Elvis-Del-Valle

After Demons was a success in Italy, Argento and Bava joined forces again to produce a second part. The previous movie did not leave open the need for a direct continuation due to the apocalypse that had been unleashed. For this sequel, they decided to resort to metaphysics. The previous movie seemed to resort to metaphysics, but this sequel decided to use it definitively. Although Démoni 2 feels more like a reboot, the connection to the previous film lies in the movie being broadcast on television. The story is set in a building where some of the residents are watching on television a movie that would be the direct continuation of Démoni. In this broadcast movie, a group of young people goes to explore a ruined city that is the same as in the previous film. So this movie is set some time after the events of Démoni. What this sequel proposes is that all the events of the previous movie never happened and that Démoni was just a work of fiction, while Démoni 2 is set in the real world. What Argento and Bava decided to do was use a formula that would later be used in the trilogy of The Human Centipede. That makes this sequel choose to do something more original for the saga and has a pretty good idea. The existence of demons in the fictional movie is not something that couldn't exist in the world of the real movie. It is evident that in this world these beings also exist, and that is why we see a demon magically emerge from the television in a sequence reminiscent of Videodrome. That demon possesses Sally and unleashes the same chaos as in the previous movie. Although on a cinematic level it is just as entertaining as the previous movie, it has some elements that place it below its predecessors. The movie introduces Hanna and George along with several other characters so that no one realizes they will be the main protagonists. Interestingly, both characters are recycled from the previous movie, as it's worth noting that in Demoni there were two characters with those names. Bobby Rhodes was the only actor brought back for the sequel due to his charisma. The pimp Tony was the best supporting character that Demons had, and it was a good decision for Bobby to return now as the coach Hank, a character with the same level of charisma. Another notable detail is that this was the first movie in which Asia Argento made her debut as an actress at the age of 10. Although she doesn't have many scenes, it's clear that she put in a lot of effort. Although this movie has more characters who have a lot to contribute, it seems that the film didn't quite know what to do with them except gather them in the garage. It is through them that it starts to become evident that this movie has plot holes, something the previous film didn't have because it knew well what to do with its characters. In this sequel, characters like Jacob and company, the boy who was waiting for him, and Tommy's parents are removed without having contributed anything. The movie does not reveal how the remaining residents found out about the demons and what was happening with Ingrid and her parents in the meantime. It is not explained how Ingrid's mother was infected, and it is also not known what happened to Ingrid in the end. The movie doesn't explain whether the young woman survived or not. Danny's transformation into a demon was very sudden and felt forced. It feels like more scenes were missing, and it might be because Argento and Bava had to reduce the number of violent scenes so that the movie wouldn't exceed a +14 rating in Italy. Unfortunately, this movie did not have a more stable script due to how the situation changes from character to character to the point that they couldn't fill the plot holes. It may be partly because Sergio Stivaletti also intervened in the script to prioritize the scenes with special effects. Stivaletti's work in makeup and special effects remains admirable. Here, the props in the effects are a bit more noticeable, but they still look good. One of Stivaletti's most memorable works in this film is the little demon that attacks Hanna. The puppet of this creature is superb, although its sequences seem to lean more towards comedy. Still, it becomes one of the best moments of the movie. The least memorable part of this movie is the soundtrack by Simon Boswell. The music of this composer is not bad and has good moments, but it is not as vibrant as Simonetti's music in the previous film. The Italian dubbing is the least accessible, but it works the best. The English dubbing has some new dialogues that contribute to the plot, but there are quite a few dialogues that are different from the Italian dubbing and they are not very good dialogues. The English dubbing of the previous movie had a few dialogues that weren't good, but in the dubbing of this sequel, there are more dialogues that are quite flat. In the end, Démoni 2 feels somewhat incoherent, but it remains a quite entertaining movie. In that aspect, it becomes an acceptable sequel, but it can't surpass its predecessor. The first movie is more stable and straightforward, but the sequel is quite random. Critically, it fell short compared to the first movie, and that was enough to halt the saga. Démoni 2 didn't surpass the original movie, but at least it manages to be just as entertaining as its predecessor. Putting aside its flaws, it's a good movie to have fun with, and it's worth watching for its special effects that remind us of the fun of 80s cinema. My final rating for this movie is an 8/10.

