John’s Old School Horror Corner: Night of the Demons 3

John’s Horror Corner:  Night of the Demons 3 (1997)

 By John Leavengood

 MY CALL:    No grade or score properly relays what one is getting into by watching this movie.  Just be informed that I liked part one and LOVED part 2.  This, however, paled in comparison.  WHAT TO WATCH INSTEAD:    Night of the Demons (1988), Night of the Demons 2.  IF YOU LIKE THIS, WATCH:    Night of the Demons (1988), Night of the Demons 2, Night of the Demons (2009)…in fact, if you liked this movie, watch ANY horror.  DRINKING MOVIE STATUS:    Alcohol is an absolute necessity to mentally survive this assault on good taste.

            Beware, folks.  And I’m not talking about demons either.  From the first scene of this movie the film and camera quality are suspect.  Poor special effects, dialogue which desperately forces the history of the ‘til-now-decent franchise, and unpresentably awful introductory credits—all three of which would be easily rivaled by a zero-budget student movie—prepared me for my own Hostel experience.

            The same actress (Amelia Kincade) as in the previous installments plays the apparently aging demoness, Angela.  I’m not complaining.  I like the casting consistency.  But this should be the first time she regrets the role.  When we first see Angela she demonstrates the ability to telekinetically move a 5000-pound police cruiser.  Keep that in mind later in the movie when that talent would likely be useful, yet unutilized, in dispatching pesky youngsters from the cast.

            When introduced, the victims (or—characters) have an 80’s slasher-flick air about them in an era where movie-makers should know better.  The wardrobe and breast-casting in the opening scenes also seem typical of a time that is 30 years past its prime.  The young ladies’ unsensational bare breasts, dated hairstyles, ill-etched tan lines and underwear lead me to believe that this was actually filmed during 1980!

            Following in the same classic vein the youthful leads all exhibit criminal proclivities early on in order to justify their obviously forthcoming doom.  They also seem to have been held back a few years.  These high school seniors look a lot like my cronies when I was in my early 20’s.  So what happens is exactly what we expect: a lot of nonsense…

There’s ample nudity staying in classic horror trend: death-harbinger-nudity.  Sex seems to be behind the wheel in this low-budgeter.  Kissing Angela results in death, but that’s nothing new to those who have seen the prequels.  There’s a ridiculous snake-for-a-hand death (see it and you’ll understand).  Oh, and the best part of the movie was the “this is my pistol, this is my gun” quote from Full Metal Jacket.  Even crappy filmmakers know when a well-deserved nod is due.

Now, I gotta’ ask—how old were these kids when Night of the Demons 2 came out.  I mean, they all seem know something about Hull House in the movie.  This is a sequel, so we are to understand that the kids from part 2 did in fact die there…in that house…just a few years ago.  How many people need to die in this damned house before kids learn to stay away?