S-tier 80s horror, truly incredible. i have to admit that i was blown away by this film. first blood comes about 40 minutes in; the bauhaus dance sequence was incredible, some of the best goth representation i have seen on screen. very cool, very technical and ambitious cinematography; similarly, the music was reaching for the carpenter-stars, and did a great job. makeup effects were similarly great! most of all, the characters were just incredible. everyone is a hilarious archetype whose specificity is what makes the movie work. obviously the plot is very uncomplicated, but it’s made fresh by seeing a greaser guido type react to the possession, etc. a few moments were genuinely creepy (the first mirror sequence).
i would say this movie is on a very similar wavelength to, and at least as enjoyable as The Return of the Living Dead.