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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
(aka "Les démoniaques" or "Demoniacs Revenge of the Virgins" or "The Demoniacs" or "Demoniacs" or "Curse of the Living Dead")
Directed by Jean Rollin
France /
Belgium 1974
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The Demoniacs (Les Démoniaques) sees director Jean Rollin eschew
his regular subject of vampirism for a brutal nautical tale of ritual horror and
supernatural vengeance. *** Tanya (Joelle Coeur) and her team of wreckers lure ships to crash on the rocks in order to scavenge their cargo. One night, they discover two beautiful shipwrecked survivors who they proceed to rape and leave for dead. At the local tavern (festooned with macabre set decoration by Belgian designer Jio Berk of The Nude Vampire and Devil's Nightmare), the drunken Captain experiences persecuting visions of the blood-covered girls so Tina leads them back to the scene of the crime only to discover the girls are still alive. They attempt to kill the girls again but they escape to an old abbey where they encounter a clown who introduces to the to a demon who by making love to them (of course) gives them supernatural powers to take vengeance on the wreckers who are already turning on each other out of guilt and paranoia. Although lacking Rollin's trademark naked vampires, Demoniaques is great example of low budget French fantastique cinema. Drawing from serials and throwing in plenty of carnal eroticism, Rollin embodies an unusual story (for him) with elements familiar to his body of work (most notably fusing eroticism with decay which he did most successfully in the later Iron Rose) with the sometimes naive or overstated (or expressionistic) acting appropriate to the style and atmosphere. |
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Theatrical Release: December 5th, 1974
"No One Under 18 Admitted"
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Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
Review: Indicator - Region FREE - 4K UHD
Big thanks to Eric Cotenas for all the DVD Screen Caps!
| Box Cover |
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CLICK to order from:
Simultaneously released on Blu-ray by Indicator:
Bonus Captures:
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| Distribution | Indicator - Region FREE - 4K UHD | |
| Runtime |
Original theatrical version: 1:40:05.999 Longer, explicit export version: 1:48:32.631 Curse of the Living Dead (alternative English-language cut): 1:25:45.348 |
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| Video |
1.66:1 2160P 4K Ultra HD Disc Size: 98,825,107,346 bytes
Original theatrical version: 54,665,115,840 bytes Video Bitrate: 67.91 / 66.52 / 47.97 MbpsCodec: HEVC Video |
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NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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| Bitrate Original theatrical version 4K Ultra HD: |
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| Bitrate Longer, explicit export version 4K Ultra HD: |
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| Bitrate Curse of the Living Dead 4K Ultra HD: |
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| Audio |
Original theatrical version: DTS-HD Master Audio French 1119 kbps 1.0 / 48
kHz / 1119 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 1.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit) Commentary: Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps Longer, explicit export version: DTS-HD Master Audio French 1116 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1116 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 1.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit) Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -30dB Curse of the Living Dead (alternative English-language cut): LPCM Audio English 768 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 16-bit |
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| Subtitles | English, English (SDH) for Curse of the Living Dead, None | |
| Features |
Release Information: Studio: Indicator
1.66:1 2160P 4K Ultra HD Disc Size: 98,825,107,346 bytes
Original theatrical version: 54,665,115,840 bytes Video Bitrate: 67.91 / 66.52 / 47.97 MbpsCodec: HEVC Video
Edition Details: 4K Ultra HD disc
• Audio commentary film expert Tim Lucas (2024)
Chapters 12 / 13 / 10 |
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| Comments: |
NOTE:
The below
Blu-ray
and
4K UHD
captures were taken directly from the respective
discs.
As far as the director's oeuvre this might be considered
one of the least attractive films - in terms of prints and visual quality.
However the colors exported via the 2160P and HDR produce far more vibrant,
rich primaries (red costuming, make-up and green foliage) than anything we
have seen previously on digital. There is still softness buoyed a little by
the heavy textures. Hopefully the captures below will give you an idea of
the impressive upgrade.
It is likely that the monitor
you are seeing this review is not an
HDR-compatible
display (High Dynamic Range) or Dolby Vision, where each pixel can be assigned with a wider
and notably granular range of color and light. Our
capture software if simulating the HDR (in a uniform manner) for standard
monitors. This should make it easier for us to review more
4K UHD titles in the
future and give you a decent idea of its attributes on your system. So our
captures may not support the exact same colors (coolness of
skin tones, brighter or darker hues etc.) as the
4K system at your home. But the
framing, detail, grain texture support etc. are, generally, not effected by
this simulation representation.
NOTE:
52
On their
4K UHD,
Indicator offer the option of linear PCM mono tracks (24-bit) in the
original French language or an optional English DUB. NOTE: There is no
French option on the Curse of the Living Dead
version and the Linear PCM is only 16-bit.
"The Demoniacs" has modest effects although there is a
raging fire or burning wrecked hulls on the beach. There is violence and
assaults with loud screaming. The
score augmenting atmosphere is by Pierre Raph
(Rollin's Schoolgirl
Hitchhikers, The Iron Rose,
Requiem for a Vampire) with a dour main theme and the film's
music is not without its unique oddities. Indicator include
optional English subtitles - and this is, like all
4K UHD discs region FREE,
playable worldwide.
