Which one is actually Demons 3?
I have know about the Demons films for a long time and as far as I can tell, Demons and Demons 2 are the only movies that actually connect. But, there are many unofficial sequels. Here is a list, via Wikipedia.
Yeah, really none are connected to the original movie at all, well as far as I know.
Here is the story and why there are 3 versions of Demons 3, when none of them were really meant to be called, “Demons 3”. Lenzi intended Demoni 3 to be called Black Demons, and he did not like it when the film was later retitled Demoni 3 on video, because some people thought it was part of Lamberto Bava’s Demons series, which it had absolutely nothing to do with.
Lamberto Bava also directed a film in 1988 for Italian TV entitled The Ogre (aka House of the Ogre), which was released on video in the USA as Demons III: The Ogre. Despite the American title, it is also not related in any way to Bava’s Demons series. The film that was actually intended to be Demoni 3 was instead released as The Church (La Chiesa), produced by Dario Argento, directed by Michele Soavi and written by Argento, Soavi and Franco Ferrini (see more detailed explanation under entry for Lamberto Bava).
So, really it comes down to USA distribution. The title of The Ogre gets changed to Demons III: The Ogre, even if the film itself calls it, “The Ogre”. And if you watch the film, it make sense.
Now, I took the time to watch all three movies and I have determined which movie is a better follow-up to Demons 2. Really none of them are a good follow-up. Demons and Demons 2 are the only thing of its kind.
Black Demons (1991)
This one is probably the furthest away from the anything resembling the first two Demons movies. The movie deals with voodoo more than anything else. When there is gore, it is pretty much, eye ball gore. But, the “demons” in this movie are pretty much zombies, it is more of a voodoo zombie movie. So, maybe this one should be “Zombie 3”. We do need more of those.
Synopsis:
Three college students, another couple, and their housekeeper are besieged at a remote Brazilian plantation by a group of zombies raised from the grave by a voodoo curse.
Demons III: The Ogre (1988)
I liked The Ogre, I should have known I would like this one, it was penned by Dardano Sacchetti. You know him, he wrote a good amount of Fulci films in the early 1980s, were talking City of the Living Dead, The Beyond and Zombie. The Ogre is not really about Demons as it is about a demon, known as…yep, the Ogre. The “call girl” from Demons 2 is writing a book while on holiday in Italy. But, what she doesn’t expect…eh. This one is not a good follow-up to Demons 2.
Synopsis:
A sexually confused young woman is haunted by childhood memories when she moves into an old mansion in Italy with her husband and young son.
The Church (1988)
This was the first one I watched. First, this is the best overall movie of the movies considered, Demons 3. This movie actually features a demon in a church. Of all three this seems to be the closest, even though it really has nothing to do with Demons and Demons 2. All I know, it is good! I really loved it.
Synopsis:
An old Gothic cathedral, built over a mass grave, develops strange powers which trap a number of people inside with ghosts from a 12th Century massacre seeking to resurrect an ancient demon from the bowels of the Earth.
So, if you’re going to do a Demons marathon, the Church may be the best follow-up to the first two movies. But, who cares, it is Italian horror, not much makes sense. There are eight movies know as Demons in some place. This, is not as confusing as Zombie….Believe me.
