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DEMONICUS
Produced by Charles Band, David S. Sterling, and Johnnie J. Young
Directed by Jay Woelfel
Written by Tim Sullivan and Jay Woelfel
Edited by Johathan Ammon and Jay Woelfel
Director of Photography - Jeff LeroyJames/Tyranus - Gregory Lee Kenyon
Maria - Jennifer Capo
Demonicus - Todd RessIf I called DEMONICUS a good movie I would be lying. If I hadn't viewed other Jay Woelfel productions such as BEYOND DREAM'S DOOR and IRON THUNDER beforehand, I'd be inclined to skip the man's work from this point forth. Trite and cliched, DEMONICUS is that sort of horror film where a character's stupidity drives them to their death, and deservedly so. This is nothing like the brilliance for texture and substance that Woelfel displayed with BEYOND DREAM'S DOOR.
The action takes place on the Italian Alps, a welcome change of place from the usual claustrophobic atmosphere of other Full Moon productions. It's here that a group of American college kids are making their way through the mountains while on the last leg of a school trip. Paired off with their respective sexual partners, the group decides to take different routes to see who can get to their goal the quickest. At least that was my understanding. This is the kind of movie-logic where the only purpose is to separate the group is so that one pair can stumble across and unless the horrific entity who's going to cause a world of shit for those who go off and have sex. Well, except for the nerdy kid who can't get laid but will undoubtedly uncover crucial information to bring about the downfall of the previously mentioned horrific entity.
The horrific entity in question is named Tyranus, a gladiator gone awry. His goal is to bring the title creature, Demonicus, back to the land of the living. The spirit of Tyranus possesses the body of the most masculine of the sex-starved, James, probably since he's the only one who can fill out that gladiator skirt. James/Tyranus goes about creating an Etruscan stew from the body part of his fellow students. With a few Latin incantations, Demonicus starts to be revived Hellraiser-style. Too bad none of the gals were virgins, this whole mess would have been over in about 15 minutes and Demonicus could rule the world while I go about searching for the meaning of life in some Amber Newman softcore.
As Tyranus, all I can really say is that Gregory Lee Kenyon had his Latin pronunciation down, something I struggled with from grades 8-12. The problem with the character is something common in many of today's ultra-independent productions - he's never given time to be menacing. All moments of suspense are replaced with extraneous exposition delivered by the secondary characters. Any time Tyranus appears on screens it's solely as a dice-o-matic killing machine that goes about ripping limbs from bodies before the victims know what hit them. The lightening swift brutality occurs so quickly that there's no time for the audience to build any meaningful connection and hence all suspense is lost.
Making her first appearance in a Jay Woelfel picture is Jennifer Capo, a woman so insanely cute that Tyranus can't bring himself to kill her. Instead, he would rather save her for Demonicus so that the resurrected demon can do her right. And this is what sets up the climax. The few students left must confront Tyranus and save the girl before Demonicus has a chance to be revived. I'll allow you to put the rest of the pieces together.
I know Jay Woelfel can make a suspenseful and complex film, he's done it many times before. DEMONICUS is disposable pop-horror that goes nowhere new, and compared to other Woelfel films is a major let-down. I hear the DVD is a longer cut of the movie, truer to the story Woelfel wanted to tell. After viewing this VHS version, I'm not even sure I want to seek it out and catch the differences.