User reviews

I first saw this in the mid 90s on a vhs. Revisited it yesterday. The film has some very known faces. It is about a 'chosen' man (William Sadler) who has stopped aging n is on the run for 90 years. He possesses an artefact n a demon (Billy Zane) wants to get hold of that artefact without touching it. Sadler takes refuge in a hotel with a bunch of characters we dont care for while the demons r trying to get inside. The film has lots of gore, some nudity but it is a bit slow n the tension is lacking. The effects r cool though. Watch out for the girl's face transformation scene.

Billy Zane raises what would be a decent horror/action movie to a higher plane. His deadpan delivery and funny quips are surprising in a character that is supposed to be the quintessential evil demon. If there was any justice in the world Zane would've been considered for an award. His performance is that good. The special effects look dated now, but that doesn't hurt the movie significantly. The characters are sufficiently fleshed out (pun intended) making them a little more than meat for the rampaging demons. The story, while interesting, doesn't make a lot of sense, at least not the back story. God created the Earth but the demons were already there and had 7 keys which gave them power over the cosmos? Huh? That aside, the movie is well done and Zane's performance is not to be missed.

I was a big fan of the Tales from the Crypt TV show. Thus, I am a fan of this movie. It feels a lot like one of the Creepshow movies but has enough gore, humor and OTT carnage but it just doesn't have enough scope to brake away from the TV show and stand alone as a big screen movie.

Brayker (William Sadler) is a drifter who stumbles upon a lonely desert town after an explosive confrontation with The Collector (Billy Zane), a supremely evil being with Satanical powers who is desperate to get his hands on Brayker's mysterious talisman. Brayker spends the night in a shabby motel but The Collector soon turns up and unleashes hell upon the motel and it's inhabitants.

This is where the fun really kicks in. The Collector has fun enticing the residents (made up of Dick Miller, Charles Fleisher, Thomas Haden Church, Brenda Bakke, Jada Pinkett-Smith and CCH Pounder) to join him on his dark quest and steal the talisman from Brayker.

Director Ernest Dickerson (who also did Surviving the Game) does not hold back on the gore as he spoofs 1950's B-movies, honor's the TV show and pays brilliant homage to the Tales From The Crypt comic book legacy. It may be nothing more than a cheap, horror comedy with no artistic integrity but Dickerson still successfully pulls of a movie that will satisfy and entertain anyone who watches it.

Half of the movie's appeal lies with Billy Zane who acts out the role of The Collector with such wicked charm and delightful evil. You can tell he's having a great time and he makes a counterpoint villain for Sadler's dishevelled hero.

They could have made more Tales From The Crypt movies, but producers Robert Zemeckis, Gilbert Adler and Joel Silver (Walter Hill and David Giler ducked out) went on to found Dark Castle, the production company behind House on Haunted Hill, Thir13en Ghosts and Ghost Ship.

FREAKING LOVED IT!

This (to me) is a perfect flick for what it's aiming at. Seven people and a drifter named Braker are trapped inside a old church/ new motel while the super cool COLLECTER (Billy Zane, in a role that was meant for him) and his group of nipple pierced, glow in the dark green eyes, cloven hooved, goatee sporting, slimy demons trick and mangle the cast in order to get a "relic" key that hold the power of darkness from taking over the world.

Ernest Dickerson does well in the directing seat. The horror,comedy, and drama all combined nicely and never went over with the drama or comedy. None of it felt forced. As for the characters, I really warmed up to them (even the asshole Roach), all of the actors brought a little something special to their rather thin roles. I'll always remember the sad prostitute Cordelia, the no bulls*** Irene, or the funny "need a drink" hobo Uncle Willie. THE COLLECTOR is the main highlight of this movie. Excellent delivery by Zane. The man is too cool for TITANIC. I loved the way he persuaded some of the residents into selling there soul, it was more then just having the demons come in. The idea of the blood in the key and being able to make barriers of not letting in the demons was pretty slick too. William Sadler and Jada Pinkett brought a lot of drama and humanity to the movie, they served their characters well. The gore is also kick ass and works well (all about that arm getting ripped off, and hand punching through a face) and the demons looked pretty sick

My only complaint is the whole shooting the demons in the eyes to kill them was kinda blah, but Billy Zane has fun with even that ("I SHOULD KNOW, WHO MAKES UP ALL THESE RULES"). This is one cool movie, stands on its own two feet and pays respect to a lot of past horror movies, any true HORROR fan will appreciate THIS. ROCK ON CRYPT KEEPER!!!... thanx for all those hot babes that flash their stuff, it went well with the movie and never felt sleazy.

