Media Blasters’ releases this European
production (which debuted on Italian television in 1988 as LA CASA DELL
ORCO) on their ShriekShow label as DEMONS 3: THE OGRE. This is a bit of
a misnomer, because with the exception of Lamberto Bava and Dardano
Sacchetti handling directing and screenplay chores respectively, this
movie has nothing in common to the horrific DEMONS franchise. However,
DEMONS 3: THE OGRE does contain most of the conventions that makes
Spaghetti-horrors so endearing, such as a surreal storyline, gothic
European locations, and a respectable cast headlined by Paolo Marco
(staple of such notable genre efforts as Lucio Fulci’s HOUSE BY THE
CEMETERY, Sergio Martino’s SCORPION WITH TWO TAILS, and Antonio Bido’s
WATCH ME WHEN I KILL), and Virginia Bryant (whose genre credits include
Ruggero Deodato’s THE BARBARIANS, Lamberto Bava’s PRINCE OF TERROR,
and DEMONS 2). Other notables in the cast include Alice Di Giuseppe,
Stefania Montorsi, and Sabrinia Ferrilli. The burgeoning ShreikShow
label issues this non-sequel on DVD in 2003 with some decent extras that
may appeal to fans of Lamberto Bava.
Cheryl is a young girl in Oregon who is plagued by
dreams and strange visions concerning a mysterious creature that pursues
her in a sprawling gothic basement that is not her own. This strange set
of circumstances causes Cheryl to mature into a best-selling horror
novelist, now played by Virginia Bryant. Cheryl, her husband Tom (Paolo
Marco), and their son, Bob set out to a remote Italian Villa for a much
needed vacation from her authoring chores. When the family arrives in
the local village, they are ostracized by the locals and warned to stay
away from their intended destination, a gigantic gothic castle
purportedly haunted by spirits. Sure enough, as soon as the three unpack
their belongings, Cheryl begins to experience supernatural phenomena
which brings her to the conclusion that she is back in the traumatic
cycle of her youth. From these episodes, Cheryl begins to weave her
experiences into a new novel, much to the dismay of her skeptical
husband. The villagers warn the family that an ancient beast called The
Ogre seeks to mate with the human women, and Cheryl’s delusions fuel
the legendary creature into reality. The monstrous creature goes on a
murder spree, sexually assaulting the female residents while Cheryl must
convince her husband of the danger that awaits them. But while they are
arguing, The Ogre abducts their son, causing the two parents to put
aside their differences to save their 10 year old.
DEMONS 3: THE OGRE is a well-photographed and
thoughtful effort that is bound to come up short when compared to the
earlier suspenseful gore-fests of Lamberto Bava, Lucio Fulci, and
others. This movie has only a couple murders, no gore whatsoever
(remember it was shot for TV), and the monster scenes are not
well-executed. The good news is that DEMONS 3: THE OGRE contains a solid
story, gothic imagery, and acting that raises above it’s television
standards. Essentially what Lamberto Bava does here is jettison the
blood and brutality of his earlier works in favor of a dark fantasy
atmosphere. Like DEMONS, the film is artful and visually surreal, and
Dardano Sacchetti’s script offers no real explanation—things are
left to the viewer to figure out. In a nice touch, several scenes of
Virginia Bryant toiling away at the typewriter conjures up images of
Jack Nicholson doing the same in THE SHINING. Lamberto Bava brilliantly
builds up to the conclusion of DEMONS 3: THE OGRE, but he cannot deliver
the bloody good conclusion like he did in DEMONS. The Ogre creature
itself is also something of a letdown. The Minotaur-looking creature is
well designed and fearsome, but is not believably executed. To make
things worse, the creature wears fairytale-type clothing which makes it
look like a court jester. DEMONS 3: THE OGRE features some marvelous
cinematography. The musical score (which like a bad Goblin song) is too
repetitive and annoying to amplify the fear factor.
Media Blasters presents DEMONS 3: THE OGRE in the
original aspect ratio of 1.85.1, with 16x9 enhancement. They mastered
this transfer from an actual film print, and the quality, detail, and
colors are more than satisfying. Though much of DEMONS 3: THE OGRE takes
place inside the corridors of this centuries-old gothic castle, the bulk
of the movie takes place in the lush country sides surrounding the
castle. Kudos to the cinematographer for keeping things green and
natural, all of which come through in the image. Detail level is very
sharp and we can see every nook and cranny of the castle and it’s
labyrinthian gardens. Flesh tones are right on, which emblazons the
nubile female cast members with a natural lushness. The sound track is
Dolby Digital Mono 2.0. Outside of occasional noise and hiss, this is a
solid mono presentation which highlights the dubbed vocals, sound
effects, and monotone score of Simon Boswell. His synthesizer
compositions are flat and repetitive, and this is coming from someone
who is enamored with Euro-horror music. From the Extras menu, you can
view trailers for DEMONS 3: THE OGRE, FLESH OF THE BEAST, BLOOD FEAST 2:
ALL YOU CAN EAT, and FACELESS. One of the main reasons to get this DVD
is the 10 minute (subtitled) interview with director Lamberto Bava, who
delves into the production of DEMONS 3: THE OGRE. He talks about the
performances and history of Virginia Bryant, Paolo Marco, and other cast
members. Bava also confirms that this film is in no way associated with
DEMONS.
DEMONS 3: THE OGRE is a decent Euro-horror
production; just be aware that it is in no way associated with the
DEMONS saga. So don’t expect Dario Argento quality stuff here. Still,
it’s an admirable effort from Lamberto Bava who confesses (via the
interview on the disc) that he was tiring of giallos and slasher films
and wanted to branch out into new territory. Media Blasters put some
effort into making this sleeper look and sound good on disc and even
threw in a rare interview with the director. To the people at ShreikShow,
keep those Bava movies coming.
DEMONS
3: THE OGRE is available from DVDEmpire.com
