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Picture
A drifter is hunted by a powerful demon who
​wants to unleash hell on earth upon all of creation.
HORROR

Tales from the Crypt:
​Demon Knight
 
(1995)

Directed by Ernest R. Dickerson

Written by Ethan Reiff, Cyrus Voris, Mark Bishop

Starring William Sadler, Billy Zane, Jada Pinkett Smith,
Thomas Haden Church, CCH Pounder, Dick Miller,
​Brenda Bakke, Gary Farmer, Charles Fleischer, John Kassir

Spin-Off of the 1989-1996 TV series Tales from the Crypt

Connor Eyzaguirre
February 1, 2022
8/10
It speaks to how well-written and unique this film is when someone like me, who has never seen an episode of Tales from the Crypt, can enjoy the hell out of it. I knew about Demon Knight, but I never bothered to watch it, mostly because I thought I needed to see the show first. But that isn't the case. Demon Knight is a wildly entertaining gorefest featuring two epic performances in William Sadler and Billy Zane, the latter of whom is hilariously over the top in all the best ways. It's cool that this film stands on its own, and has since become a cult classic in its own right, especially when the premise is absolutely enticing.

A drifter named Brayker (Sadler) holes up in a boarding house along with a number of questionable characters. He's being hunted by the Collector (Zane, who undoubtedly steals the show), a powerful demon who wants an artifact that Brayker has. This key, as they call it, has the power to unleash hell on earth and shift the balance of power in evil's favor forever, and Brayker has had it for nearly a hundred years. It's original holder was Christ himself, so big shoes to fill. The film is heavily inspired by John Carpenter's Assault on Precinct 13, as Brayker and the other characters end up trapped in the house and must escape before the Collector finds his way in. We also get to see a young Thomas Haden Church be a colossal prick and a young Jada Pinkett Smith be a hero. A lot of talent peppers this movie.

From beginning to end, Demon Knight is a crazy movie with insanely high stakes and memorable characters. There's some hilariously quotable lines ("Fuck this cowboy shit!") and a great deal of impressive horror effects. This one is special, and definitely worth a revisit.
Caleb Leger
February 1, 2022
9/10
One of the biggest TV horror anthologies to ever grace the small screen is, without a doubt, HBO’s Tales from the Crypt. I remember doing everything I could to sneak episodes my parents would watch as the unedited, more adult horror was a challenge compared to the more kid-friendly Goosebumps. To this day, there is one moment in an episode which has scarred me a bit. Well, it’s no surprise the idea to move the show into a movie series eventually came about. After a bit of reshuffling and certain scripts not being procured, Demon Knight would end up as the first film. Becoming a box office success and spawning a sequel, it all seemed good. But, the box office and critical disappointment of Bordello of Blood would quickly cause any more films to be scrapped. Luckily, time has been kind with this film in particular being considered a horror classic and its follow up now achieving cult status.  
 
It’s always something special when all the ingredients in a film come together like they do here. Starting with the characters, this is one of the most well casted and interesting set of characters in a horror film. They are introduced in just a seamless way and the actors each bring something unique to who they’re playing. The standout, though, being Billy Zane. Never have I had this much fun watching a villain. Zane brings so much charisma, charm, and pure terror as the main demon hunting everyone down. It’s hard to turn your eyes away from the screen whenever he’s on it. Outside of our actors is some of the best effects I’ve watched and still hold up. The gore and demon designs are gruesome and deliciously over the top. Speaking of demons, these are some of the most brutal and to the point in a horror film. These guys don’t play around. Finally, this film has a great pace about it, making for a truly fun film which never lets its foot off the gas.  
 
Look, this has always been a favorite of mine. Tales from the Crypt was an iconic show and this first film captures everything everyone loved from the series. The characters are interesting, the gore is plentiful, the demons are terrifying, and the film is just plain fun. Let’s hope the tangled legalities of who owns the rights for the show gets solved one day so we might just get more shows or movies like this.

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Filmgazm is made by movie lovers for movie lovers. We believe in the magic of film and we aim celebrate films of all genres and throughout cinema history, regardless of who's behind the camera or who financed it. We at Filmgazm believe that every film deserves to be reviewed on its own merits and that's what we are here to do. Enjoy the show!
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