Night of the Demons 2: Collector’s Edition Blu-ray Review

Angela’s Back

Australian director Brian Trenchard-Smith follows up the Eighties cult smash Night of the Demons with his own subversive take on Angela in a funnier but less intimidating sequel, pulling the franchise into goofier territory with several camp touches. Night of the Demons 2 works better as its own standalone movie than as a direct sequel, returning only Angela (Amelia Kinkade) from the original cast and many of the same practical effects. A new crop of rowdy teenagers battle Angela’s minions, including Christine Taylor (The Brady Bunch).

Republic Pictures had an unexpected hit with the original Night of the Demons and badly wanted a sequel. The 1994 Night of the Demons 2 is a fairly typical mix of horny teenagers, sleazy practical effects, and a humorous reworking of the basic plot mechanics from the first film. In most ways the sequel is a bigger and more polished production than its predecessor, but much of the original’s scarier atmosphere is lost.

Night of the Demons 2 is a fairly typical mix of horny teenagers, sleazy practical effects, and a humorous reworking of the basic plot mechanics from the first film

Despite the generally lighter tone, a few creature scenes go for the jugular unexpectedly. The film’s most memorable highlight for many is Angela dancing to a Morbid Angel song, though Suzanne’s infamous lipstick case makes an odd return in a particularly notable scene. There’s also a trashy tentacle rape sequence which doesn’t really work. The jarring combination of camp and questionable gore is one of this sequel’s trademarks.

The story doesn’t revolve around the spooky Hull House nearly as much this time. Three mean girls at a nearby Catholic high school harass a nerdy girl known as Mouse, who just so happens to be Angela’s younger sister. There they are watched over by Father Bob and the stern Sister Gloria, each with vastly different approaches to their teenage wards.

Thanks to a lame dance being held at the school, the girls all end up at a supposed party being held at the notorious… Hull House. Angela and her demons recognize an opportunity to escape their imprisonment and venture into the outside world.

Only an intrepid boy at the high school with an intense fascination in demon research sees the impending danger, hoping to get Father Bob and Sister Gloria involved before the demonic creatures run wild. All hell breaks loose when Angela is set free.

There’s a twisted sense of humor on display as Sister Gloria transforms from an uptight nun to a woman on a mission and there are several gory sight gags. Possibly hoping to catch the horror comedy vibes seen in Army of Darkness from the Evil Dead franchise, the plot becomes less and less serious with each passing act. It’s not anywhere as well-written as the Evil Dead movies, so keep your expectations in check.

There’s more skin, certainly more jokes, but far fewer frights than the first Night of the Demons. There’s also no Linnea Quigley this time around. Night of the Demons 2 is campy fun if you enjoy gory practical effects married to gags like a demon hiding in the toilet. Those with a stronger bent towards pure scares and spooky characters will prefer the first movie in spades.

Video

Shout Studios (Scream Factory’s owners) lists the transfer as a 2023 scan from the interpositive, which blows the older Olive Films job on Blu-ray out of the water in clarity and definition. The uncut main feature runs 95 minutes, encoded in AVC on a BD-50. The tidy 1.85:1 presentation is soft but film-like, a new transfer with no noticeable deficiencies. While the video quality isn’t stunning, this is an excellent effort for unheralded ‘90s catalog fare.

Exteriors are crisp with lovely depth and colors. Tight grain reproduction and a steady contrast remain stable during all scenes, including murkier shots inside Hull House. While Scream Factory skipped Night of the Demons 2 for UHD, it’s on the whole a stronger film scan than what the original movie received despite theoretically inferior elements.

Audio

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA audio in stereo offers decent separation and a nice atmosphere for a low-budget b-movie. There are no concerns with dialogue reproduction and there’s enough bottom end to make the dynamics feel slightly impressive. Solid fidelity from a pristine soundtrack recording.

I was surprised this film didn’t get a surround mix at some point. There are several opportunities for a truly immersive experience.

Optional English SDH subtitles play in a white font.

Extras

Scream Factory puts out a new transfer and a bevy of new special features for their collector’s edition, shaming the old Olive Films release from a decade ago. The Blu-ray is coded for Region A and arrives with a slipcover in early pressings. A free 18″x24″ rolled poster was available from Shout’s website for pre-orders.

There’s a lot to absorb here with all the interviews and a new commentary. Always nice to get fresh interviews with primary cast and crew members like actress Cristi Harris, but the most meaningful bonus is a long sit-down between the two directors of the first two Night of the Demons films.

Audio Commentary with director Brian Trenchard-Smith and cinematographer David Lewis – An older 2013 discussion pulled from the out-of-print Olive Films Blu-ray. A little irrelevant as the cinematographer makes pointed comments about the older transfer which no longer apply to Scream Factory’s new effort.

Audio Commentary with cast members Cristi Harris, Jennifer Rhodes, Johnny Moran, and Darin Heames – A new group discussion exclusive to this release.

A Tale of Two Demons (70:02 in HD) – Filmmakers Kevin S. Tenney and Brian Trenchard-Smith discuss their two very different entries in the Demons Trilogy.

Trick or Treat Sucker (25:20 in HD) – A new interview with actress Amelia Kinkade discussing playing Angela.

Red Curls and Screams (21:21 in HD) – An interview with actress Cristi Harris.

A Sequel With Guts (12:54 in HD) – Producer Jeff Geoffray sits down discussing how the sequel came about.

Monster Mayhem (48:29 in HD) – An in-depth and often engaging interview with special effects wizard Steve Johnson.

Dailies of the Demon (129:34 in SD) – Well over an hour of dailies footage from the set.

Night of the Demons 2 Workprint with Alternate and Extended Scenes (98:28 in SD)

Behind the Scenes Photo Gallery From Make-Up Effects Artist Steve Johnson (05:58 in HD)

Night of the Demons 2 Trailer (00:45 in SD)

Full disclosure: This Blu-ray was provided by the label for review. This has not materially affected DoBlu’s editorial process. For information on how we handle all review material, please visit DoBlu’s about us page.

The following six screen shots serve as samples for our subscription-exclusive set of 43 full resolution, uncompressed HD screen shots ripped directly from the Blu-ray: