Tales from the Crypt Presents: Demon Knight (Blu-ray)
Starring William Sadler, Billy Zane, Jada Pinkett Smith
Directed by Ernest Dickerson
Distributed by Scream Factory
HBO’s “Tales from the Crypt” (1989-1996) spent years pushing the envelope of television (albeit on cable) violence before getting a bump up to the majors with a feature-length film. This wasn’t the most obvious progression, since most of the stories ripped from EC Comics’ pages seemed best suited for shorter stories. An anthology film might have appeared the clear choice – and that could have worked just as well – but instead the filmmakers went with an all-new story; one that began life as a project for director Tom Holland some years earlier before getting reworked.
Bookended by scenes featuring the series’ spooksperson, The Cryptkeeper (voiced by John Kassir), Tales from the Crypt Presents: Demon Knight (1995) is an overlooked gem, made during a period when most horror icons were off their game and CGI was beginning to take over for FX teams’ tangible work. Deftly balancing both the comedy and carnage for which the namesake series was known, Demon Knight also benefits from having superb casting, from usually-a-bad-guy William Sadler’s turn as a hero (of sorts) to the casting of Billy Zane, who completely steals the picture with his endless zingers and unbridled confidence. Add in a dozen ghoulish, goopy demons and numerous brutal bloody deaths – it’s difficult to understand why this isn’t a minted cult classic.
After the standard show opening, we learn that The Cryptkeeper has gone Hollywood, looking like a regular Cecil B. DeMille and barking orders on set. He agrees to give viewers a peek at his upcoming project, a tale called Demon Knight. Somewhere on the deserted highways of New Mexico, Brayker (William Sadler) is being chased at high speeds by The Collector (Billy Zane) – a pursuit that ends with both vehicles in a fiery wreck. Brayker makes it out just in time, running off to a small town and coming across drunken old Uncle Willy (Dick Miller), who takes him to a local church-turned-boarding-house. The Collector, meanwhile, walks away from what should have been a fiery death injury-free, whereupon he hooks up with the local cops to continue his hunt for Brayker.
Both men’s paths cross again when The Collector locates Brayker at the boarding house and demands “his property” be returned – that property being an ancient key filled with a viscous red liquid. He refuses, a fight breaks out and soon the real intentions – and identity – of The Collector are known. What Brayker possesses is a religious artifact, filled with the blood of Christ as he hung from the cross. The Collector needs this key to complete a series of seven that will allow darkness to take over the universe. Needing a little assistance, he summons up several demons from Hell and begins a siege upon the boarding house that will require every clashing personality inside to work together if they want to survive the night.
There is so much Demon Knight gets right and very little it gets wrong. In fact, I’d be hard-pressed to come up with any real complaints about the film as a whole. The casting here is just perfect, but it really is Zane who owns the film. As The Collector, an enigmatic force who plays his cards close to the vest, Zane is wildly eccentric and brimming with sinister enthusiasm. His one-liners and flamboyant mannerisms belie the truth that there’s a demon beneath the skin. He wants to be everyone’s best friend – even though they’re being used as a means to his end – and he does his best to coerce the disparate personalities inside into doing his bidding by entering their minds and presenting wild fantasies, fulfilling desires.
Sadler does solid work, too, as the unlikely hero of the group… even if he is the sort of character you can tell won’t make it to the end credits. He might be leading the charge, but no one else in the ranks is a slacker. CCH Pounder kicks plenty of demon ass with just one arm. Jada Pinkett Smith is more than capable of handling her own here. Even third-string characters, like Deputy Bob (Gary Farmer), prove their worth. Like I said, there isn’t a weak link in the chain.
Major props are also due to the film’s FX team, led by Todd Masters. The film’s titular demons are truly grotesque, looking like natives from Hell with glowing eyes and fluorescent blood. The only way to kill them is to destroy their eyes, a tactic that results in an explosion of lightning bolts and sticky neon bodily fluids coating the room. They’re also adept at possessing people, causing them to mutate into hideous creatures that kill in very nasty ways. The violence in this film comes swift and heavy. Best moment: Zane punching a hole through a man’s face, then becoming irritated when he has a hard time getting his arm free. The marriage of humor and horror here is exceptionally well done.
