Night of the Demons (2009)

My good friend John Leavengood is back with a review from the remake of Night of the Demons…or the fourth in the line of films. Either way it sounds like a gnarly film full of gnarly things.  John is much more of a horror fan than I am. Freddy annoyed me cause he is a wimp. Jason is slow and boring. Pinhead is a Lame-O Head. However, I appreciate the genre and think some of the best and most inventive low budgets flicks have come out of it. I think of myself as more of a zombie fan though.

Thanks John.

Night of the Demons (2009)

 John Leavengood

    Okay, I know what you’re thinking. ..”They made ANOTHER Night of the Demons movie?”

                The answer is yes.  But what you may not have realized that the answer is yes twice.  Most horror fanatics know about Night of the Demons (1988) and the way-fun sequel Night of the Demons 2.  But when I talk to horror-junkies they are often shocked at the existence of a third installment.   This one is the fourth.  It doesn’t really feel like a remake, sequel or reimagining.  It’s just another Night with another group of doom-drawn idiots.

                We are introduced to the female leads first, most of whom are well-slutted up and looking…ample.  No question about it.  We’re in for some nudity.  We’re also in for poor line delivery.  The lack of precision in dialogue was suggestive of one-take guerilla-directing.  Not that this is atypical for direct-to-DVD horror.

                Next we meet Edward Furlong.  He is no longer the lively, strong-willed youth from Terminator 2 or American History X, but rather clearly is in dying need of a paycheck.  Looking worse than he did in the tabloids hanging on to Paris Hilton with zombie-like alcohol-induced motor malfunction we find him hungover in this movie.  Whatever you gotta’ do to make rent buddy.  Let’s all take a moment to act shocked that the director thought of Eddy for this role when in his first scene we find him baggy-eyed and slinking into a strip club to meet with some unsavory criminal who is in the middle of getting a blowie and is, naturally, less than thrilled to see him.

                Like the other movies in the series, the catalyst is a party.  The typical Halloween-horror-movie goings on are present.  Spinning the same old web, the party is filled with lots of booze, some THC, and same-sex makeout sessions.  Some fun costumes including a nod-to-Wrong Turn­ inbred hillbilly mutant with a cleaver,  a giant penis, and the Jigsaw papier-mache tricycler entertain us as we are introduced to the beginnings of character developments (i.e., who dated who that’s at the party).  Then the playing-it-straight, least slutty girl notices something isn’t quite right when an evil hand breaks through a bathroom mirror and tries to grab her.  Begin movie?  Cue evil presence?  Not just yet.  Must have had one to many.  Riiiiiiiiiiiiiight.

                Shannon Elizabeth, playing the classic Angela role, welcomes the party-goers and encourages the kind of behavior that gets you killed in horror movies.  Then the police end the party and only the main players are left in the house.  After being bitten by a skeleton, which strangely aroused no suspicion from the other characters, Angela is acting a bit funny.  Naturally, a transformation/possession is taking place.

                Now trapped in the house-with-a-history they decide to play some spin the bottle.  As with previous installments of this franchise, Angela’s demonic kiss transmits a bit of demon-crazy and does so to one of the guy’s.  Now what should you do with this, freshly infected dude?  Uh-duh!  Transmit it during a demon sex scene of course.  The evil STD-toting guy then demons a chick in the @#$%…and then there were two infernal proselytes.  Evidently a raging case of demon is more contagious than syphilis.  Meanwhile, with no more subtlety than a desperate B-squad stripper, Angela encourages everyone else to continue drinking and tries to “get lucky” with every eligible male.  When that fails, an ample, pussycat-attired coed seems to do just fine.  By the way, EVERY female character is evidently bisexual—no complaints here, though.

                The highlights include anal demon sex, a face being bitten off and spat to the floor, a breast being mauled, a lipstick tube being pushed inside of a breast (encored from a previous installment) and pulled out from her @#$% (the explanation of which was very funny), nipple tentacles (yeah, Species nod), and a brief demonic orgy montage.  What can I say?  I have to agree with one character’s assessment that these demons are “badass…they couldn’t even live by Hell’s rules”.  Not that badass to the experienced horror-goer, though.

                Attempts at action sequences (over 30 seconds) tend to go poorly but are thankfully low in number.  The levity enjoyed from the general silliness of this movie allows me to forgive its faults.  I enjoyed seeing so many recognizable faces and seeing the franchise continue.  I say give this movie a chance.  It’ll make you smile.

MY CALL:    A typical B-horror, but less innovative.  So really, like a C-/D.

WHAT TO WATCH INSTEAD:        Earlier franchise installments.  Parts 1 & 2 are much better!

IF YOU LIKE THIS, WATCH:   The Hazing, Night of the Demons (1988), Night of the Demons 2…skip part 3 unless you’re completely taken by the franchise.

DRINKING MOVIE STATUS:           Of course!

FOR THE SUPERFANS:  Horror fanatics will love this: LinneaQuigley has a cameo.