UPDATES

Demonsamongus is now available on DVD in Australia through Accent Underground. The disc includes a behind-the-scenes featurette, deleted scenes, trailer, extended photo gallery and a tasty short horror comedy, 'Sickie'. To purchase your copy now, click on the image below.

For more infomation on Accent's new label, Accent Underground, go to Accent web site.

For the rest of the world, hold tight, Troma Entertainment will be releasing the film in 2008. Stay tuned!

Add Demonsamongus to your myspace.

We still have a small number of limted edition bleach print t-shirts available.

Each shirt is unique. For ordering info contact Stuart at lostartfilms@hotmail.com

Next Screaming...

Awards

Buenos Aires Rojo Sangre (Blood Red) 2006
Honourable Mention: Visual Concept & Photography

7th Melbourne Underground Film Festival 2006
Best use of the Guerilla Aesthetic
Best Sound

Hype

***NEW***
"Although a huge number of horror films are being released these days, there are very few of them that manage to combine originality, intelligence and a visceral punch that stays with you for days afterwards. Dante Tomaselli’s films manage to do this, as did Nathan Hynes and Chris Power’s Long Pigs. And, to this list, I would add Stuart Simpson’s Demonsamongus.

The film is set in Miranda Falls, a small, quiet country town where Joe (Nathaniel Kiwi) is staying while he works on his thesis on the effects of advertising on our society. But all is not as it seems and Joe soon finds himself being stalked by a demonic presence in the isolated house in which he is staying.

Not surprisingly, Joe flees the house and soon finds himself covered in blood, running half-dressed through the forest at night and being hinted not only by demons but also the police, foe whom he is the primary suspect when the bodies start being found.

Meanwhile, Ed Winters (Peter Roberts), an aggressively amoral advertising executive now living in Hollywood is called back to Miranda Falls when his ex-wife and family turn up among the dead…

The early – establishing – scenes for this film had a very gritty quality reminiscent of the horror films of the 1970s, but once the horror starts, Simpson really does let rip. The result is an incredibly atmospheric, and genuinely nightmarish experience that keeps you on the edge of your seat as you try to keep up with what is, or is not, really happening.

Nathaniel Kiwi puts in a superb performance as a man hunted – and haunted – by the strangeness going on around him. Also worth mentioning is Laura Hesse who, as Kylie Fitzgerald, goes through a range of emotions and responses to the changing events and manages, very successfully, to maintain the believability of her character as she does so.

But what really makes this film stand out is the cinematography which, combined with an excellent soundtrack, really does evoke the feeling of being trapped in a nightmare. And it’s this dream-like quality which makes the film both engrossing and disturbing.

On top of all of this, Stuart Simpson also has much to say about consumerism in general and the advertising industry in particular. Gratifyingly, he doesn’t feel the need to beat the audience over the head with his message, preferring to trust the audience to be smart enough to understand what he’s saying.

All in all, Demonsamongus is an outstandingly good horror film, and one that recognises that atmosphere is more effective than gore when trying to scare an audience. It’s also a very intelligent film that successfully embeds its social commentary into the plot in a manner that is both unambiguous and unintrusive.

Stuart Simpson has set the bar very high for himself with this film and I will be very interested in seeing what he does next".
- Paul Pritchard (pulpmovies.com)

"Now I know this is going to irk many people. It may even downright piss a lot of people off… but the Australian film industry has been in a steady state of constipation for some time. Audiences have been tortured by an epidemic of masturbatory feature-length sit-throughs of shit. The bi-product of angst ridden filmmakers overly obsessed with being hailed as artists, and seemingly unconcerned with entertaining an audience whose tax dollars are not only funding this celluloid self gratification, but who receive another swift kick to the balls when they turn up to their local Megaplex to support Australian cinema.

When I think of great Australian cinema do I think of any of the faceless, soulless, pointless tax financed fare we've endured over the past few years? Hell no… I think of Mad Max, Turkey Shoot, Picnic at Hanging Rock, Razorback, Dark Age, Mad Max 2, Mad Max 3 (well…maybe not Mad Max 3…), Chopper, Romper Stomper, even dare I say it…Alvin Purple. Genre pictures. Every last one of 'em.

Now I'm real sorry all you artistic types… but even the crummiest Hollywood event movie makes money. It has reason for being. You may well scoff at Alph the hideous man-beast devouring a toe in Brian Trenchard Smith's seminal Aussie sci-fi prison flick Turkey Shoot, but guess what? That bad-boy not only made more money than the last ten publicly funded films, people ACTUALLY ENJOYED IT.

Genre pictures people… that's the future of the Australian film industry. The governing bodies haven't realised it yet, but there's a growing movement of underground filmmakers who have. People who can make better films than the old guard arthouse conformists who feign an outlaw image despite the fact that their self-indulgent projects are fully financed and aren't even expected to make their money back, much less make a profit.

