want to watch a real horror movie I really like the fact you brought up the opening credits for the first ones because that was one of those things that really caught my attention

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Night Of The Demons (2009)

Red Band Trailer



The Story​

It’s 1925, and one night in New Orleans, Evangeline Broussard decides to hold a séance at her mansion. Evangeline is obsessed with Louis Devereaux, but Louis doesn’t love her. Evangeline will do anything to seduce Louis. Her love spells aren’t working, so Evangeline seeks the help of some seemingly kind spirits. But the spirits are actually evil demons, who are trying to possess living humans. The demons need the help of a spell to return to the living world. Evangeline is desperate and vulnerable, so the demons see an easy target. Promising to secure a relationship with Louis, the demons trick Evangeline into inviting Louis and five other friends to the mansion.

Evangeline follows their instructions, and once the séance begins, the demons attack the guests. In order to complete their return to the living world, the demons need to possess seven humans before sunrise. Terrified and confused, Evangeline tries to escape the possessed party guests. Standing on the upstairs balcony with a rope around her neck, Evangeline prepares to commit suicide. A demonized Louis professes his love for Evangeline, but she doesn’t buy into the lie. Determined to prevent the demon’s return to Earth, Evangeline jumps, and kills herself. Evangeline’s maid is the sole survivor. The maid locked herself in a room, while scribbling spells on the walls for protection.

Eighty-five years later, Angela Feld prepares to throw a Halloween party at The Broussard Family mansion. Angela needs the money and her friend, Diana collects the cash and she gives out hand stamps for admission. Suzanne has known Angela since high school. Maddie and Lily are friends of Suzanne. They join the party, but a few odd encounters with ex-boyfriends could change everything. Lily still has feelings for her ex-boyfriend, Dex. Dex’s friend, Jason doesn’t want to ruin anything, so he leaves Lily and Dex alone, and Jason befriends Maddie. A ruthless drug lord named Nigel gives Maddie’s ex-boyfriend/drug dealer, Colin a life-or-death ultimatum, so he must sell all of his merchandise to the party guests.

Angela’s party is a money-making success, but eventually, the police pull the plug. Failing to show the proper permit, the police shut down Angela’s party. Diana sees an easy opportunity during the confusion, and she decides to steal all the money. Fearing an arrest and Nigel’s wrath, Colin hides his drugs in the basement. After the cops and the majority of the party guests leave, Maddie, Lily, Jason, and Dex return to the mansion to find Suzanne, who appears out of nowhere after passing out from too much alcohol. With Angela’s help, Colin retrieves his drugs from the basement, but at the same time, Angela and Colin accidentally discover a secret room that contains a group of skeletons. Angela tries to remove a gold tooth from one of the skeletons, but the skeleton suddenly bites her finger. Maddie, Lily, Suzanne, Colin, Jason, and Dex try to leave, but the entrance gate mysteriously locks by itself. Unable to find another exit, the group returns to the mansion for drinks.

Meanwhile, Angela is slowly possessed by a demon, and once she realizes her powers, Angela possesses Dex during a game of spin the bottle. Dex takes advantage of Lily’s desires for a second chance, and he possesses her during an awkward moment. Plus, Angela mutilates and possesses an unsuspecting and drunk Suzanne. Maddie, Colin, and Jason will have to fight for survival until sunrise, as demonized versions of Angela, Lily, Suzanne, and Dex reek havoc throughout the mansion.

Character Rundown​

Angela Feld (Shannon Elizabeth)- Angela is a wild party girl with an aggressive attitude. The hardcore punk rock look is a perfect fit for this character, and Elizabeth brings some sex appeal to Angela. Shannon Elizabeth is known for the Nadia character from the American Pie films (the REAL American Pie films, not the shitty straight-to-video releases), and she delivers a solid performance as Angela here.

Maddie (Monica Keena)- Remember Monica Keena? She played Lori in Freddy VS Jason, and Keena brings the same kick-ass attitude to the Maddie character. Maddie is down-to-earth, and she’s a fearless fighter, who refuses to give up. Keena delivers the best performance in this film, and the Maddie character has a few memorable moments.

