Overview: After striking a Faustian deal with the devil, fighter Zou Qi gains the power to summon nine demon spirits to do his bidding. Armed with new supernatural abilities and bound to a chain of skulls that unleashes the flesh-hungry minions, he sets out to settle a bloody score between rival families and save his childhood friend.

But he quickly finds himself losing control as the demons consume everything, and everyone, around him. He must confront the true cost of the wicked power he’s unleashed before it devours him completely in this hybrid horror/ martial arts wuxia classic.

Directed by Shaw Brothers visionary and Godfather of Hong Kong Cinema, Chang Cheh (Five Deadly Venoms, One-armed Swordsman, Invincible Shaolin), The Nine Demons sees him reunited with members of the legendary Venom Mob in one of the weirdest and wildest late-era offshoots of that iconic collaboration.

Though not a Shaw Brothers production, it carries over the Venoms’ signature fight choreography into a surreal fantasy world packed with flying skull demons, vampiric children, and chaotic low-budget and bloody effects. The result is a feverish, anything-goes blend of old school martial arts heroics and occult horror that stands as a truly unhinged and unforgettable cult artifact of the classic martial arts era.

Blu-ray Verdict: Look, when a movie has two martial artists named Joey (Tien-Chi Cheng) and Gary (Lu Feng), well, that’s all I need. Except that this movie is really as wild as it can get, a low budget film from Chang Cheh who decides that if he can’t get enough money to make a movie, he’s going to make the film version of some drug that hasn’t been invented yet!

Joey and Gary’s parents - Master Gan (Chang Peng) and Supervisor Zuo (Wong Tak-Sang) - are killed by some poison and palace intrigue. When Joey runs, he somehow ends up in Hell, where Satan Chris (Lee Kin-Sang) offers him the ability to come back upstairs and have the powers of nine demons, as long as the demons are given blood to drink and Joey knows that someday soon, he will also become a demon.

These demons are eight children who dance around and their mother (Wong Gwan), who starts so much of the blood raving. They live as skulls that Joey carries, but he can call on their power whenever he needs it. You know how the martial world works, however, as even when Joey gets revenge, the battles don’t stop and he starts to become the monsters he has been always destined to become.

Three of the Venoms - Chiang Sheng, Lu Feng and Ricky Cheng - are in this, but the reason to watch this is that it’s non-stop fog, neon lights, in-camera magic tricks and the kind of outfits that Chang Cheh likes to see men in: glam rock, but somehow more feminine, with heavy makeup. Also: there’s an ice skating fight and a Buddhist master saves the day with some spells! I know of no other movie where the fights are called Joey and Gary. It really is something!

Bonus Features:
New 2K transfer from original film elements supervised by film archivist Toby Russell
Commentary with martial arts film historians Justin Decloux and Dylan Cheung
The Discovery of James Wu Kuo-Ren: Video Essay
The Late Period Chang Che: Video Essay
Actor Yu Tai-Ping Interview
Unsung Horrors Podcast: The Nine Demons episode Nine Demons: complete old school ‘Dirty VHS’ version
Image Gallery
Trailer
Includes both English dubbed and original Chinese language Options
Folded mini-poster featuring original theatrical art
Reversible sleeve featuring original alternate art
‘Stick Your Own’ VHS sticker set - FIRST PRESSING ONLY
Enter: The Venom Mob - liner notes booklet by C.J. Lines - FIRST PRESSING ONLY
Limited Edition O-card featuring art by Uncle Frank
Visual Vengeance Trailers
Optional English subtitles
Closed captions (ENG dubbed version)

The Nine Demons | Original 1983 Trailer

Official Purchase Link