Filmmakers like Stuart Simpson, the director of Demons Among Us. A balls to the wall supernatural horror flick made for next to nothing, that looks like a million bucks. The tale of a small town engulfed by demonic forces. A hallucinatory trip to hell and back with breathtaking cinematography, a haunting score(courtesy of Clare Whitcombe), an effective use of otherworldly sound, and some amazing special effects by Nic Kocsis.

This is thinking man's splatter. An 86 minute surreal nightmare. A kind of alternate universe that works well in this low-budget film's favour. If anything doesn't make sense, doesn't feel quite right… hell, it doesn't need to! Who ever had a dream that was logical in any sense whatsoever.

This is a lesson in guerrilla filmmaking 101. The premise of Demons will explain away anything from an uneven performance, to a continuity error, or any other peril of low-budget filmmaking that might rear its ugly head. Inconsistencies that plague even 30 million dollar dramas slip straight under the radar with Demons Among Us simply because it has already been established that we're in an alternate reality to begin with.

Demons Among Us is the best Australian horror flick I've seen since Body Melt. Undead and Wolf Creek had their merits, but let's face it there was nothing terribly original in either of them. Stylistically, Stuart Simpson could be compared to Philip Brophy, or even Russell Mulcahy… perhaps even a dash of Michele Soavi circa. Dellamorte Dellamore. There's a definite oz-ploitation flavour to his work. Demons Among Us is out now on DVD through Accent Entertainment where all good exploitation films are sold".
- Blake Ryan

"Demonsamongus is a wholly different horror film, directed by Stuart Simpson, which focuses on aesthetics as much as blood ‘n’ guts with great success. The first thing I noticed about the film was that it was beautifully shot. Scenes switch from black and white, to black and white with saturated colors, to full color shots, without ever alienating the audience. Other shots are surreal, giving the film a nightmarish quality. I would compare Simpson’s style to early David Lynch with a dash of Evil Dead-era Sam Raimi thrown in. The film is grainy, giving it that wonderfully gritty ‘70s feel. The composition of each scene is stunning, from showing a decaying town and the desolate countryside to Joe on the run from the demons and Kylie exploring a cave where the demons are hiding. From the stunning direction and cinematography, Simpson hits the right emotional cues and evokes a visceral response from the audience. In other words, Demonsamongus is a downright frightening and creepy film that’ll give you the heebie jeebies and leave you looking over your shoulder!

The acting is solid throughout, even with a few fun scenes evoking Peter Jackson’s film Dead Alive. Nathaniel Kiwi does a great job as Joe, going from strange outsider arriving in a new town to a man slightly off his rocker who listens to a talking ax while killing the demons. Peter Roberts plays both Ed Winters and Sergeant Geoff, two completely different roles that he plays perfectly! He plays them so well, in fact, that I didn’t know the same actor was playing both roles until the credits rolled. The rest of the cast, including Laura Hesse as Kyle, also do a fantastic job in their respective roles.

The demons themselves are very scary. The move around jerkily, but sure give chase to prey quickly! The scene where Kylie investigates a cavern with a video camera reminded me of The Descent and there is also a scene that is very Ringu-like. The makeup and special effects, done by Nick Kocsis, are all spectacularly done. From the demons to the carnage they leave behind, the blood and guts in the film do not disappoint!

The soundtrack and score were also extremely well done that I would be remiss in not mentioning them here. From alt-rock to country and folk tracks, the soundtrack is stellar, really adding to the unsettling atmosphere. The original music, done by Clare Whitcombe, is also a real standout. The music is haunting and lends itself nicely to the ominous atmosphere of the film.

Speaking of sound in the film, the noises in the film even lend to the menacing atmosphere. Creaky floorboards, buzzing lights, rustling brush and even a shower running all manage to sound threatening. Demonsamongus even won for Best Sound at the 7th Melbourne Underground Film Festival in 2006.

The social commentary about the negative effects of advertising and the evils of mass consumption is portrayed quite intelligently here without ever being overbearing. While the commentary is present, it does not weigh down the overall story. I would its presentation to the social commentary contained in Romero’s film Night of the Living Dead. It is subtle, but it still packs a punch upon reflection.

The extras on the disc include deleted scenes, a making of featurette, trailers and a short film entitled Sickie, directed by Stuart Simpson.

