I don´t know about you, but the summer of 1995 was magical for me for a number of different reasons. I was 18 years old at that time ( i had my first serious relationship that summer with Maria, that luckily ended because she slept with 2 of my friends ). The magical part about this is that this relationship ended, and i could just do what i wanted, after what happened. Some of the other good things about the summer of 1995, is that this was the summer when the movie adaptation of Mortal Kombat came out in cinemas. Based on the very popular video game, this film is a fun martial arts action movie that kicked ass, in a very positive way. Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, this is a 90´s delight for fans of classic video games, and who appreciate martial art films. I do think the characters in this film ( based on characters from the video game ), are actually working with the tone of this film. I would still say that this is one of the better films based on a video games, in the action genre. Some of the special effects may look a bit cheesy today, but if you can accept that i still believe you would have a good time with Mortal Kombat. The next thing that came to my mind about the summer of 1995, was that this was the summer when American rock band Garbage released their debut album Garbage, that is according to me their best album. There are so many great songs on this album such as Stupid Girl, I´m Only Happy When It Rains, Milk, and many others. Garbage singer Shirley Manson looks fantastic ( and she still does, i saw her and Garbage live in London back in September, 2018 ), and she have a very powerful singing voice. If you have not heard Garbage debut album, you have to listen to it. It is one of the best albums of 1995, no doubt about that. But there was one more magical moment of this year, and that was the release of Demon Knight, based on the comic book known as Tales From The Crypt. Back in the day, this used to be one of my favourite horror films during this time. And to be honest, i probably have not seen this film since 2007 ( don´t ask me why, i know it sounds strange ). But as i noticed this year that Demon Knight is turning 25 years, i just had tp pick up the Blu Ray release from Shout! Factory and see how i felt about this film after so many years. Is this still one of the best horror films of the 90´s, or has Demon Knight aged a lot and lost some of that magic we felt back in 1995?
On a desert road in New Mexico, The Collector ( Billy Zane ) pursues drifter Frank Brayker ( William Sadler ). The veichles crash and Brayker flees. Local drunk Uncle Willy ( Dick Miller ) takes him to a decomisshioned Church converted into a boarding house. In this boarding house you have the owner Irene ( CHH Pounder ), prostitue Cordelia ( Brendan Bakke ), postal clerk Walle ( Charles Fleischer ) and a convict on work release named Jeryline ( Jada Pinkett ). Frank Drayker warns everyone not to let The Collector in, even if they don´t really believe him at first. As the night goes on, they are about to see that their nightmare is just about to begin.
If you love the TV series of Tales From The Crypt ( just like myself ), i guarantee that you will love this film as well. Demon Knight does not only capture the right tone of the comic books, but this film also deliver some really solid horror entertainment, with a lot of violence and wonderful make up effects. You could say that Demon Knight is actually one of the better horror comic book films made, since Creepshow came out. And this is one thing that i am so proud of this film, that it actually takes the source material serious and still manage to be entertaining as well. There are so many great characters in this film, that i could easily discuss. But let us begin with my personal favourite character, and that is the evil The Collector, played by wonderful actor Billy Zane. The biggest reason why this is one of the best characters in this film, is because of the performance of Billy Zane. I would easily say that this is one of his best acting performances of the 90´s, because he really went all in for this crazy character. The Collector may be a very disturbed personality, but for some reason you can´t help to like this maniac. He is such a powerful character in a film like this, that every scene that he is in feels like a wonderful walk in a park, on a sunny day. Legendary actor William Sadler who plays the drifter Frank Brayker, is a character you feel connected with right from the very beginning. His mission to stop the evil The Collector, and the devotion he have to protect the innocent becomes very clear. William Sadler have done a wonderful job with his character, and he matches really well with the plot of this film. I have to mention actress Jada Pinkett as the bad ass character Jeryline. She may not seem so tough from the beginning, but as the film goes on she really show female empowerment on a high level. The Cryptkeeper is of course here, and does what he do best, entertain the audience in his own unique way. The make up effects of the demons looks really effective, and they do match well with the look of this film. I would say that the make up effects in general works really well with the other actors as well, as some of them become demons themselves. I also think that the story of evil vs good is one detail that works better than i expected, especially with the history influences of the past. Director Ernest Dickerson is clearly inspired by the horror comic books, and he shows that with this horror feast, as he brings out the right tone for a film, right out of The Tales From The Crypt stories. This film is brutal, fun, and most of all a great tribute to 90´s horror. Demon Knight will forever be one of those horror films that will live on with a legacy of great characters, and horror entertainment that could only have been made in this magical time of the 90´s. If you don´t own this film on DVD or Blu Ray yet, let me give you a home school lesson that says:
You shall buy Demon Knight on a physical copy, or you will regret it for the rest of your life.
I think that pretty much says it all, you now know what you must do. A wonderful film for the whole family to enjoy.
Rating: DDDD
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