I Hate Critics 1995: 'Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight'

Tales from the Crypt Demon Knight

Directed by Ernest Dickerson

Written by Mark Bishop, Ethan Reiff, Cyrus Voris

Starring William Sadler, Billy Zane, Jada Pinkett

Release Date January 13th, 1995

Published January 14th, 2025

It’s rare when we at the I Hate Critics Podcast 1995 are genuinely surprised by a movie. It’s especially shocking when a 90s horror movie is that surprise. Generally speaking, the horror genre was not in a great place in the early to mid 1990s. Thus, our expectations for the Tales from the Crypt spin-off flick, Tales from the Crypt Demon Knight were exceedingly low. Sure, the cast is chock full of some of the great that-guy/that-girl actors of the 1990s, but that’s no guarantee of quality when you’re dealing with horror in the 90s.

What a delight then to find that Tales from the Crypt Demon Knight embraces a silliness and break neck pace that cover for the low budget and ambitions at play. Demon Knight centers on Frank Brayker (William Sadler), a so-called Demon Knight. Frank has been tasked with protecting a key that can keep demons at bay. The key carries the blood of previous Demon Knight’s all the way back to the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross. Frank is being pursued by The Collector (Billy Zane) , a powerful demon who needs the key to rain darkness down upon the world.

With the stakes set, we arrive at our main location for the action, a former mission turned into a flophouse motel in some desert town. Here we have a collection of lowlifes, townies, and drunks who will make up our colorful cast of cannon fodder. C.C.H Pounder is Irene, the owner, Jada Pinkett is the ex-con turned hotel clerk, Jerilyne. Brenda Bakke is the resident sex worker, Cordelia, while the voice of Roger Rabbit, Charles Fleischer is Wally, a postal worker who exists to impotently worship Cordelia and provide a punchline about ‘going postal.' And finally, there is the aptly named Roach, played by Thomas Haden Church, a low life you can almost smell through the screen.

When Frank arrives with The Collector after him and a pair of bumbling police officers in tow, we are off to the races for a story full of gross out demons, heads getting punched through, arms being ripped off, and other such gory nonsense. At the heart of it all is Billy Zane having the time of his life as The Collector, Zane is an absolute hoot as he pouts and preens and seduces the various denizens of this deadbeat motel. It’s claimed by Billy Zane that this role landed him the villain role in Titanic and whether that’s true or not does not matter, it’s a wonderfully colorful anecdote that suits Zane’s cheeky, sleazy performance in Demon Knight.

There is a wonderful anecdote about Zane getting cast in Demon Knight and startling the producers upon his arrival on set. No one knew Zane was bald before they met him, he’d shaved his head on a whim during his previous film. Thus, according to director Ernest Dickerson, and Zane himself, Zane rocked up to the production office bald and carrying a suitcase full of wigs. Opening the case on the producer’s desk, Zane asked which wig they preferred. As it turned out, the bald thing worked for Zane and that’s what they went with.

Demon Knight is demented in the best possible ways and I should have expected that. The Tales from the Crypt TV series was always rather demented. I’m not personally familiar with the show but I have read critic Nathan Rabin’s series of reviews of Tales from the Crypt, and Demon Knight carries the same irreverent dedication to both horror and upending horror expectations. Naturally, the Cryptkeepr kicks off and closes Demon Knight and lets you know right off the bat that this will not be any typical 90s horror flick.

Tales from the Crypt Demon Knight is no masterpiece but, by the standards of a B-movie horror flick, it’s top notch. I forgot to mention that Dick Miller is in the cast of Tales from the Crypt Demon Knight and the call back to his work with Roger Corman is quite brilliant. That’s the vibe for Demon Knight, a dash of Roger Corman, a dash of modern, for 1995, gory special effects, and a knowing sense of humor where everyone is in on the joke and still committed to delivering the earnest elements of a traditional horror movie. And all of it wonderfully woven together with wit and humor by director Ernes Dickerson, a pros pro of a director.

Tales from the Crypt Demon Knight is the latest film to feature on the I Hate Critics 1995 Podcast, a spinoff of the I Hate Critics Movie Review Podcast. Each week, myself along with Gen-Z’er M.J and Gen-X’er Amy, watch and review a movie released 30 years ago that weekend to examine how movies and culture have changed in just a mere three decades. We’re in our third year and it’s been a weird ride with far more bad movies than good. Thus, we love movies like Demon Knight that much more, good movies on the show have been a stunning rarity.