This is a film that is often overlooked when people are reviewing the best horror films of the 90's and this is something I don't understand. First of all, it was produced as a feature-length "Tales From The Crypt" episode complete with gore and was released theatrically. I was so happy to see this in the theatres and it certainly delivered on everything I was expecting from it. Second, it has all the elements of a great popcorn horror flick that doesn't try to be deep and just delivers a gory good time with a familiar trapped-in-a-house setting, a great cast, and some impressive creature effects. I have always held this flick in high regard as one of the better horror flicks of the 90's and a fine translation of this much-loved TV series to the silver screen.

William Sadler (The Shawshank Redemption) stars as Brayker, a 'demon knight' who carries a blood-filled key and is trying to protect humanity from the underworld. Hot on his trail is The Collector (Billy Zane - The Phantom), a demon in the form of a human who wants Brayker's key as it will complete a cycle that will unleash the forces of darkness. The chase leads Brayker to an old decrepit hotel where his plans of resting for the night are thwarted when The Collector shows up and creates a platoon of demons to try to get the key. The small group of hotel residents consisting of an older lady (CCH Pounder), a weird postal worker (Charles Fleischer - the voice of Roger Rabbit), a drunk (genre vet Dick Miller), a hooker (Brenda Bakke), a badass (Thomas Haden Church - Spider Man 3), and a young female delinquent (Jada Pinkett) must decide if they are going to believe Brayker and help him in his fight to save the world or if they are just going to save their own asses. Not helping matters is the ability of The Collector to get into people's heads and charm them with their personal fantasies (one of which involves a topless Chasey Lain and a bevy of other babes) and the fact that there are a number of ugly powerful demon monsters lurking about that can only be killed by destroying their eyes.

This is one of those movies that rocks through its running time and feels like it is over very quickly. When there is a break from the action, the movie is still engaging because Sadler is very convincing as an unlikely hero and Zane gives us one of the most charming and funny villains in the horror genre. The way Zane seemed to relish the role comes through and you can't help but be smiling most of the time that he is onscreen. He is also able to be scary and menacing when he needs to be and he doesn't let the comedic elements rule the character. Thomas Haden Church also deserves mention as the scene-stealing Roach who is at odds with Brayker and doesn't like being told what to do. Director Ernest Dickerson (Juice, "The Walking Dead") utilizes the talent of the actors and lets them work off each other to build the tension as they try to survive the night. Dickerson has a great feel for pacing as whenever the film begins to feel as though it is slowing down, he throws in a demon attack to pick it up again. Gorewise, we get all kinds of goodies from a severed arm to a punch through a head to eyeballs being knocked out of a demon's skull.

A "Tales From The Crypt" film would not be complete without an appearance from The Cryptkeeper who opens and closes the film as per the custom. While these wraparounds could have been a little funnier, they still do the job and even provide some boobs in the first few minutes of the film (courtesy of Peggy Trentini). You can also spot John Larroquette ("Night Court") in the opening sequence as the slasher. Judging by this film, I was looking forward to a whole series of "Tales From The Crypt" movies but the only other ones were Bordello of Blood (which was weak in comparison) and Ritual (which was intended to be part of the series and then changed to a standalone flick after Bordello bombed). The makeup effects for Demon Knight were created by Todd Masters who has enjoyed a long and busy career in the industry. (Josh Pasnak, 5/9/13)

Directed By: Ernest Dickerson.
Written By: Ethan Reiff, Cyrus Voris, Mark Bishop.

Starring: William Sadler, Billy Zane, Jada Pinkett, Brenda Bakke.