Clive Barker’s Nightbreed is something of a misunderstood masterpiece. It’s almost hard to believe that it came out nearly 24 years ago. Now that Shout Factory has released the new “director’s cut”, a whole new audience will be able to see the film in the way that Barker intended, and it is an experience that they will never forget. 



When Nightbreed was released in 1990, the film was plagued with issues. The studio wasn’t keen on a movie that portrayed monsters as sympathetic creatures, and so, in an act of butchery that only the big studios are capable of, they made cuts and changes to the film that severely altered the tone that Clive Barker was going for. This being his sophomore feature - and clearly a project that he cared deeply about - Barker was devastated that his vision had been tainted. Over the years, the film began to develop a cult following. Even fans of the film knew that pieces were missing and that this was a world that hadn’t been fully explored. As time passed, new footage was found and the “Cabal Cut” was created. However, the quality of the found footage in this version left much to be desired. 



Cut to 2014, and we now have the director’s cut - the definitive cut, thanks to producer Mark A. Miller, who would not rest until Nightbreed was finally complete. The dedication to this restoration is admirable, and all of that love ends up on the screen. This is a film that is begging to be rediscovered. 



Nightbreed is based on Clive Barker’s own novella, entitled “Cabal”, and tells the tale of Aaron Boone, a mentally fragile young man who constantly dreams of a place called Midian, a dwelling place for monsters who have set themselves apart from the rest of the world. Worried that the dreams are becoming more frequent, Aaron’s girlfriend asks him to visit his psychotherapist, the sinister Dr. Philip K. Decker (played by a super creepy David Cronenberg), and is manipulated into believing that he is responsible for a series of horrific murders. A series of strange events at a local hospital lead Aaron to Midian, where he meets several fascinating and strange creatures - the “nightbreeds” - the very beings who will help him to discover his true destiny. Aaron will face many obstacles, including the prejudiced town lawmen who loathe the monsters - and a terrifying serial killer. 



I’m trying my best to be as vague as I possibly can in order to avoid serious spoilers. When it comes to Nightbreed, the less that you know going in, the better. Clive Barker has given us a rich new world to roam around in, with characters that we will never forget. It’s hard to believe that this film has been around for so long and has been so misunderstood and under appreciated. Granted, the theatrical cut lacked all of the substance that we find in this new cut, but it was always an endlessly imaginative picture, ripe with possibilities. It helps that Nightbreed is a film for adults, hence the R rating. It pulls no punches, and can be quite shocking at times. Anything can happen in a film like this.

And then there is the music. There is a strong emotional core to Nightbreed, which is highlighted by a beautiful score from Danny Elfman - a soundtrack that should be re-released as soon as possible. This is by far one of the composers best pieces. 



Nightbreed is a classic, plain and simple. For those of you who have never seen it, who will be lucky enough to stumble upon this new release at some point in the future, just know that you are in for a real treat. You really don’t want to miss this one! 

Shout Factory has really outdone themselves as far as this release is concerned, and the fans are going to love it. There are two releases: a standalone Blu-ray that only features the director’s cut, and a limited three-disc edition that features additional special features, as well as the digitally remastered theatrical cut of the film. I was only able to review the standalone release, but I was more than happy with it.

Special features include an introduction with Clive Barker and Mark A. Miller, a highly informative audio commentary, interviews with various actors and crew members, a theatrical trailer, and more! 



Do yourself a favor: stop what you are doing and purchase a copy as soon as possible! I promise you that you will not be disappointed! And Clive Barker, please make another movie soon! It’s been way too long.

What is there to say about Lamberto Bava's 1985 cult classic, Demons, other than the fact that it is bat-shit crazy and an incredibly gory and fun bit of badly dubbed Italian horror? 

Demons opens as a creeper in a silver mask approaches a young woman at a subway station and hands her a free ticket to a special screening in a renovated movie theatre. She manages to get an extra ticket for her girlfriend, and so they skip class to see what the fuss is all about. Once they arrive at the theatre, they find that the place is full of horror movie memorabilia, including a few silver masks - much like the one worn by the creeper at the start of the film. Before long, the theatre is packed, and the two young ladies have been hit on by two horny frat boys - both of whom proceed to follow the two girls into the screening room to sit beside them. 

Meanwhile, two hookers and a "Shaft"-wannabe pimp arrive. One of the hookers attempts to be cute by putting on one of the silver masks, and ends up nicking her face in the process. They think nothing of it, and find their seats. 

The movie within a movie begins, which happens to be about a bunch of curious teens who stumble upon the tomb of Nostradamus and find a sacred mask. We find out that whoever places the mask on their face becomes vulnerable to demonic possession. As chaos ensues on the big screen, so it does in the theatre as well, with art imitating life. The movie itself seems to be cursed. The aforementioned hooker runs to the bathroom, only to find that the tiny cut on her face is pulsating. Soon, blood and pus begins to run out, and she undergoes a horrific transformation. She infects a few people, and they too become blood spewing, bile vomiting creatures from hell. 

Soon, the audience erupts into a frenzy, and as they attempt to escape, they find that the exits have been bricked up. As several other patrons turn into Satan's spawn, it is up to Mr. Pimp and one particular college frat boy to save the day. All the while, Billy Idol, Saxon, and Go West blares away on the soundtrack. Added to all of the other mayhem, we are treated to a subplot involving a group of delinquents who rock out to "White Wedding" while snorting cocaine through a straw from a Coca-Cola can. They, too, will encounter the demons - but everything leading up to that is pretty fantastic. Especially the dialogue. 

Demons is a hoot. I absolutely enjoyed every single moment of it. It makes no sense whatsoever, but who cares? They don't make them like this anymore. That sounds like a cliche, but they really don't. There isn't one dull moment to be had. The film was produced and co-written by horror master, Dario Argento, and you can see how his influence made its way into the film. The lighting is very colorful and inventive at times, and the gore factor is extremely over-the-top. However, it isn't all high camp. There are some genuinely creepy scenes here. 

Synapse has released Demons on Blu-ray. The transfer is gorgeous and the sound mix does not disappoint. This is a bare-bones affair, in that there are no special features other than the theatrical trailer. In any case, this is a Blu-ray that every horror fan should own! Do not miss out on this.