DEMON KNIGHT ***1/2 out of ****

A man named Brayker (William Sandler) is being pursued by the evil Collector (Billy Zane). He holes up in an isolated hotel with typical stock characters and they all try to make it through the night against Zane and his demon army. The first theatrical off-shoot of HBO's excellent "Tales from the Crypt" series. The story is ridiculous, but the acting is good. Jada Pinkett is very good as one of the residents of the hotel and Billy Zane is excellent as the Collector. He's obviously enjoying himself, his character is constantly joking and it rubs off on the audience. Also the film has VERY extreme gore--I'm surprised it got an R rating. And there's the obligatory, gratuitous female nudity. Unfortunately, there's not enough plot for a 90 minute movie. There's lots of padding and it slows the movie down. Still, it's funny, has great gory moments and Zane's performance. Worth catching--especially for horror fans. Avoid at ALL costs, the second (and last) theatrical Tales movie "Bordello of Blood".

This is one of my all time favorite movies, and it's the very first movie I saw more than twice while still in theaters. I was already a fan of Tales from the Crypt, and with this movie, there were constant thrills from beginning to end, and everyone was involved in causing those thrills. This was also the very first movie I ever saw Jada Pinkett in--I had never even heard of her before; I absolutely loved her part, and I was already a William Sadler fan from having seen him in Die Hard 2. From beginning to end, the action & suspense keeps you rolling right along on the edge of your seat! The bottom line is this is a movie that I absolutely love, & I have seen it more than 20 times already. The only thing that I did not like about this movie was that it took about 8-10 minutes or so for the actual movie to start.

: )

one of the best films of recent years... on a budget that is. yes the acting is happy at times (and brilliant in others, William Sadler really showing his skill as the old man tired of running) and the sets are filmsy, the special effects range from mediocre to terrible but the shining diamond here is the script and story. having studied both philosophy and theology i read so much more into this film and truly mark it out as one of the best horror films ever. depth, great concept, brilliant script, wonderful set pieces, and a film that sets up the rules and refuses to break them. if only it hadn't been made with that damn crypt keeper!!!

I can't claim to have seen much of the TV show 'Tales from the Crypt', but I saw Bordello of Blood on TV a few years back and found it to be an enjoyably silly piece of camp. I was expecting similar from this film, and that's pretty much what I got - although Demon Knight is clearly better than Bordello of Blood. The film never takes itself too seriously, and that ensures that it is put across to the audience in the right way. Plots similar to the one featured in this film have been the basis for serious horror films in the past, but the fact that this film has a bit of fun with it is definitely in it's favour. The mythology behind the plot is actually quite good, and follows the idea of a 'collector' who is on the trail of a key bearer. The key he seeks contains the blood of Christ, and there are seven scattered across the globe. This is the last one, and if the collector gets his hands on it could spell the end of the world...the final battle is about to take place, only it happens to be in a motel with a motley crew of different characters.

One of the most surprising things about this film is the cast list! The film features performances from two stars who have received praise recently; Jada Pinkett Smith and Thomas Haiden Church. CCH Pounder, who starred in the critically-acclaimed Baghdad Cafe, appears also, while Dick Miller ensures that there's an ounce of cult status among the cast. The lead roles are taken by William Sadler and Billy Zane. Sadler is good enough, but it's Zane who really makes this film what it is. He gets to enjoy himself entertaining the audience as the lead villain, and ensures that every scene he's in is a lot of fun. For an inexpensive film, the effects are also rather good. They do look cheap, but the demons look more realistic than most computer generated effects. The way that the film pans out reminded me a lot of the Robert Rodriguez/Quentin Tarantino flick, From Dusk Till Dawn in that we've got 'the good guys' trapped with some monsters, and we watch as they get picked off one by one. Overall, this isn't a great film; but its lots of fun, and anyone that enjoys silly horror comedies will be right at home with it.

