Son of the great Mario Bava, Lamberto Bava made the instant cult classic Demons in 1985 and the film has been largely unavailable for the two decades since. Produced by Dario Argento and featuring music by Motley Crue, The Scorpions, and Billy Idol, Demons is a twisted slice of Italian horror, a legendary splatter classic that had never before been available in its uncut, uncensored, and remastered form. The film tells the "story" of a group of strangers who are invited to a sneak preview at a movie theater and turned into crazy creatures who violently kill each other. Like Argento and Bava's best work, it's trippy and totally insane and a must-see for hardcore horror fans. Casual ones need not apply.

Lamberto Bava, make-up creations artist Sergio Stivaletti, and journalist Loris Curci show up for a great audio commentary track. A classic of the splatter genre, Demons has some serious fans who will love to hear from not just the people who made the film but someone who has insight into its impact. The new transfer, in anamorphic widescreen for the first time, is remarkable, as well.

The year after Demons was released, we got the quickie sequel Demons 2 (also known as Demoner). The film has been released on DVD with Demons and you know Starz wants you to buy both or at least give it a rental. Ignore it. It's a bloodier film than the original, but it's also not nearly as entertaining, mostly just rehashing the first film for a buck.

It's been available before but never looked quite like this. If you already own Demons and don't care about the new transfer, than you don't need to upgrade. If you never liked the picture on your current copy, pick up the new release of Demons, and if you've never seen it at all, prepare yourself for something crazy. Demons isn't the place to start in the legacy of Argento or Bava, but it should make hardcore fans of both very happy.