THE DEMONS OF LUDLOW (1983) Directed by Bill Rebane
Trans World Entertainment VHS
THE FILM
A haunted piano is delivered to the town of Ludlow just in time for their bicentennial. Of course, when the men deliver it, they don't say "Here's your haunted piano. Where do you want it?" The haunted part is a surprise. It's a gift from the man who founded the town. And that man was a jerk. And, the people of the town spend the next few days, in their snowy town, being haunted and attacked and killed by demons from the past. And, it's all Pure Rebane. Bill Rebane, that is. Welcome to another entry in The Rebanery.
This is an 80s Rebane. This phase of Rebane brings in the gore and the nudity. He moves with the times. There's a decent overall pace and the wonderful locations that all of his films have. There is also that one guy. You know him. He was in Invasion From Inner Earth and The Giant Spider Invasion. He's got a beard and a mustache. White guy. He's pretty good.
The Man With The Beard plays the local priest who is trying to get the piano out of there. The local reporter slowly joins him in his crusade. The guy in charge of the town tries to get the priest to keep everything hush-hush so the bicentennial isn't soiled. And, the whole town begins dying in bursts of synthesizers and smoke machines and strange lighting...
What is Buford Ludlow up to? With his haunted piano (that doesn't sound like a piano) and all the old ghosts...I'm not going to tell you. My warning is this: as with most Rebane films, the "how much you enjoy this" is all down to how much you can handle the steady pace. There is evil in this town but no one moves too fast to resolve anything. I think this film would be a solid double feature with The Game. They were made around the same time. They look the same. Demons is a more standard-possessed thing film. The Game is odder. Maybe watch Demons first. Then, the very next night, re-watch Invasion From Inner Earth. For me, The Apex Of Rebane.
There's a lot of backstory in Demons. Unlike The Game, where the more we learn the less sense it makes, here the more we learn, the more it makes sense. But, Demons could have used a little less sense. A touch of insanity would have made me (and my review) more exciting. And, no matter how hard Bill tries, there are always moments (the swordfight, in particular) that don't quite shake the amateur feel of his earliest films. You know what I mean...Those moments when you think "Hmm, now why did he do or try that?" It also happens during some of the haunting/ smoky/ strange lighting scenes. I think a bit more oddness in the mise-en-scene...(if you'll pardon the hi-falutin')...would have taken away from the "let's make a movie!" feel. (Crazier angles during the haunting scenes. More elaborate camera movement. That sort of thing.) And, the moment the piano begins to bounce around...
I can't find a way to finish that sentence.
AUDIO AND VIDEO
I watched the Chilling Classics DVD set. I imagine this is directly from the VHS. It looks fine.
EXTRAS
Watch the bouncing piano with the demon inside.
FINAL THOUGHTS
In the land of Rebane, this one is a good addition. Not his best but fun for a viewing. In the world of "watching random movies", if you like horror from the first half of the 80s, this one is cheap and charming with just enough variety to make it worth a night. But, you may not get terribly excited about it, no matter how hard you try.
— Dan Budnik, 06.09.10 | 
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