Movie Review: Demonia (1990) directed by Lucio Fulci
In 15th Century Sicily, five nuns are crucified in a chamber of their convent. This is somehow seen by Liza Harris (Meg Register), an archaeology student, during a seance in Seattle in 1990. Her mentor, Canadian archaeologist Professor Paul Evans (Brett Halsey) scoffs at her vision as superstitious nonsense. He instructs her to get ready for their upcoming expedition to modern-day Sicily.
Oh look, the seaside village in Sicily where the dig is to be held just happens to have an abandoned Fifteenth-Century convent exactly like the one Liza saw in her vision. But they’re not here for that, instead working on a nearby amphitheater from back when this was an Ancient Greek colony. The dig crew is warned that they’ll get no support from the locals, though British ex-pat Porter (Al Cliver) notes that none of the villagers will ever give a straight answer as to why. (We later find out that’s because anyone who actually explains the problem also dies.)
Despite the fact that the expedition is not there to investigate the convent, and it is specifically off-limits to them, Liza finds herself compelled to explore it. She discovers that this place is indeed the one from her vision, and the crucified nuns are still inside. Soon after, people begin to die one by one in horrible ways.
Inspector Carter (Lucio Fulci) of Interpol suspects human involvement, perhaps outspoken local butcher Turi DeSimone (Lino Salemme). But local medium Lilla (Carla Cassola) has another explanation, one that seems to fit the facts better, even if it’s more outlandish.
This is late-period Fulci, and really shows a lack of budget (an electric light is clearly visible in one of the 15th Century scenes.) The plot’s kind of incoherent and after the opening crucifixion scene takes a long slow approach to setting up all the violence in the back half.
But there are individual cool scenes and some pretty scenery. There’s even a mostly funny running gag about Robbie (Francesco Cusimano), a small child that the married couple who are part of the expedition brought along, and his inability to stay clean for even two minutes (seriously, you brought him to an archaeological dig, there’s dirt everywhere.)
I’m also kind of amused by how bad of an archaeology student Liza is, being freaked out by long-dead corpses (normal ones, not the crucified nuns), and breaking through a wall without getting proper documentation.
Content note: It’s a Lucio Fulci film, so heavy on the gory deaths, including eyes being gouged out and someone being torn in half. Infanticide (not gory.) On-screen extramarital sex (genitals covered). Male and female toplessness. Alcohol abuse. Child in peril. Older teenagers with morbid tastes should be fine, but maybe skip for sensitive viewers.
This is lower-tier Fulci, but still pretty enjoyable if you’re into his sort of movie. A decent choice for a slow afternoon or early evening.
