Night of the Demons review (DVD) ★★★

Review by Adam Stephen Kelly
Stars Edward Furlong, Shannon Elizabeth, Monica Keena, Bobbi Sue Luther, John F. Beach,
Michael Capon, Tiffany Shepis, Tiffany J. Billiot, Linnea Quigley | Written by Jace Anderson & Adam Gierasch
UK Certification 18 | UK RRP £12.99 | DVD Region 2 | Runtime 96 minutes | Directed by Adam Gierasch

A rehash of the Kevin S. Tenney-directed cult classic that launched the short-lived career of actress Amelia Kinkade in 1988 (before she turned her attention to animal psychism), Night of the Demons is a remake done right. By no means an astonishing slice of cinema, the film is a fast-paced and ferociously funny hour and a half of pure, filthy fun designed to quench the thirst of genre fans craving a cocktail of boobs, banter and blood.

Night of the Demons follows the plot of the original almost down to a tee – and it's very simple: a circle of friends (Keena, Rogers, Baird, Copon, Luther) head to a wild party thrown by Angela Feld (Elizabeth) on Halloween night. The venue? Broussard Mansion, a visually impressive residence with a dark past. The owner, Evangeline Broussard, hung herself from the balcony after six people mysteriously disappeared from the mansion. But that was over eight decades ago, and in the present the building is playing host to a ghoulish dance of decadence on All Hallow's Eve. Sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll run rampant at the house as the partygoers turn Broussard Mansion into a scene that closely resembles an evening at Jack Nicholson's. However, far more monstrous beings than drunk and drugged-up partiers are unleashed after the police shut the booze-fueled gathering down. With all the guests having left apart from Angela and our extremely merry band of boys and girls, including bottom of the rung crook Colin Levy (a somewhat plump Edward Furlong), things go from bad to worse when they discover skeletal remains in the basement. After tampering with one of the corpses, Angela is bitten by one that isn't quite as dead as she thought and is possessed, becoming a demon that puts a target on the heads of her friends as her devilish new form seeks to break a curse by possessing those in the house.

With a perfect pace, the film just flies by, offering bucket loads of practical gore effects and nasty-looking demons for your viewing pleasure - not to mention a cameo by Linnea Quigley, star of the original. CGI is used sparingly and when it is it's entirely necessary. One thing I will always comment on in this day and age of horror is whether or not the blood and guts are added in digitally. It's rather unfortunate that I've seen so many films use horrendous effects so that I've had to stoop to mentioning it in my genre reviews, but I feel that it's an important issue to address these days in write-ups. Look how Survival of the Dead turned out.

Night of the Demons, not once taking itself seriously and all the better for it, is almost like the accidental child of a drunken confluence between a teen sex comedy and, with its genuine retro feel, an '80s splatter movie. Horror fans will not be disappointed by this stylish, funny and rambunctiously gory retelling.

EXTRAS TBC.