Don’t forget about the killer soundtrack, which I spun an endless amount of times when it was released on CD. With tracks from Megadeth, Gravediggaz, Filter, Rollins Band, Ministry, Machine Head and the mighty Pantera, the songs included here are seamlessly worked into the film and really kick things up a notch. Composer Ed Shearmur’s score is fine in its own right, but for a young metalhead like myself hearing so many great bands in one film was a real treat.
Scream Factory finally gives Demon Knight the love it deserves with this collector’s edition Blu-ray release. Maybe now the film – which didn’t exactly set the box office on fire – can find the larger audience it deserves. Fans of the “Tales from the Crypt” TV series will agree the script fits in with the tone established on the small screen, while also managing to ramp up the action and arterial spray thanks to an increased budget and a little more leniency. If only the bar of quality set here were maintained for the subsequent sequels…
Demon Knight makes its Blu-ray debut, sporting a 1.85:1 1080p image that is a marked improvement over the previous DVD editions. The opening, ripped right from the TV show, is heavy on the grain, though it lessens to a degree once the film proper begins. Colors look natural, though few hues pop off the screen outside of reds and greens. There is a blue tint to much of the film. Close-ups reveal the best details; definition is reasonably strong throughout. There are some minor compression issues, something typical of most Scream Factory releases.
The English DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround sound track is absolutely killer. Dialogue comes through loud and clear, while the film’s many sound effects are discreetly placed to allow for maximum immersion. This is a very active track, with many moments of boisterous activity and some thunderous explosions, too. I wasn’t expecting this film to sound so big, which was a nice surprise. Additionally, every one of the awesome tracks that make up the soundtrack comes through with fantastic fidelity. An English DTS-HD MA 2.0 track is also included. Subtitles are available in English.
First up is an audio commentary, featuring director Ernest Dickerson and moderated by Blu-ray producer Michael Felsher. All of the usual ground is covered here, making this a fairly standard but informative track.
Next up is something a bit more technical, with an audio commentary featuring special effects creator Todd Masters, visual effects supervisor John Van Vliet, special effects coordinator Thomas Bellissimo and demon performer Walter Phelan. As expected, this track focuses entirely on the film’s effects work and is highly fascinating if you’re into such things.
“Egyptian Theater Q&A” – Dick Miller, on stage as part of a three-day celebration of his filmography, answers questions regarding his involvement in this film. He is his usual charming, humorous, laidback self.
Something innocuously labeled as “Making-of Featurette” is actually “Under Siege: The Making of Tales from the Crypt presents Demon Knight – Featuring interviews with over a dozen cast & crew members, this new piece explores the leap from small to silver screen for the series, scripting, casting, FX work and everything else in between.
A still gallery and the film’s theatrical trailer finish off the extra features.
Special Features:
- NEW Audio Commentary with Director Ernest Dickerson
- NEW Audio Commentary with Special Make-up Effects Creator Todd Masters, Visual Effects Supervisor John Van Vliet, Special Effects Coordinator Thomas Bellissimo, and Demon Performer Walter Phelan
- NEW Under Siege: The Making of “Tales from the Crypt presents Demon Knight” – Featuring interviews with Director Ernest Dickerson, Co-producer A.L. Katz, Screenwriters Ethan Reiff, Cyrus Voris, and Dick Miller, Editor Stephen Lovejoy, Special Make-Up Effects Creator Todd Masters, Special Make-Up Effects Artists Scott Coulter and Scott Wheeler, and Demon Performer Walter Phelan
- Panel Discussion from the American Cinematheque featuring director Ernest Dickerson, actor Dick Miller and Special Effects maestro Rick Baker
- Still Gallery
- Theatrical Trailer
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Demon Knight
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Special Features
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