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Directed by: Gilbert Adler & Ernest Dickenson Starring: William Sadler, Billy Zane, Jada Pinkett In Demon Knight, a mysterious stranger (William Sadler) shows up at the door of a dingy small-town hotel to shack up. He is found by another mysterious man known as The Collector (Billy Zane), who soon reveals himself as a demon. The Collector is after a special key held by the stranger, filled with the blood of previous demon slayers, blah blah blah. Demon Knight is a full-length movie adaptation of the much-beloved Tales From The Crypt series from the early 90s. If you watched the show, you'll know just what to expect. The story starts off as normal "survive the night, kill inhuman monster" fare. But it soon becomes as overdramatic and maladroit as a poem by a high school goth, full of lame-rear end religious allegories and over-seriousness. It's as if the writers were trying to use the exposure as a springboard to something more prestigious in the Hollywood food chain, like writing jingles for car air fresheners or cleaning the bathroom on the set of a UPN sitcom. Luckily, the good parts of this movie save it from the writer's exhibitionism. Billy Zane is absolutely tremendous in his role as The Collector, busting through the grim ambiance with his surreal, dream-controlling demon. It's a drat shame this guy hasn't gotten any high-profile gigs since this time (besides Titanic) because he shows off some serious acting chops. I mean it, this guy is like the B-movie Gregory Peck. The puppetry is excellent, the camera works well within the claustrophobic environment and hell, there are even some tits sprinkled throughout like prizes in a cereal box. So, boils and ghouls, if you can survive through The Cryptkeeper and his ghostly loving puns, Demon Knight is a squealy decent horror\comedy. Christ, now I'm doing it. RATING: 3 PROS: Billy Zane, good technical chops, NO CG CONS: Story tries too hard, The Cryptkeeper is such a tool ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114608/
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May 13, 2004 19:37
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| # ? Apr 20, 2024 10:08 |
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Perfect for the Cryptkeeper's theatrical debute (this incarnation anyway, as opposed to the Creepshow version). The violence, sex, slightly over-the-top characters and humor really lives up to the EC comics and television series. I've been missing William Sadler for a long time (he was Death in the second Bill & Ted movie), and he's not wasted in this movie. Breaker is a fidgety haunted man who really just wants to get the gently caress out of there without anyone being killed. Of course, that's impossible, because the Collector, played by Billy Zane, has sealed off the house and infested it with ungodly monsters. This is Zane's finest role, one part the humorous and sociopathic Joker we only get to see in Batman comics, two parts suave and always-tempting Faust. He'll drop puns, make exaggerated mock facial features, do a little dance, and then punch his fist through a cop's skull and order his minions to eat a redneck. His body movements and slapstick make it obvious to any viewer that he was having fun with the role, and most likely you'll be having fun watching him. The story is standard fare, but the backstory is too big and far-reaching. I guess they needed something big and important for their transformation to the big screen. Of course, I never get turned off by self indulgance or exhibitionism, so your mileage may vary. The monsters and effects stay excessive and cartoonish as does the camera work which I really appreciated. I'll have to lay the praise on executive producers Robert Zemeckis or Richard Donner, since neither the director of Demon Knight or the guy in charge of cinematography ever did anything similar while I can recognize the same feeling from The Frighteners, the Back to the Future trilogy, Conspiracy Theory and the Lethal Weapon movies, respectively. I was deciding between a 3.5 and a 4 but I finally decided to round it up because it's fairly underrated. Good comic horror fun. It's too bad Bordello of Blood murdered TftC's future. Knight fucked around with this message at 21:02 on May 13, 2004 |
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May 13, 2004 20:13
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I think I'm biased about liking this movie, as I saw it when I was 12 or 13. Myself and some friends snuck into it when it was playing at the local theater, and the over-the-top action, horror, sex, and violence made me love it. I haven't seen it in a couple of years, but I remember it still being pretty loving awesome the last time I saw it. I wish that Bordello of Blood didn't suck so badly, because I would've loved for more Tales from the Crypt movies like this. Speaking of which, when the hell are they going to put that show on DVD anyway? 4/5
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May 13, 2004 20:35
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Zane's best work to date. His character absolutely makes the movie, not that it wouldn't stand fine without him. It just wouldn't be as fun to watch. Some nice scares, some nice grossouts, some nice effects, and some nice "you loving DESERVE THAT" dumbass characters. All you could want from a popcorn horror flick  4/5 "Get that pussy off the table! ....I meant the cat."
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May 21, 2004 01:09
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I always enjoyed this movie. There really isn't a lot for me to say that hasn't already been said, however. Zane's performance is excellent, the special effects and makeup are both good, and the comedic approach to many scenes(the way the old man is drawn in =) make the movie an enjoyable experience. 3.5
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May 21, 2004 14:07
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