...because Demon Knight delivers as a theatrical release. Billy Zane gives an incredible performance, but so does practically everyone in this here. There seem to be few good supernatural horror movies out there in this, the mid-late 90's, but Demon Knight is one of the best. It presents an interesting mythology and setup, and you're left to wonder who will get out , and what will be left of them. There's some nice misleading, as we're not really sure what Zane's character's role is in the proceedings until...well , let's say he gives the Sheriff a hand. The framing device of Tales from the Crypt itself is mildly annoying, but it's pretty much gone and over with.

There's a type of horror film that doesn't really aim to scare you as much as it uses the horror platform for creative or (let's be honest) entertainment purposes. Call it an action-horror and you can get away with spending more on practical effects, supernatural mysticism, and yes, some unnecessary nudity. And yes, I have a soft spot for this sort of horror film.

Demon Knight is a ton of fun and is really elevated by its performances. William Sadler is the quintessential 90s action hero, the strong silent type, but with enough empathy and kindness to make him lovable. Billy Zane is having so much fun here and while I think a part of it is the peak Freddy Krueger influence and he does come off as goofy, you can't help but want to see him on screen. Thomas Hayden Church is unbelievably skeezy and a fantastic love-to-hate character, and Jada Pinkett...honestly, kinda rocks here. Her acting is super 90s, and I adore it.

I also really loved the mythology and the role of Christianity. Even if you're not Christian, there's something special about a movie about demons having strong ties to Christian mysticism. Oddly, it gives the film a sense of cultural identity that I find more compelling than some generic, post-modern demon types. Speaking of which, while I initially thought the demons looked a bit generic (i.e. Mini Pumpkinheads), the practical effects are really excellent here and they do some fun, creative stuff with them.

It's not perfect by any means; there's a bit of information that is deliberately hidden throughout the movie for NO REASON other than to generate conflict, which is frustrating. It's also not particularly original, but at the end of the day, everyone is having fun here, and you will too.

Well well, as I found the low rating for Bordello not right I now found the high rating for Demon Knight a bit exaggerated. first let me say that Billy Zane gave a big performance here but for me the movie is sometimes a bit boring. The first part is okay but when you start to know about the demons one after each other becomes a demon so you get used to it. it's part of the storyline because there is only one survivor of course. But it is a bit of the same whole the time. This film was never cut so you can buy it everywhere. Funny to see that people liked the nudity in this one, well there is less nudity here than in Bordello, I just can't understand people talking about it whole the time. The effects are well done as always with Tales From The Crypt especially when the youngster is reading a comic of Tales From the Crypt, what's in there happens, nicely done. Ther isn't any gore but no problem, the blood flows frequently but for me the film is missing something, sorry

I'm gonna keep this short & simple,this film is grrrrreat FUN..from start to finish it has just the right mix of action,adventure,horror,suspense,some comedy,great gore etc. It was riveting & fast paced with ZERO boring moments & it's DEFINITELY going to keep you glued to the screen.The cast was perfect & every single person played their part well.I heard the budget wasn't a big one but you won't notice cause the special effects are pretty decent.The 6.3 rating on here doesn't do this kick @ss film justice at all! Buy it, rent it whatever but SEE it,it's an hour & a half well spent! 10 out of 10 stars!

A fine addition to the great anthology series.

You see a group of people fighting against demons, just what the title lets you guess. Surprisingly good effects, fine acting and plenty of gore.

A good horrorfilm plus the Cryptkeeper, who could ask for more...

7/10

The title is retarded in itself. Except for Billy Zane (known as the collector) the others completley suck as far as everything else goes etc acting. There is some very good action movies, and the film a good horror, but other then that it just dosen't deliver as there are a few plot holes. But can that be forgiven and would i be able to watch it again? Or are the cracks too deep?

4/10 at least Billy Zane did a good job!

A creepy film filled with mystery, suspense , terror , grisly killings , twisted events and horrible happenings . It belongs to "Tales from the Crypt" series that was a 1989 horror story anthology series based on the gruesome E. C. comic books of the 1950s presented by the legendary "Crypt Keeper", a sinister, grisly ghoul obsessed with gallows humor and horrific puns. The series was originally envisioned as a trilogy story feature film. This was changed to a television program, because the producers feared it would bomb as a movie, as trilogy-style horror movies rarely had success at the box-office. Brayker (William Sadler) is the guardian subject to ghastly events and menaced by psycho. Bayker cares of an ancient key that keeps the forces of darkness from overwhelming mankind, a key desired by the charismatic Collector (Billy Zane), who unleashes a disgusting mix of demons against the house's inhabitants. So various demons and warriors attempt to obtain a key containing the blood of Christ. The key is guarded by immortal warriors called Demon Knights. Ready for your deadtime story? Dead-On Humor and Horror !. Two Scary!

