**This post contains spoilers**
The Story- On Halloween night, Holly (Stephanie Bauder) and her friend, Abbie (Patricia Rodriguez) hitch a ride with Orson (Christian Tessier), Reggie (Joel Gordon), Nick (Gregory Calpakis), Vince (Kris Holden-Reid), and his girlfriend, Lois (Tara Slone) after Holly’s car breaks down. After a standoff and a shootout with two cops at a convenience store, Lois suggests using Hull House as a hideout.
At Hull House, Angela (Amelia Kinkade) appears with plans to possess the group one by one. Hours away from retirement, Lieutenant Dewhurst (Vlasta Vrana) heads to Hull House after a suggestion from a dispatcher. Sunrise remains the biggest ally for the group, but the survivors are outnumbered, and Angela complicates the deadly struggle after she offers Holly a tempting deal.
My Thoughts- Three films into the series, and Amelia Kinkade still brings a lot of energy to her performance as Angela. Usually, by the time you hit the third film, the main antagonist might feel a little bit stale, but that’s not the case here. You can always tell Kinkade is genuinely having a lot of fun playing Angela, the crafty and deceptive demoness, who gets a kick out of being a disruptor and causing mayhem.
Something to pay attention to here is, Angela’s tactics as a master manipulator. There’s a good amount of tension and in-fighting within the group. Angela takes advantage of the constant drama and certain characters doubting themselves, whether it’s playing on Orson and Abbie’s insecurities, or pandering to Vince’s ego.
Holly might be the popular cheerleader, but Stephanie Bauder portrays a humble and caring young woman, who’s willing to risk her life to save the others. Patricia Rodriguez plays her role well, as the nerdy sidekick, who’s struggling with self-confidence.
Looking at Christian Tessier’s Orson, you can see he’s a wimpy geek. He wants to fit in, and prove to Vince that he’s capable of doing the dirty work, so he can get Vince’s seal of approval. Tara Slone’s Lois? She’s an unhinged jerk, which makes her a perfect match for Vince.
Vince is a bad boy rebel and a hotheaded asshole, with a mean streak. Kris Holden-Reid does more than enough to convince you that Vince is someone, who’s easy to dislike or even hate, the tough guy, who tries way too hard to be a bad ass. Gregory Calpakis’ Nick is the only one the group, who’s brave enough to stand up to Vince. Nick is a good guy. Tough, he can think for himself, and I did get a few good laughs out of the little rivalry between Vince and Nick.
Vlasta Vrana’s Lieutenant Dewhurst is just so fun to watch. The old witty veteran, with a quick and snappy sense of humor, who’s racing against the clock to solve the case and save any survivors at Hull House before he retires. It’s a simple storyline, but it doesn’t work without Vrana’s performance. Vrana is so good here, and it’s almost to a point, where the story should’ve revolved around him as the main character. And Lieutenant Dewhurst does magic tricks!
Ian McDonald playing the convenience store clerk? His screen time is short, but you can take one look at this guy, and instantly see there’s just something sleazy about him. The guy just looks like a crook. Dewhurst toying with and grilling Mr. Morris (McDonald) was hilarious, because Morris’ story about the stolen money was obviously too phony.
Don’t cross the underground stream (if you’re a demon)! Ending the movie with the tug-of-war between Angela, Holly, and Nick at the gate works for a satisfying finale. Of course, there’s a tease and a cliffhanger before the credits start rolling. Hull House lights up, and you can hear Angela’s voice wishing everyone a Happy Halloween, so she wasn’t truly defeated. Also, you have to believe that as long as Hull House is still standing, Angela will survive, because she shares a connection with the house. Remember, Hull House is not haunted, it’s possessed.
You could say it’s kind of strange teasing a sequel that never happened, but I don’t have a big problem with how they ended Night Of The Demons 3. Yes, it’s obvious Holly and Nick were going to make it to the end as the two survivors. Still, it’s an enjoyable and satisfying finale. Holly promises to return to Hull House every year on Halloween to warn and protect people from Angela, and Holly using two tree branches to create a makeshift cross to lock the gates was a nice touch.