After having worked with Dario Argento as an assistant on Inferno and Tenebrae, both had the opportunity to work side by side on what is undoubtedly the most well-known collaboration of both filmmakers. The story of Demoni isn't anything special; it's quite simple and follows through from beginning to end. The interesting thing about this movie is its lore, which almost reaches the metaphysical. The movie plays a very interesting game with the mask that can turn whoever uses it into a demon. The movie that is screened in the cinema warns about what is going to happen, and it doesn't feel like a coincidence that the mask appearing in the movie is the same one that Rosemary puts on for a brief second. The movie that the characters watch might be based on an ancient legend about the mask and is quite linked to Nostradamus's prophecies. That movie provides brief but essential information that helps understand the lore of Demoni. When chaos breaks out, it feels as if everything happening in the projected movie is happening in real life. That's the first thing the characters suspect and believe that stopping the projection will stop all the chaos. That is debunked by the blind man who, from the beginning, gives hints that he might be a seer. This character had very little participation, but at least he contributed something essential to understanding what is happening. The most obvious thing is that the cinema is a cursed place, and it was no coincidence that the characters were gathered there. The mysterious masked man who was handing out tickets was already raising suspicions and was someone who had planned everything to gather victims in the cinema and unleash demons on Earth. The signs that something was wrong in the cinema were already evident when, trying to escape, the characters were surprised to find that the doors had been replaced by walls. Something that doesn't seem to make sense, but it's easy to deduce that there is a supernatural presence in the cinema. Demoni narrates its plot quite well and uses the characters at the right moments to keep the experience interesting. The movie has no plot holes, and much of what happens is easily understood. It's a film that stands up to many horror works from the eighties. Its level of horror is very promising thanks to the setting, the cinematography that has a lot of Argento's style, and the special effects by Sergio Stivaletti. The makeup and the gore are very well done and still maintain their grotesque feel. The makeup is a strong point in favor of the movie and meets the expectations of any horror movie lover. The movie comes with some Easter eggs in the cinema where the events take place. Clearly, you can see posters of other movies like Metropolis, Quattro Moschie Di Velluto Grigio, and Nosferatu. That's because the building used to make the movie is the famous Goya building, which is known in Berlin for its exhibitions related to horror cinema. The movie features an excellent soundtrack, and the best part of it is Claudio Simonetti's score. A score that holds a place among the best soundtracks of Argento's films. Demoni is a quite enjoyable movie and becomes one of the most notable horror films of the '80s. One could say that everything is fine and there are no flaws until we get close to the end. The way the masked man dies is unbelievable because it is not possible for a metal mask to be pierced. Although the movie ends in a very promising way, it would have made more sense for George to be the one who ended up becoming a demon in the end. In the confrontation with the monsters, it is clearly seen how his arm was injured by a demon. The movie had explained that anyone scratched by a demon could become one, and it didn't make much sense that this hadn't happened to George. Because the movie was made with two voiceovers, there are differences in the dialogues. The Italian dubbing sounds much more appropriate, while the English dubbing suffers from some unsubtle dialogues that are adapted for the North American audience. Despite those details, Demoni fulfills its role as a quite enjoyable horror movie and does not disappoint. It's a pretty good movie and a work of Italian horror cinema that is worth watching. My final rating for this movie is an 8/10.

One of the best movies of the 90s and at the same time one of the most controversial in Oscar history, Shakespeare In Love is a cinematic work that meets the standards to be a great film. The film offers well-crafted technical details that replicate the Victorian era. It's a film with a very well-crafted production, admirable costumes, a cast that delivers good performances, and a very well-written script. The movie has a promising plot full of drama, romance, and moments of comedy. Its plot revolves around a supposed romance between William Shakespeare and his muse who inspired him to write Romeo & Juliet. It's a story of forbidden love that could have served as a model for creating Shakespeare's famous play. What the movie narrates is a fictional version of how William wrote his famous play and not a portrayal of an event that actually happened. The tale of Romeo & Juliet already existed before William wrote the play, and upon learning of its existence through various narrations, William wanted to tell his version of the story through the art of theater. Although Romeo & Juliet is considered a work of Shakespeare, it already had its antecedents and its exact origin is varied. What happens is that the play has generated such a significant impact that it has endured through history and solidified as the definitive version of the tragic story of Romeo & Juliet. The truth is that the main theme of this story has always been love. Something that has been the source of inspiration for many poets for centuries. What the movie does is use that inspiration in a quite literal way, and the result is a kind of parallelism that puts William in a situation that gives the impression that he is living the play he is writing. The romance between William and Lady Viola bears a lot of resemblance to the romance of Romeo & Juliet. The movie alludes to moments from the play through these characters. It does not use the characters to replicate Shakespeare's work entirely, but rather to pay homage to the work and its author. The story uses historical moments and characters to construct this plot without having to adhere to real events. The dialogues are quite theatrical and written in prose to give the impression that the movie is a play. If Shakespeare In Love had started as a play, it would have been as influential as the movie. The movie handled the idea of forbidden love quite well, which is present in the play and has always been a controversial topic linked to infidelity or adultery. More because it challenges the ideas about marriage and whom one should marry according to social status. We see William starting a relationship with a committed woman, but what makes them compatible is their love for theater and poetry. Lady Viola is a woman passionate about poetry, and that motivates her to sneak away to join the theater where she meets William. She does this by pretending to be a young man, which makes sense because, at that time, female characters were also played by male actors, and women were still very much tied to traditional gender roles. Lady Viola's actions are a challenge to the laws of the time, and William follows the same path when he becomes captivated by Lady Viola's beauty and even more so when he discovers her passion for poetry. That awakens love between them, and Lady Viola becomes the perfect muse for William. The love between an artist and their muse is well conceived in the film because throughout history, many have used love for a woman as inspiration or motivation. The idea of writing a letter or a song to a woman is a basic example of how any woman we have loved in any way could have been a muse that inspired us to create or pursue a goal. That's where the power of love lies, which can give us strength or lead us to our end when it challenges certain limits. That's in Shakespeare's play by challenging the enmity between the two families, and it's in the movie by challenging the marriage agreement between Lady Viola and Lord Wessex. That's what has made Romeo & Juliet a very moving love story, and the same goes for this movie. It is a fact that Shakespeare In Love is a great romantic movie, and it has been questioned whether it really deserved the Oscar when it competed against Saving Private Ryan. Both are great movies and of course both deserved the Oscar. Shakespeare In Love is a masterpiece like its competitor back then and certainly deserved the Oscar. It could have won it fairly and squarely if Harvey Weinstein hadn't intervened. Shakespeare In Love may be remembered as the most suspicious case of fraud at the Oscars, but that won't change the fact that this is a great romantic movie and one of the masterpieces with which cinema ended its nineties era. My final rating for this movie is a 10/10.