A nineties horror film with a great cast and full of ghastly events, chills , thrills, gore and guts. Gruesomely garish big-screen version of TV series that was inspired by the lurid 1950s E. C. Comics. Horrormeister Crypt Keeper offers his usual pun-filled introduction to a pale set in a seedy Boarding House. Curious hybrid of spoof/splatter that doesn't quite work in either genre. There's a star-studded cast that results to be pretty good with a plethora of known actors, such as : Jada Pinkett Smith, William Sadler, John Larroquette, Brenda Bakke, CCH Pounder, Dick Miller, Thomas Haden Curch , Gary Farmer, John Schuck, Charles Fleischer. And Billy Zane who steals the show by giving a sympatic and ironical acting. And John Kassir came up with the trademark voice of the Crypt Keeper. When Kassir auditioned for the part, the producers loved it so much, they almost immediately chose him. John Kassir, voice of the Crypt Keeper, often had to swallow lemon juice and honey to sooth his throat after doing his lines. It took six puppeteers to operate the Crypt Keeper during his scenes, four puppeteers alone just for his facial expressions. Crypt Keeper designer Kevin Yagher incorporated the eyes of ¨Chucky¨ (1988), another creation he designed, into the Crypt Keeper.

The motion picture was professionally directed by Ernest R. Dickerson (Bones, Juice, Never Die Alone, Bulletproof, Surviving the Game). It follows in the wake of Horror Anthology movies of the Sixties and Seventies made by British ¨Hammer Films¨ and ¨Amicus¨ from producers Max Rosemberg and Milton Subotsky , in which a skeleton or a sinister Crypt Keeper acting as hosts and usually based on stories previously appeared in American comic books as Tales of Crypt from EC comics , such as : ¨Dr. Terror's House of Horrors¨ 1965 by Freddie Francis , ¨Torture Garden¨ 1967 by Freddie Francis , ¨Asylum¨ 1972 by Roy Wad Baker , ¨Tales from the Crypt¨ 1972 by Freddie Francis, ¨The Uncanny¨ 1977 by Dennis Heroux , among others . Rating: 6/10.

I never know where I am with these tales from the crypt movies. I see one is on the TV and I am never sure if it's one I've already seen. Until today I had never seen this one and it's one of the best in the series. The premise is quite simple. A man is on the run from someone who seems to have supernatural powers. The action transfers to a hotel and a siege style action movie ensues. Watching this in 2020 is a blast. For the reason that the special effects predate CGI. There's nothing wrong with well done CGI but nothing beats the gunk and slime of real life physical models. There's no time to be bored during this movie. The plot is all very standard 80s horror fare and at points reminded me of classics like the Evil Dead and Fright Night. It's that good. The cast is great and there's plenty of gore, twists and violence to keep any horror fan happy. If you enjoy 80s horror movies but somehow this one has passed you by you wont be disappointed if you choose this. It's head and shoulders above 90% of what's currently produced and it's simply a lot of fun.

A man called Frank Brayker (William Sadler) is driving a car through a desert road chased by another car. They crash and Brayker flees from the spot. He unsuccessfully tries to heist a car and stumbles upon the alcoholic Uncle Willy (Dick Miller). Then he asks for a place to stay and Willy indicates a nearby bed and breakfast in an abandoned church. Brayker goes with Willy to the inn where he checks in with the owner Irene (CCH Pounder). He is introduced to the guests: the whore Cordelia (Brenda Bakke); the postal clerk Wally Enfield (Charles Fleischer) and the maid Jeryline (Jada Pinkett Smith). Meanwhile, Sheriff Tupper (John Schuck) and Deputy Bob Martel (Gary Farmer) finds a man called The Collector (Billy Zane) near the accident that tells that Brayker is a thief that has stolen a key-like relic from him. When the crook Roach (Thomas Haden Church), he tells about the attempt of theft of a car, the suspicious Irene calls the Sheriff that comes with his Deputy and The Collector that tries to retrieve the relic. When the Sheriff decides to take Brayker and The Collector to the police station since both cars were stolen, The Collector kills him with a powerful punch. However Brayker uses the relic to expel The Collector to outside and he uses his blood on the soil to create demons. However Brayker uses blood from the relic to protect the inn. The Collector is unable to get in the place and uses his power to tempt each person inside the inn. Who will win the battle between good and evil?

"Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight" is a funny entertainment with a story of a fight between good and evil. Fans of the TV show will certainly enjoy the long episode. Billy Zane is hilarious in many moments and steals the show; William Sadler good as usual; the sexy Brenda Bakke performs Cordelia that seems to be a laboratory to Selena Coombs from "American Gothic"in the same year. Unfortunately for the fans only this film and "Bordello of Blood" (1996) have been made and this wonderful franchise is finished. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Os Demônios da Noite" ("The Demons of the Night")

Note: On 09 November 2020, I saw this film again.

I've seen uncensored episodes of "Tales from the crypt", with well-known actors like Joe Pesci, Tom Hanks, Michael J. Fox and so on that were extremely gory. I wonder if these episodes were ever shown on American television in these uncut versions. But they were great. And this is one of those kind of episodes. After seeing some (censored) episodes that were no more scary than an average Twilight Zone episode, that's a relief.

A mysterious man is chased by demons into a house occupied with people and all hell breaks loose, literally. It's a slick version of Evil Dead with more advanced special effects and more professional acting, and everything is presented with tongue in cheek, especially the evil character played by Billy Zane, who looks like a cowboy drifter.

A lot of fun for horror fans, but a bit forgettable as well.

Cartoonish comic book schlock horror fun and games with tons of gore and a generous side of bouncing boobs. What's not to like?

I didn't have very high expectations for this movie, which was supposed to be, more or less, a kind of light horror for young adults and teenagers. The film was made as a follow-up to a television series, as well as two older films that I've covered before. Unlike the previous films, which have about five short horror stories, this film sought to develop just one and make a feature film out of that. It didn't work out: despite the technical merits and a good cast and crew, the feeling that remains is that the plot has been stretched to the maximum.

In this film, we follow a single night in a decaying roadside motel where, by chance, seven people are gathered when a mysterious traveler arrives. He is Brayker, and he will try to keep a low profile until another character arrives, threatening him and unleashing a chaos that leaves everyone confined to the house. This figure, whose name we never got to know, is willing to do anything to obtain the Key, an ancient and powerful relic that Brayker carries.

As I said, the film has its merits, and it's a lot better than a lot of the crap out there... but needs a more juicy story that can sustain the length without making us feel that all could be solved in the 45 minutes of a TV episode. Another problem I felt is the religious issue: the film wants to follow a fight between good and evil, God vs. Devil etc. And assumes that Brayker's relic is indirectly linked to Jesus and the Collector is, in fact, a "high-ranking" demon. However, the name of Jesus is never mentioned, being treated simply as Carpenter, and this association is somewhat putted aside. Respect? An attempt to avoid shoving religion into the film? Maybe, but I don't think it worked out. Also, a final note to the poor use of the love subplot involving the characters Cordelia, Roach and Wally, which could have helped to offset the weakness of the main plot.

The cast is truly lavish for the kind of film it is: William Sadler was very good and competently secures the main character, but it's Billy Zane who steals all the attention with an excellent performance, full of dark humor. You can see how much he is enjoying doing his job. Jada Pinkett Smith, still far from the big hits, has also done an impeccable job here. The film also has the exquisite additions of CCH Pounder and Thomas Haden Church.

On a technical level, the film bets heavily on creating a gloomy atmosphere, wisely taking advantage of a good setting and a suitably dark cinematography, which seeks to make the best use of the light points and the framing. This works really well, but the main dish, as far as horror is concerned, is the special effects and visuals, quite gore and full of artificial blood and slime. Some scenes are explicit enough to make you forget about popcorn for a while, and the malevolent and hideous creatures that appear around here are pretty good. However, it lacks a good soundtrack that helps to wrap everything up and there are too many scenes that are too long or absolutely unnecessary, but that have passed quietly on the editing table to lengthen the film, which drags on like fresh molasses from a moment on.