WHAT happened to Hull House? Excluding a handful of rooms and areas, Hull House looks too clean and neat. Maybe I could do a photo shoot here? Or throw a dinner party? Overall, this version of Hull House really isn’t scary, and it’s missing the creepiness of the spooky and possessed old house in the first two films. And Hull House is clearly in a different location. All the trees, a lot of space in the woods, and for some reason there’s a barn here? I can understand switching things up, but as far as Hull House goes, I wasn’t a fan of the changes.
Speaking of changes, I’m glad they decided to change the setup for the story. Using Hull House, an abandoned funeral home with a horrifying past, as a hideout for the last place that anyone would think to look for a group of kids on the run from the cops, is a refreshing approach.
We’re on the third film in the series, so reusing or retooling the storyline for a bunch of teenagers going to Hull House for a Halloween party is kind of ridiculous. We already know Angela is dangerous, so why would you throw a party at Hull House? Because you’re hoping for a terrifying realistic experience on Halloween night? Sure, bad things still happen, when the group runs into Angela. BUT it’s a lot easier to buy into the idea for Vince and everyone else using Hull House as a last resort, so they can have more time to figure things out.
Night Of The Demons 3 delivers more bloody violence and gore. Night Of The Demons 2 was more extreme, but there’s still more than enough to get a reaction out of you here. Angela’s tongue bursting through the back Orson’s head, Angela ripping Dewhurst’s heart out of his chest, and Angela’s melting corpse during the ending? Yep. This is truly a Night Of The Demons film.
There’s also some bizarre and freaky signature NOTD scenes here. Angela performs fellatio on Orson’s gun, and she finishes it off by sucking out the bullets. Angela transforming Lois’ snake sock puppet into a real snake is another good one, and Orson’s mask! Orson’s mask merging with his face to complete his transformation really works for a monstrous demonic look, a good and unique visual that separates him from the rest of the pack.
Also, is Orson’s character (the demonic version) a slight nod to Freddy Krueger? Maybe I’m just reaching with this one, but Orson’s shirt has the same colors as Krueger’s sweater. After Orson is consumed by the demonic possession, he really starts hamming it up more with corny jokes, taking on the role of a comedian. Just something to think about, but maybe there’s a connection in there somewhere.
I hated Night Of The Demons 3 years ago. I really, really hated it. But the third entry gives you everything you’d expect from a Night Of The Demons film. Nudity, one brief sex scene, violence, and wacky, cheesy humor. I always roll my eyes at the “yo momma” jokes, but Night Of The Demons 3 still delivers a decent amount of laughs throughout the movie.
And I can’t say enough about Amelia Kinkade and Vlasta Vrana’s performances. Kinkade and Vrana are the anchors for this cast. Similar to what happened in Night Of The Demons 2, Kinkade opens the movie, and she sets the tone for the carnage you’re about to witness, when poor Officer Larry (Larry Day) wanders into Hull House: “Here I’m the law….and it’s time to pronounce sentence.” Perfect delivery for that line, so smooth and so much confidence.
This was a big one for me, but I’m also happy they FINALLY showed what happens, when a demon crosses over the underground stream. Sure, we know the underground stream is the barrier that prevents Angela and the other demons from escaping Hull House. But you actually get to see what happens, when a demon tries to cross the stream here. The consequences are devastating, and the underground stream is a major plot point that plays a big role during the final struggle.
Yes, Night Of The Demons 3 comes along at a point, where it’s clear the series is running out of steam. It’s more of a stand-alone sequel, because there’s no real connections to the 1988 original or Night Of The Demons 2. Officer Larry briefly mentions St. Rita’s Academy and the murders, but that’s it. Still, Night Of The Demons 3 is a worthy and decent enough sequel, featuring Amelia Kinkade’s entertaining final outing as Angela.
There’s a cliffhanger at the end that confirms it’s not over yet, but if we’re going purely on hypotheticals (NOTD 3 was released in 1997) what else could they possibly do with the story? At some point, they’d have to find a way for Angela to leave Hull House for an extended period of time. Give Angela a chance to really cut loose, while she spreads all kinds of mayhem in the outside world. Or, they could’ve demolished Hull House. Let us see what happens, when Angela’s home is gone.
Night Of The Demons 3 wraps up the story with a solid happy ending, and I guess that’s enough. A lot of horror franchises hit a twisting downward spiral after three films. It’s almost inevitable that it’ll happen, because after a while, it’s clear the powers that be are running out of new ideas and places to take the story.
Rating- 5/10
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