There are plentiful
extras on the
4K UHD disc starting
with the
commentary by our favorite Tim Lucas (Nozone
– Reviews of Art, Cult, and Genre Cinema, 2003-2012)
for the longer, explicit, export
cut. He describes the cameo-like spoken introductions of the 'wrecker'
characters harkening back to silent era films. Tim quotes from Rollin's
Virgins and Vampires
book, how Joëlle Coeur essentially 'steals the show', he references The Iron Rose
- the director's most personal and poetic film, Pierre Raph
score (his last), expressionism - Edvard Munch, Rollin's twin motif as a
favorite fetish detail, rape-revenge films, editor Michel Patient and so
much more. It's at his usual impressive level of interesting details.
Included, recorded in 2005, is a 50-minute select scene
commentary with Jean Rollin (originally on the Encore Entertainment PAL
DVD.) From 1998 we get Jean Rollin Introducing ‘The Demoniacs’ for
3-minutes, as well as a 16-second 'forward', by the director, option for
viewing the Export Cut. Indicator include a new, 20-minute, presentation of
an interview with regular Rollin collaborator
Jean-Pierre Bouyxou (The
Living Dead Girl) entitled "One of the
Demoniacs". There is also a newly edited 10-minute archival interview
with the French actor, director, producer and writer Willy Braque best known
for his roles in Jean Rollin's
The Demoniaques and
Lips of Blood. We also get 9-minutes of
80-year old Paul Bisciglia (who plays Paul - 'formerly a sailor.. who
will be on the side of the winner') remembering The Demoniacs and
Jean Rollin. I enjoyed 3/4 of an hour with Stephen Thrower
(Nightmare USA: The Untold
Story of the Exploitation Independents) providing
a new critical appreciation and insights into The Demonics and
director Rollin. Additionally the 2-minutes of outtake footage (on both
original DVD and Redemption
Blu-ray) and an original
theatrical trailer. Indicator have their usual image gallery of promotional
and publicity material, and behind the scenes. This complete package has a
limited edition exclusive 80-page book with a new essay by Alexandra
Heller-Nicholas
(author of
1000 Women In Horror,
1895-2018), an archival piece on the
making of the film by Jean Rollin, an archival interview with Rollin, an
archival interview with Belgian actress Monica Swinn - known for her roles
in European softcore pornographic films of the 1970s, and the booklet
includes full film credits.
Indicator have already upgraded Rollin's
The Rape of the Vampire,
The Shiver of the Vampires,
Lips of Blood,
The Night of the Hunted,
Fascination and
The Two Orphan Vampires to
4K UHD
with
The Nude Vampire
simultaneously released in this format with
"The Demoniacs". Each are premium examples of the superiority of
this 2160P home theatre format that certainly elevate the viewing experience.
Notable from
Jean Rollin's "The Demoniacs"
is former model Joëlle Coeur
(Joëlle Cœur.) She appeared in many magazines in France and the
Netherlands. She is remarkable for her beauty and daring film content - ex.
in the conclusion of "The Demoniacs" her shameless character, Tina,
has a lengthy masturbation session on the beach while watching the twin gals
being sexually assaulted - both tied to a wreck. Tina's perversity, sexual
spontaneity, teasing, viciousness and hypnotic sensuality take a dominant
place in "The Demoniacs". The actress distanced herself from her
softcore film work and beyond 1979 worked as a psychotherapist. Her
sexuality should not deflect from the unnamed titular twin characters -
virgins wandering out of the sea - played by Lieva Lone and Patricia
Hermenier. Both their only significant film work. Generally the male
performers in the film are much weaker. "The Demoniacs" has the
director's frequent sexcapade symbolism, twin-sister fetishism, less
fan-favorite gothic atmosphere, and another pivotal, supernatural, evil male
(vampiric) manipulator. Indicator's
4K UHD
release package is at their top-shelf standard - heads and tails above
any other home theatre transfer, commentary and extras offering three
distinct version of the film. This may be one for Rollin completists. To
that group - please enjoy. |
Menus / Extras
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CLICK EACH BLU-RAY and 4K UHD CAPTURE TO SEE IN FULL RESOLUTION
Subtitle Sample - Indicator - Region FREE - 4K UHD
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Subtitle translation and SDH differences
(CLICK to ENLARGE)
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1) Image Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC TOP2) Indicator - Region FREE - 4K UHD BOTTOM
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1) Redemption - Region FREE - Blu-ray TOP2) Indicator - Region FREE - 4K UHD BOTTOM
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1) Encore Entertainment - Region 0 - PAL TOP2) Indicator - Region FREE - 4K UHD BOTTOM
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1) Image Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC TOP2) Indicator - Region FREE - 4K UHD BOTTOM
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1) Redemption - Region FREE - Blu-ray TOP2) Indicator - Region FREE - 4K UHD BOTTOM
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Examples of NSFW (Not Safe For Work) 2160P - (Mouse Over - click to enlarge)
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More full resolution (3840 X 2160) 4K Ultra HD Captures for Patreon Supporters HERE
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| Box Cover |
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CLICK to order from:
Simultaneously released on Blu-ray by Indicator:
Bonus Captures:
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| Distribution | Indicator - Region FREE - 4K UHD | |
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