Originally published January 13, 2021. Updated May 16, 2022.
Arrow Video has announced the upcoming February 22nd release of Lamberto Bava and Dario Argento’s classic 80s horror films Demons and Demons 2 in a limited edition box set featuring brand new 4K restorations of both movies from the original camera negatives, as well as a host of special features.
In the early 1980s, Dario Argento, the famed horror maestro responsible for such classics as Suspiria and Deep Red, branched out from directing into producing, shepherding the work of his fellow filmmakers to the screen – among them Lamberto Bava (Delirium, A Blade in the Dark), son of the legendary Mario Bava. Together, they crafted two tales of terror that would become synonymous with Italian 80s horror, in which the veil between the real world and the silver screen is torn asunder.
In 1985’s Demons, a motley assortment of unwitting filmgoers accept invitations to a screening at the mysterious Metropol theatre. However, as the brutal slasher film unspools, the horror breaks free from the constraints of the screen, unleashing a swarm of slathering demons, intent on spreading their evil plague across the globe. Then, in 1986’s Demons 2, Hell comes direct to the living room as bloodthirsty demons descend on a luxury apartment block, devouring the residents and propagating their deadly plague.
LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS:
- Brand new 4K restoration of both films by Arrow Films from the original camera negatives
- 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray™ presentations of both films in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
- Limited edition packaging featuring newly commissioned artwork by Adam Rabalais
- Limited edition 60-page booklet featuring new writing by Roberto Curti, Rachael Nisbet and Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
- Double-sided fold-out poster
- Exclusive mystery sneak preview movie ticket (admits one to the Metropol Theatre)
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DISC 1 (4K ULTRA-HD BLU-RAY) – DEMONS:
- Two versions of the film: the full-length original cut in Italian and English, and the slightly trimmed US cut, featuring alternate dubbing and sound effects
- Brand new lossless English and Italian 5.1 audio tracks on the original cut
- Original lossless English and Italian 2.0 stereo audio tracks on the original cut
- Original lossless English 1.0 mono audio track on the US cut
- Newly translated English subtitles for the Italian soundtrack
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for both English soundtracks
- New audio commentary by critics Kat Ellinger and Heather Drain, co-hosts of the Hell’s Bells podcast
- Archival audio commentary by director Lamberto Bava and special makeup effects artist Sergio Stivaletti, moderated by journalist Loris Curci
- Archival audio commentary by Lamberto Bava, Sergio Stivaletti, composer Claudio Simonetti and actress Geretta Geretta
- Produced by Dario Argento, a new visual essay by author and critic Michael Mackenzie exploring the legendary filmmaker’s career as a producer
- Dario’s Demon Days, an archival interview with writer/producer Dario Argento
- Defining an Era in Music, an archival interview with Claudio Simonetti
- Splatter Spaghetti Style, an archival interview with long-time Argento collaborator Luigi Cozzi
- Italian theatrical trailer
- International English theatrical trailer
- US theatrical trailer
DISC 2 (4K ULTRA-HD BLU-RAY) – DEMONS 2:
- Brand new lossless English and Italian 5.1 audio tracks
- Original lossless English and Italian 2.0 stereo audio tracks
- Newly translated English subtitles for the Italian soundtrack
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack
- New audio commentary by critic Travis Crawford
- Archival audio commentary by director Lamberto Bava and special makeup effects artist Sergio Stivaletti, moderated by journalist Loris Curci
- Together and Apart, a new visual essay on space and technology in Demons and Demons 2 by author and critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
- Creating Creature Carnage, an archival interview with Sergio Stivaletti
- Bava to Bava, an archival interview with Luigi Cozzi on the history of Italian horror
- Italian theatrical trailer
- English theatrical trailer
