The Nine Demons — The Nine Demons( Blu Ray)
The Nine Demons (aka The Nine Venoms) is a 1984 fantasy, martial arts, horror movie from director Cheh Chang (Five Deadly Venoms, One-Armed Swordsman and Crippled Avengers). The film stars Tien-Chi Cheng (Five Elements Ninjas, Fighting Ace and The Mystery of Chess Boxing), Li Wang (Masked Avengers, Tian Can Bian and A Chinese Ghost Story II), Fu-Chien Chang (Gold Leaf, The Masked Lover and The Solitary Sword), and Sheng Chiang (The Five Venoms, Masked Avengers and Crippled Avengers).
The Nine Demons is a slice of unhinged martial arts madness from Shaw Brothers legend Cheh Chang. Two young martial artists, Gary and Joey, are members of the Gan Yun clan, who are led by their fathers, however, evil forces are plotting against them and want to take their place as the dominant clan. After a battle that sees both fathers murdered and Gary captured, Joey must enter hell and strike a deal with the devil himself. In exchange for his soul, the devil bestows upon Joey a set of superpowers and a necklace made up of nine demon skulls, which frequently turn into full-fledged demons and lay waste to Joey’s enemies. After freeing Gary, the pair go on a rampage, taking revenge on those who were responsible for the deaths of their fathers, however Joey has another problem to deal with, he is fighting to retain control of his own soul.
Ok, let’s get to the point here, this is one of the most wonderfully barmy martial arts movies I have ever seen. Directed by Shaw Brothers legend Cheh Chang, The Nine Demons features some fabulously colourful sets, some gloriously over-the-top fight sequences and some of the worst dubbing ever heard, all cobbled together with a bonkers plot that stands out amongst even the pottiest martial arts movies. Unbelievably, it all works perfectly, creating one of the wildest, most bizarre and most enjoyable movies of its kind. There isn’t another movie quite like The Nine Demons, which is a good thing as I suspect there can be only one film like this. The film features some freaky psychedelic visuals and some absolutely unbelievable demon action that truly leaves the viewer feeling floored. This blend of old-school martial arts and occult horror is like nothing I’ve ever seen before, and I doubt I ever will again.
The new Blu-ray release from Visual Vengeance features a gorgeous new 2k transfer of the movie in all its vivid, psychedelic glory. There is also an audio commentary from martial arts film historians Justin Decloux and Dylan Cheung, video essays, interviews and an episode of the horror podcast Unsung Horrors all about The Nine Demons. On top of that, you also get the complete old-school Dirty VHS version of the movie and some lovely packaging featuring a visually striking reversible cover, a fantastic slipcover, a booklet, a poster and a sheet of stickers.
Overall, this is a wonderful package for an absolutely bonkers, one-of-a-kind movie that remains one of the martial arts genre’s most underrated gems. This is an absolute must for fans of the Five Deadly Venoms and anyone who loves Hong Kong martial arts/ horror movies.