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What’s up Sorry Staters?
So, the season of the witch is upon us… I dunno if any of you fiends and ghouls are like me, but every time October rolls around, I start getting really excited. October is always my favorite month of the year. The air starts getting cooler, Spirit Halloween has opened its doors down the street, and all I want to do with my time is watch trashy horror flicks on VHS.
For all the grainy, lowbrow Grindhouse films I binge, there are a few more classy, high budget gore romps that make their way into my list of films to watch every year. I kicked off the 1st of the month with Dario Argento’s classic Demons. When I posted about this movie on social media, I jokingly referred to it as the “Negazione of zombie flicks.” Daniel even commented and asked me why I described it that way, to which I responded, “Uh, cuz it’s Italian and it rules!” Hahaha. But of course, the movie is similarly intense and unhinged. While Demons was directed by Lamberto Bava, Argento produced the movie and surely provided some strong credentials for the movie’s notoriety. I’m sure many people are familiar with Argento’s artsy and moody take on horror in films like Suspiria and Inferno. Demons is definitely a more old-fashioned, fun-filled escapade, but beautifully shot and cleverly done. Real quickly, the plot basically revolves around a couple of teenagers who, along with another colorful collection of characters, are given tickets to a free screening for a movie. The audience slowly begins to realize that a mysterious metal mask, which they see in person in the lobby of theater AND depicted in the film, that transforms the characters in the movie into demons is doing the exact same to all people trapped inside this movie theater. And then chaos ensues. It’s great!
One of the main things I wanted to mention about the movie, though, is that in addition to film’s sparse synth-based score, there’s a killer heavy metal soundtrack! A deep cut by Motley Crue plays in one of the early scenes. Funny enough, there are these punker characters that appear mid-way through the movie, cruising the city streets while snorting drugs out of a soda can through a bendy straw. While they’re driving around, “White Wedding” by Billy Idol is playing on the car stereo. Only the most badass tunes are acceptable for these delinquents! Haha. There’s a killer scene where one of the main dudes comes out blazing into the aisles of the movie theater riding a motorcycle while wielding a katana to slice up demons, and “Fast As a Shark” by Accept plays in the background. It’s so sick. “Fast As a Shark” is the ripping opening track on Restless And Wild, which is my personal favorite Accept record. While not listed on the soundtrack, a sleeper banger “Night Danger” by the Danish metal band Pretty Maids plays during the scene where the hostages are tearing apart the theater trying to escape. There’s some Saxon, some Scorpions, tons of fun and heavy rippers to accompany the bloody entertainment contained within.
Hopefully, me talking about horror and heavy metal isn’t too boring for any of you Sorry State readers out there. Expect more spooky-themed musings in the weeks to come as we countdown to Halloween. That’s all I’ve got this week. As always, Thanks for reading.
‘Til next week,
-Jeff