Villian(s)  Demonic spirit, possession

Actor(s):  John Pepper, Katrine Michelsen, Donald Pleasence, Massimo De Rossi

Brief Description  Specters (originally titled Spettri) is a 1987 Italian supernatural horror film directed by Marcello Avallone and starring veteran genre icon Donald Pleasence. Shot in English over a nine-week period in Italy, it blends traditional archaeological thriller tropes with elements of 1980s creature features and demonic possession cinema.

Plot:
The story takes place in contemporary Rome, where a major subway construction project accidentally breaches a sealed, pre-Christian pagan sacrificial tomb. This unearthing immediately draws the attention of Professor Lasky (Donald Pleasence), an archaeologist who has spent years tracking down this exact site. Ignoring ominous warnings and ancient inscriptions, Lasky and his team of young assistants—including Marcus (John R. Pepper)—delve deeper into the ruins. When a dagger is removed from a sarcophagus, they inadvertently unleash an ancient, malevolent demonic entity.

The invisible force begins terrorizing Rome, using supernatural winds, horrific hallucinations, and a horned demon to brutally kill anyone who gets close. The haunting soon extends to the surface, targeting Marcus's pop-star girlfriend, Alice (Trine Michelsen), who experiences terrifying nightmares of the creature. In a climax heavily inspired by A Nightmare on Elm Street, characters face bizarre attacks through household objects—culminating in a desperate attempt by Marcus to destroy the ruins and bury the evil for good. The film relies heavily on basic smoke and wind machine effects rather than on-screen creature action, hiding most of its monster until the final acts.