I have given Lucio Fulci’s DEMONIA, three chances now. The first time I didn’t like, but decided to give it another go. The second time, I thought I was a tad harsh on it, but still thought it wasn’t that good. Now with my 3rd—and probably last screening, I’ve come to the conclusion that it is mostly crap, with short moments of awesomeness. DEMONIA was one of Fulci’s last films (followed by DOOR TO SILENCE and VOICES FROM BEYOND), and truly his last ditch effort at regaining his former glory. Unfortunately, DEMONIA never took flight, and his previous film, CAT IN THE BRAIN would be his true swan song (as far as I'm concerned), and the film that truly represents Fulci, and was a proper goodbye to his fans (before his diabetes-related death in 1996). DEMONIA just rubs salt in the wounds because it only hints at Fulci’s greatness, but just doesn’t deliver.
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DEMONIA is a supernatural tale of the lamest kind. Fulci really had a way with the supernatural, but he also asked a lot of his viewers as far as when it came to how far to push the boundaries of what is believable and what is not. You just can’t go into a Fulci horror film, and expect any kind of logic; just leave your logic at the door and come inside. So even with my logic at the doorstep, it was still hard to buy into the level of supernatural whackiness that Fulci is selling in this film. Ghosts? I’m on board. Ghosts coming back, and avenging their deaths? I’m still here. Ghosts that can possess the bodies of the living? I’m down with that too. Ghosts that can shift between being floating apparitions and actual physical beings, capable of using instruments of destruction to kill people? Wow...that’s just really pushing it.
The story, which is stretched very thin, starts with the crucifixion of 5 nuns, and then fast-forwards 500 years to modern times, in Sicily where a group of archaeologists are digging around an ancient monastery where the 5 nuns were killed. Irish archaeologists that talk with the corninest of Irish accents (think Lucky from the Luck Charms commercials, but drunk on Irish Whiskey). One of the archaeologists, Liza (Meg Register) is drawn to the old monastery, and has some reoccurring dreams about it. The townsfolk and another archaeologist familiar with the monastery’s history warn her, to stay away—but does she? Oh nooooo. Pretty soon, anyone that has anything to do with Liza or the monastery, die gruesome deaths (one of the film’s only pluses). Brett Halsey (a Fulci regular starting w/THE DEVIL’S HONEY in 1986) plays Liza’s boss and seems to have no reason to be in the film, but to act concerned. Halsey is a great actor that is completely wasted in this film. Al Cliver pops up here too, and surprise, surprise—dies a gruesome death.
Eventually, Liza does more and more research on the monastery and finds out its sorid history. Seems the 5 nuns that were killed—actually deserved it! They had sex with men and killed them, burned their own bastard babies alive, and pretty much reveled in their own debauchery. Okay, so I guess they are still avenging their deaths, but who is supposed to care? And if they were supposed to be scary—that’s a big fail. Who exactly we’re supposed to care about in this is still very much in question to me. Liza? We are given zero character development about her—she’s vapid and annoying, and to top it off---Meg Register can’t fucking act! I rarely complain about acting, but the Liza character is pretty much the whole movie—it’s all on Register’s shoulders, and they are weak, weak shoulders. She was a nobody at the time…and she's still pretty much a nobody, which speaks for itself. I have no idea what Fulci was thinking by casting her in the lead. I mean she’s pretty and all, but that can only go so far. Another issue, which at this point is almost moot; the score is dull, and given Fulci’s history of having great scores in his films, is a total let down.
So with a paper-thin plot, a horrendous lead actress, the one good actor in the film being utterly wasted, avenging ghosts that you don’t care about—or scared by, a lame score; what exactly is there to like about this film? Well, if you’re not a die-hard Fulci fan, not much. What I do like about the film is that reminds me of some of Fulci’s greatest films. Throughout the film, flashes of DON’T TORTURE A DUCKLING, CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD, THE BLACK CAT, and ZOMBI 2 pop up as reminders of Fulci’s better days. They are just subtle touches, whether it’s the scenery, a way a scene is shot, or a familiar character (Fulci makes one of his many cameos as a detective), that had me instantly recalling other Fulci movies. Now whether this helped or marred the film, I don’t know. (why watch DEMONIA when I could just watch all those other,much better films?) Where the film scores, without a doubt. is the gore—pure splatter era Fulci; cats that rip out eyeballs, a guy that gets a meat hook to the throat and then has his tongued spiked to a meat carving block, decapitation, a harpoon to the chest, and most famously, a man ripped in two by a rope trap tied to two trees. As great as the kills are in this movie, there is no way I could recommend the film based on the excellent gore alone.
Prior to DEMONIA, Fulci had been sticking to mostly made-for-TV movies; most of them were so-so at best, and fu-huh-king horrendous at their worst. DEMONIA was supposed to be a full-fledged theatrical film, but supposedly the ball was dropped, and it went straight to video (I believe it made it to theaters in some European countries for a very short time). Watching the movie, it’s easy to tell why it didn’t go to theaters--because it would have been laughed off the screen. As I mentioned, DEMONIA was supposed to be Fulci’s last shot at glory, but it just wasn’t meant to be.
Now while this is a negative review of the film, in the end, I can’t say that I hate it. It doesn’t bring up the bile of contempt that I have for AENIGMA and SWEET HOUSE OF HORRORS, and it is better than those films. DEMONIA still has that dreamy atmosphere that made me gaga for Fulci to begin with—and I’ll admit, that does carry the film a long way in my book. The film is not a complete dud—but it comes awfully close.
DEMONIA trailer