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Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight -
Better than its critical reputation suggests, this is an enjoyably terrifying single-location horror movie that is reminiscent of Night of the Living Dead and From Dusk Till Dawn. In a hotel in middle of nowhere New Mexico, it's Billy Zane's titular baddie, a.k.a. the Collector, vs. William Sadler's Mr. Brayker, a man who has the last key the Collector needs to unleash Hell on Earth. Conveniently, the key contains holy blood that keeps demons out when applied to doors and windows. Along for the ride are the kind of people you need and don't need in a situation like this including a loose cannon former postal employee, a sexual deviant who constantly questions Brayker's motives, etc. If you have seen at least one movie like this one, it should be clear off the bat whether each hotel resident or worker is a friend, a foe or neutral, but the movie will surprise you when it comes to who lives and who dies. I also enjoyed the scenes where the Collector tries to seduce the hotel dwellers to join his cause, each of which are surreal, serve as vehicles for director Ernest Dickerson's creative talent and are sometimes very funny. CCH Pounder's no-nonsense manager and the always-reliable Dick Miller also bring quality comic relief. There are plot holes that the movie tries to conceal, but they stick out like sore thumbs. Also, your mileage may vary with Billy Zane, who is convincing in the seduction scenes, but the rest of his performance made me wonder why he's not mentioned more often in the kinds of the discussions that bring up Crispin Glover and Nicolas Cage. Despite being rough around the edges, horror movie lovers are bound to enjoy it, as is anyone who enjoys movies set in one location, bottle episodes or any other visual content that feeds on claustrophobia. Oh, and how many movies feature Thomas Haden Church saying, "my nipples are smoking?"
Better than its critical reputation suggests, this is an enjoyably terrifying single-location horror movie that is reminiscent of Night of the Living Dead and From Dusk Till Dawn. In a hotel in middle of nowhere New Mexico, it's Billy Zane's titular baddie, a.k.a. the Collector, vs. William Sadler's Mr. Brayker, a man who has the last key the Collector needs to unleash Hell on Earth. Conveniently, the key contains holy blood that keeps demons out when applied to doors and windows. Along for the ride are the kind of people you need and don't need in a situation like this including a loose cannon former postal employee, a sexual deviant who constantly questions Brayker's motives, etc. If you have seen at least one movie like this one, it should be clear off the bat whether each hotel resident or worker is a friend, a foe or neutral, but the movie will surprise you when it comes to who lives and who dies. I also enjoyed the scenes where the Collector tries to seduce the hotel dwellers to join his cause, each of which are surreal, serve as vehicles for director Ernest Dickerson's creative talent and are sometimes very funny. CCH Pounder's no-nonsense manager and the always-reliable Dick Miller also bring quality comic relief. There are plot holes that the movie tries to conceal, but they stick out like sore thumbs. Also, your mileage may vary with Billy Zane, who is convincing in the seduction scenes, but the rest of his performance made me wonder why he's not mentioned more often in the kinds of the discussions that bring up Crispin Glover and Nicolas Cage. Despite being rough around the edges, horror movie lovers are bound to enjoy it, as is anyone who enjoys movies set in one location, bottle episodes or any other visual content that feeds on claustrophobia. Oh, and how many movies feature Thomas Haden Church saying, "my nipples are smoking?"