Demonsamongus is a brilliant indie film from Australia that contains many artistic and creative touches while never forgetting it is a horror film. Director Stuart Simpson has crafted an unsettling, bloody and frightening film that is not to be missed by horror fans that appreciate trippy, surreal imagery along with their gore!"
- www.fatally-yours.com

"Demonsamongus is written and directed by a unknown upcoming Australian film maker
named Stuart Simpson. Stuart has produced and directed several short films,
animations and video clips in his carer. His most recent video clip was a Aussie band
called Bodyjar's "Call to Arms", which has been aired Australian television channels
Channel V, FOX & of course Rage. Demonsamongus was Stuart's first full feature
film, which has to be the most stunning visual camera work i have seen since David
Lynch's Lost Highway. When you hear someone talking about demon films, straight
away you think of Dario Argento's Demons or Kevin Tenney's Night of the
Demons. Stuart's Demonsamongus is so fucking unique and different to other demon
films it felt i was tripping on acid while watching it. To describe his camera style its like
having Dario Argento shooting a Nine Inch Nails or Tool video clip, truly breathe
taking imagery and mind blowing camera effects i have seen in many years, it definitely
had me dialing off my nuts.

The script was little different from other demons films, but very original and fresh. The
acting wasn't at all cheesy, and fairly entertaining but sometimes can be very hilarious
with Aussie humour and slang, kinda similar to the Spierig brothers Undead and Peter
Jacksons Brain Dead. The special FX artist Nick Kocsis, i was very impressed with
his work, the demons looked so demonic and evil, which was wicked to see, and gore
effects look so damm real. I hope Stuart and Nick both teams up together in the near
future for other films.

Demonsamongus isn't official released just yet, but its just about to get a DVD release
very shortly in Australia, There are also a few extras on the DVD such as deleted scenes,
a behind the scenes featurette, trailers, and a short film called "Sickie" which is a very
gory film that will roll your guts, again it is created by both Stuart Simpson and Nick
Kocsis, this short film you have to check it out.

And who needs drugs when you can trip out on, Stuart Simpson's Demonsamongus."
- zer0hal0 (dvdresurrections.com)

"Offering you a very satisfying movie of the late night variety is Demonsamongus, from hot new young Australian talent, Stuart Simpson. Full of heart and guts (literally), this first feature film has all the quirky hallmarks of a low budget flick, but is made with the eye of an artist. It features moments of stunning visual creativity as well as buckets of schlock befitting any cult horror genre classic. Sound and music is put to exceptional use with an impressive crunching alt-country blues soundtrack. This is the dope."
- Vanessa Stasiw (X Press Magazine - 13/07/06)

"Who dares wins. We at REV believe you're in the presence of future greatness with this filmmaker. He aint great yet though and there's three or so films to come, but this is where it's all going to start. There's a real sense of early Peter Jackson, with a tip of the hat to Sam Raimi and a wink to George Romero. Fine company indeed and while not faultless, the early works from these filmakers (like Bad Taste, The Evil Dead and The Night of the Living Dead) broke serious ground in creative exploration of the horror genre. Low budget as buggery but packed with great stylish flourishes and a really, really good rock and country styled score, Demonsamongus is very much a cross between Night of the Living Dead and The Evil Dead as we find corpses in a small country town re-animating and going out on the hunt for flesh. True to the horror genre, our hero is thought to be the mass murderer but he manages to hook up with a local lass who also discovers the truth behind this plague of death. You know what you need to do to prepare yourself for this one."
- Richard Sowada (REVelation Perth International Film Festival - July 06)

Fresh Blood...

Dec 06
Negotiations with Troma Entertainment & Siren Visual underway.

10/11/06
Demons' screened at the horror and fantasy film festival in Buenos Aires, Rojo Sangre.

12/08/06
Demons' played at Glitch Bar and Cinema to a full house. So successful that a second screening will have to be organised for that venue...stay tuned.

16/07/06
Sunday night, closing night of MUFF, Demonsamongus picks up two awards!! Best Use of the Guerilla Aesthetic and Best Sound. Awesome work Clare, you deserve it. Thanks to Richard and all at MUFF, you rock hard.

15/07/06
Cast and Crew screening at ACMI Cinema One @ Federation Square, Melbourne followed by an alcohol fuelled after-party at 6links down the road. A great night was had by all with Nick-Ratboy Kocsis nearly being taken away by the police for documenting the night activities of Melbourne's alley rats off Flinders Lane. "No officer he's not on Acid, he just likes rodents". More boozin and belchin at Stu's with the night finishing off with the traditional body painting of Pazza(Guns) after passing out mid way through a shit air guitar solo.

14/07/06 & 21/07/06
Demonsamongus scored the two Friday-late night sessions at the Luna,
Cinema One in Leederville, Perth as part of the 9th Annual REVelation Perth International Film Festival. International guests included Lloyd Kaufman (Troma Films).

13/07/06
Demonsamongus' world premiere screened at The Spanish Club in Fitzroy, Melbourne as part of the 7th Annual-Melbourne Underground Film Festival.