EitoMan

I am loathe to use any movie "rating" system that fails to conform to the 5-bag system. That aside, what Gregg Turkington has accomplished with Deck of Card merits the highest rating possible (5 bags of popcorn is the limit).

While it is true the theatrical version of Deck of Cards was BUTCHERED by Tim Heidenker, Turkington's clear vision is still apparent. Nothing will prepare audiences for the fantastical world that Gregg created--a world where the Mummy, Dudley Moore, some woman riding a horse, and Jocker try to uncover who kidnapped the King of Hearts (Joe "Mr Money" Estevez). It's a wild-ride with stellar performances all around. I dare say even Michael Matthews (aka Laroux) shines as Jimmy Hendricks. Of course Mark Porch steals the whole movie with his masterful portrayal of multiple characters (e.g. Mummy, Einstein, and Billy Graham). This is one movie that Oscer cannot ignore. Best. Film. Ever.

Look--this is a trash film. But it's a GLORIOUS trash film. If you're into cult/psychotronic cinema, then Puma Man delivers. I find it difficult to believe that if you're reading reviews on Puma Man in 2021 (or later) that you don't already know it's a cult film. So using that metric, I give it 10/10. Horrible but fun script, laughable FX, great cult actors. Just go watch it, it's awesome.

I saw this film upon release in the cinema. This was in the pre-internet era so there was no information available about the film other than what could be discerned from the poster. I could write a much more detailed review waxing about Lamberto Bava, Dario Argento, and Michele Soavi but few IMDB readers care about that level of detail.

I saw a ton of horror films during that era, but Demons is one of a handful (including Evil Dead 1 & 2 and Re-Animator) which made a massive impression.

Make no mistake, this isn't a "good" film as it pertains to narrative or acting. It is, however, technically competent and the gore FX are both gratuitous and effective. Once the action ramps up, the film is like a roller-coaster that never lets up.

As someone who is a major fan of Italian exploitation cinema, there are a couple of notable things about this film. The "characters" in this film are barely one-dimensional and come across as almost cartoonish. However, that works to the film's benefit. Earlier Italian gore films inflicted eye-gougings and mutilation on sympathetic characters whereas in Demons, the characters are so flimsy and absurd that when they get mangled you marvel more in the FX and don't feel bad for the character. In this way, it is similar to the Evil Dead franchise. The gore is still really well executed, but the characters are so disposable and the action is so unrelenting that your brain just enjoys the ride. This was a novel approach in 1985 when this film was released.

I'd also note that Demons was the first movie of it's kind to have a soundtrack filled with contemporary music. Not only had I never seen a horror film embrace a soundtrack built around popular artists, but it wasn't common in mainstream film or television in 1985 either.

Demons is not a "good" movie, but it is great cult film. The FX still hold up quite well and the unrelenting pace keeps you mesmerized. Demons EASILY deserves to be included in any "top-10" horror films of the 80s--and probably would be in the top-5.