Colin (Edward Furlong)- Nope, that’s not a typo, and you aren’t seeing things. Edward Furlong, the same man, who starred alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator 2, and the same guy, who delivered a very solid performance in American History X, has a part in this straight-to-video horror release. It’s kind of ironic, because Furlong’s character sort of mirrors his struggles in real life. Colin is a miserable drug dealer, who can’t catch a break, and his constant setbacks continue to sink him into a deeper hole. He’s a screw-up, but Furlong’s performance is entertaining, and he provides a few laughs.

Suzanne (Bobbi Sue Luther)- Suzanne is just eye candy. She’s a ditzy and promiscuous woman, with big tits, that’s all. Character wise, Suzanne doesn’t have any depth, so Sue Luther didn’t have to put a lot of effort into her performance.

Lily (Diora Baird)- Lily has a bubbly personality, and she clings to the hopes of starting a new relationship with Dex. Baird’s performance is decent enough, but her character doesn’t have any dialogue as a demon. And if I’m not mistaken, a stunt double portrays the demonized version of Lily, so Baird doesn’t have a significant amount of screen time here.

Jason (John F. Beach)- He’s the goofiest character in this film. Jason provides the majority of laughs, and Beach is just hilarious.

Dex (Michael Copon)- Dex is just there. He doesn’t have a personality, and once Dex becomes a demon, Copon doesn’t have any spoken dialogue.

Diana (Tiffany Shepis)- Diana has an attitude, and Shepis brings some believable cockiness to this character. Diana only has a few scenes here, but Shepis is pretty solid during her short screen time.

Nigel (Jamie Harris)- Nigel has a dark sense of humor, and he’s a cold-hearted drug lord, who torments Colin. Harris only has two scenes here (one scene in the beginning, and the post-credits scene), but he provides a few laughs.

Evangeline Broussard (Tatyana Kanavka)- Kanavka’s character is important. Initially, Evangeline is the person, who releases the demons into the living world, but you’ll only see her during the intro and flashbacks.

Louis Devereaux (Michael Arata)- Another important character. But Louis only has a few scenes, and most of them are flashbacks of the same material. Also, Arata is one of the producers for this film.

Who's Behind The Camera?​

Adam Gierasch brings a brutal and grotesque style for Night Of The Demons 2009. The gore is graphic, bloody, disgusting, and Gierasch provides a few jump scares. And it doesn’t last long, but Gierasch creates a vibrant party atmosphere to this film.

My Overall Thoughts​

Adam Gierasch and Jace Anderson wrote the screenplay for this film. Night Of The Demons 2009 features a more thorough backstory, and you’ll get an in-depth explanation for the origins of the demons. The story is loaded with some good humor, and there’s a nice surprise at the end.

Great music gave the 1988 original an extra boost, and the remake features a solid soundtrack. 45 Grave provides the title track for this film. “Night Of The Demons” really complements the hardcore punk rock vibe, it’s catchy, and this song is a perfect fit for the Halloween theme in this film:

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As the story progresses, Monica Keena, Edward Furlong, and John F. Beach develop some good chemistry, and they provide some hilarious moments together. Plus, after the first set of possessions, Keena, Furlong, and Beach really carry this film.

Night Of The Demons 2009 was a straight-to-video release. It was supposed to have a limited theatrical run, but Seven Arts International (the distributor) decided to go with a DVD/Blu-Ray release. And Entertainment One re-released the 2009 remake on DVD and Blu-Ray this September. Also, Kevin Tenney returns to lend a helping hand, as a producer.

Night Of The Demons 2009 is a bloody and gruesome horror comedy, that features some genuine gross-out moments. You’ll see a few jump scares here and there, and the cast is solid. Plus, Linnea Quigley has a brief cameo here. Although, Quigley’s cameo is kind of awkward. Still, Night Of The Demons 2009 is a solid remake. Night Of The Demons 2009 delivers plenty of gore, laughs, and the fight scenes are decent enough.

Oh, and Night Of The Demons 2009 features some of the funniest video commentary you’ll ever hear. Adam Gierasch, Jace Anderson, Monica Keena, Bobbi Sue Luther, and John F. Beach provide the commentary. It’s hilarious from beginning to end, and the video commentary is a great bonus attraction for the DVD or Blu-Ray.

Comparing & Contrasting The 1988 Original With The 2009 Remake ​

Well, I’ll get the most obvious changes out of the way first.

-Angela’s last name changes from Franklin to Feld

-In the original, the family maid is slaughtered with the Hull Family. But in the remake, Evangeline’s maid survives the demon attacks, and her spells protect the modern-day survivors.

-An underground stream prevents the demons from leaving Hull House in the original, but Broussard House isn’t surrounded by an underground stream, forcing the survivors to fight the demons.

-The survivors really don’t have a surefire defense against the demons in the original, but in the remake, rust becomes an effective weapon.

-There’s no abandoned funeral home here. Instead, Broussard Mansion is used as the main setting for this film.

-The story for the remake has more depth. In the original, they provide some information for Hull House’s history, but the details are very vague.

-The demons are more vicious and violent.

-The Halloween party in the 1988 remake starts out as a small and friendly get-together, but Angela’s Halloween party is a big-time event with more people.

-In the 1988 original, Angela is a weirdo and an outcast, but in the 2009 remake, Shannon Elizabeth’s Angela is promiscuous and flirty. She’s a party girl, who wants to have fun, and Angela 2009 has an attitude BEFORE her possession. Also, both Angelas have a completely different look:

Spoiler

1988 Angela

2009 Angela

Judy is sweet and innocent, and she becomes a leader during the final moments of the original. So it’s easy to draw comparisons between Maddie and Judy, because Maddie emerges as the strongest character in the remake, but Maddie is tougher. She’s more rugged, and Maddie turns into a real bad-ass during the final showdown.

Spoiler

Maddie

Judy

Keena brings more emotion and aggression to Maddie, but Podewell carries the original by herself most of the time.

Gierasch and Anderson deny any comparisons between 1988 Suzanne and 2009 Suzanne, but the similarities are so obvious. Bobbie Sue Luther’s bigger tits are the only main difference, and in the end, Luther’s Suzanne is just a modern-day version of Quigley’s Suzanne.

Spoiler

1988 Suzanne

2009 Suzanne

And for it's worth, here's a pic of Quigley in the 2009 remake:

The performances in the remake are solid, but when it comes to acting, I have to give the edge to the 1988 original. Shannon Elizabeth’s Angela is darker and more violent, but Kinkade really nailed the outcast side of Angela, and Kinkade brings more humor to Angela’s demonized form.

Every member of the supporting cast from the original has characteristics of a hip 80’s teen (especially the dialogue), but the supporting cast from the original provides more entertaining performances. The supporting cast for the remake isn’t bad, but Baird and Luther can’t rise above the status of eye candy, and Michael Copon doesn’t help anything. And with the exception of Baird and Elizabeth, the post-possession forms of the main characters don’t receive any spoken dialogue, so everyone falls into the category of a “bloodthirsty killer.” They don’t have a real chance to standout.

Overall, the 1988 original is still the better film. It‘s a fun and campy 80‘s horror comedy, with disgusting gore and great music. Plus, Night Of The Demons 1988 is something different. It doesn’t achieve the iconic status of the Evil Dead films or the original Nightmare On Elm Street, but Night Of The Demons 1988 is a refreshing treat, especially when you consider all of the ordinary slashers from the 80’s.

The 2009 remake has a more serious tone. The violence is more brutal, and the gore is more graphic and bloody. It’s a respectable remake, and Night Of The Demons 2009 is better than most shitty straight-to-video horror releases.

Rating for the 2009 remake: 6/10