Review by Peter Syslo
DEMONIACS (1973 - France) is a film by legendary French director, Jean Rollin. This is a recent DVD release by the continually impressive company, Salvation/Redemption USA (www.salvation-films.com). The film is presented in widescreen format with English subtitles and the DVD includes trailers, a stills gallery, and deleted scenes. Let me just take a moment to say that Salvation presents some of the best video transfers with their DVDs. Seriously, these older films always look and sound superb. Regarding the content of DEMONIACS, I thought that it was a bit of a detour for Rollin; he has done a lot of work in the vampire sub-genre and this was definitely a different sort of area for him. I thought that DEMONIACS was a very enjoyable film and it has had the lasting effect of “sticking in my mind”. The film is a hypnotic, erotic, surreal, adult fairy-tale and it is very different from any horror film that I have ever seen.
DEMONIACS is directed by Jean Rollin and it stars Lieva Lone, Joelle Couer, Patricia Hermenier, John Rico, Willy Braque, Paul Bisciglia, Louise Dhour, Ben Zimet, Mireille Dargent, and Miletic Zivomir.
I will try to encapsulate the film for you, but it is difficult to classify and it is also difficult to describe, in a concise manner. Here we go. The film focuses on four pirates, who are called “ship-wreckers”; what they do is prey upon the survivors of shipwrecks. The four pirates, led by the ravishingly beautiful Tina (Couer), fall upon two young girls who appear out of the surf. The pirates then proceed to rape and murder the girls – yes, these pirates are not the Johnny Depp, fun-loving types. After their “spree”, the four pirates are relaxing at an inn, until the pirate captain starts to see visions of the dead girls. He flips out and the four go on a hunt to find the girls, thinking they are still alive. The pirates chase the girls to ruins, in the woods, which are guarded by a sage-like man and a woman dressed as a clown (to scare people off). The townsfolk say that a great power resides in these ruins. The two girls find that a male demon is imprisoned in the ruins and he gives them the power to avenge their deaths. Though, the girls do have to become intimate with the demon in order to gain that power (sex always seems to be the primary currency of demons and devils). Thus, the stage is set for an engaging tale of revenge, a sea-story, a fantasy/supernatural film, and a sleazy piece of erotica.
DEMONIACS was a very compelling film. In a strange way, it is a “lighter” horror film and, despite the complexity of the story, it is very easy to watch. Yes, the film does focus on the rape of the two girls (which is not my “thing”, as I've stated in other reviews), but the overall atmosphere of the film is very entertaining and enjoyable. I know that this sounds peculiar. If someone was describing this film to me, I would say “how the hell could a movie like that be enjoyable?”. Basically, the movie has sort of the light-hearted feel of THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON, where there is a degree of danger but it isn't mortal danger where you fear that you will be dismembered or tortured. Also, I think that the fact that it is also a “sea” story makes it a little less threatening. Taking it a step further, this film is kind of an “adult fairytale”, much like PAN'S LABYRINTH or NIGHTBREED. The whole level of the story, when the two dead girls are chased to the ruins and encounter the two “guardians” is very fantasy-like. The fact that they gain power from the demon who is imprisoned in the ruins add an even greater dimension to the tale. I don't know how Rollin made it from point A to point B, in this film, but he made it all fit together – and it all goes together so well.
Right from the start, DEMONIACS was a very different film – different for Rollin and just different for horror, in general. At the beginning of the film, each of the four pirates is introduced to the viewer with a closeup and a brief description, like they are heroes. That, right there, was a great way to open the film and the bizarre nature of it just escalated, from that opening. I also liked the odd mix of imagery, in this movie. You have the whole “pirate” atmosphere which consists of a seaside inn, ship wreckage on the shore, and the classic striped clothing that these “yo-ho-hos” are so fond of wearing. Then you have the fantasy/Pagan atmosphere of the ruins, which is a mix of stone architecture and forest scenery – very pleasant and hypnotic. The ruins also contain temple-like settings and the most powerful imagery was at the end, in the “courtyard” of the ruins; Catholic-inspired statues were cast down upon Tina, as she tried to flee from the undead girls – I think that that scene had a very strong subversive message to it and it speaks for itself. Not just speaking about the erotic content, the film really is a “feast for the eyes”.
Gnawing through the flesh: DEMONIACS stands out as being a very unique film in Rollin's catalog and in the horror genre. I don't think that I have ever seen a film like this and (say what you will about the content of the film) the bizarre mix of things kind of sticks in my mind. It is a multi-level tale which centers on revenge and the imagery, atmosphere, costume design all culminate in a vibrant and surreal picture. Just as you would expect, there is a very strong erotic aspect to the film which involves generous amounts of sex, nudity, and depravity. I must mention that Tina (Joelle Coeur), the leader of the pirates, is hot with a capital “H”. She steals the show and she is just a natural, 1970s vision of loveliness. I tell you, some of the most beautiful women are in these foreign horror films, from the 1970s. Coeur rates right up there as one of the best examples, along with the Michelle sisters from VIRGIN WITCH. Coeur also gives the best performance in DEMONIACS; she is just a pleasure to watch, as a psychotic bombshell who knows no boundaries to her behavior. Rollin certainly does not disappoint and I find myself itching to go back and watch some of his other films, along with this one. In a nutshell, if you enjoy Rollin's work or if you enjoy erotic/exploitative foreign horror from the 1970s, then you might like DEMONIACS. It is a very unique trip and I give it a 8/10.