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Time to Revisit…’Tales From the Crypt: Demon Knight’

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Ever wonder why some of your favorite lesser-known horror movies sit idly by while other films seem to capture all the glory? I know I do. That’s why I’ll be taking a look at a few horror movies over the next few days and weeks that I feel merit much more appreciation than they’ve actually received. Further, I’ll be holding these under-appreciated gems up against the examples of much more prominent similar movies to make my case for why they deserve a reappraisal.

In this edition, I take a look at the overlooked 1995 supernatural horror flick Tales From the Crypt: Demon Knight and discuss why fans of Sam Raimi’s first two Evil Dead entries – as awesome as those movies are – could maybe stand to throw a little recognition in the direction of Ernest Dickerson’s dust-collecting mini-classic.
Beloved Favorites: The Evil Dead (1981) and Evil Dead II (1987)

Number of votes on IMDB: 49,409 and 47,475, respectively

The Plots: An assortment of individuals, led by valiant protagonist Ash, become stranded in a remote cabin and must do battle with an evil force capable of possessing the bodies of the living and transforming them into murderous demons.

Why they’re so celebrated: While tonally quite different from one another, the first two films in the Evil Dead series are landmarks of the horror genre and famous for kick-starting future Spider-Man director Sam Raimi’s career. Their “D.I.Y.” origins, over-the-top grotesqueness and willingness to “go there” (I’m particularly referring to the infamous “tree rape” scene in the first entry) won over legions of hardcore genre fans, and in subsequent years the films have become widely accepted as horror classics by both top-shelf movie critics and more mainstream filmgoers. Not to mention, they are regularly cited as major influences by several future auteurs of the genre.

Why it’s time to backburner them for awhile: Make no mistake: I am in no way suggesting that Evil Dead 1 and 2 are bad movies, or somehow undeserving of the praise they have received. They are, in fact, excellent films, and they’ve proven remarkably influential on subsequent generations of independent filmmakers. But that’s just the thing: we all know they’re great, we all recognize their importance in the scheme of the horror genre, and many of us have probably watched each of them at least half a dozen times. Maybe it’s time to take a step back for a bit? Revisit a similar title that doesn’t garner near the amount of recognition as the Evil Dead films but perhaps deserves a little more appreciation? Possibly a film like…

Undervalued Also-Ran: Tales From the Crypt: Demon Knight (1995)

Number of votes on IMDB: 6,942

The Plot: An assortment of individuals, led by a mysterious stranger named Frank, must fend off a horde of monsters in a remote boarding house when the Collector, a vicious demon disguised as a man, comes to retrieve a mystical artifact from Frank’s possession that has the power to open the gates of Hell.

Why it’s not so celebrated: The first of a planned trio of Tales From the Crypt spin-off films, Demon Knight posted respectable enough box-office and home-video sales/rental numbers to warrant a second (though essentially unrelated) entry in the series – the inferior Dennis Miller vampire flick Bordello of Blood – but it nevertheless failed to make much of a dent in the popular consciousness. Though it certainly has a few admirers, it’s now generally viewed as a failed experiment at extending the Tales from the Crypt brand into a successful theatrical franchise. It also debuted at a time in which the horror genre was at a relative low point both artistically and commercially, with Scream nearly two years away and the slasher boom of the `80s long since relegated to the cultural dustbin.

Why it deserves a revisiting: Ok, I’ll admit that director Ernest Dickerson (Bones, The Walking Dead) is no Sam Raimi – he doesn’t possess near the amount of stylistic panache – but with Demon Knight he managed to deliver a fun, solidly-crafted supernatural horror flick that stands as one of the most underrated genre entries of the `90s. Blessed with a very good cast including Billy Zane, William Sadler, Thomas Haden Church, and CCH Pounder (Jada Pinkett is in it too) and sporting some genuinely impressive (and wonderfully gory) practical effects work, Dickerson admirably balances the horror and comedic elements in a way that doesn’t feel forced.

The film also boasts some sharply-drawn (though expectedly broad, given the genre) characters and a mythology surrounding the central MacGuffin (a mystical key containing the blood of Christ) that works surprisingly well. While the film doesn’t reach the same manic heights as the Evil Dead films, it’s still a fast-paced, energetic ride that’s definitely worth a (second?) look for anyone who counts themselves as fans of Raimi’s early work.

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Editorials

5 Deep Cut Horror Movies to Seek Out in April 2024

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horror
Pictured: 'The Uncanny'

New month, new horror recommendations from Deep Cuts Rising. This installment features selections reflecting the month of April 2024.

Regardless of how they came to be here, or what they’re about, these past movies can generally be considered overlooked, forgotten or unknown.

This month’s offerings include telepathic plants, ecological horrors, and a lot of killer cats.


The Uncanny (1977)

horror

Pictured: The Uncanny (1977)

Directed by Denis Héroux.

The Uncanny is a two-for kind of deal: it works for both National Pet Day (April 11) and Tell a Story Day (April 27). Here we have Peter Cushing‘s character talking at length about the evils of cats, with his three examples fleshing out this singular anthology. And while this film is often mistaken for an Amicus production, it was, in fact, made by The Rank Organisation. However, Amicus co-founder Milton Subotsky was also a co-producer.

The Uncanny has a tendency to be one-note in its execution and story styles; vengeful felines come up more than once in the film. Even so, these macabre, cat-centric segments told in EC Comics fashion are more entertaining than not.

Watch The Uncanny at streaming sites such as SCREAMBOX.


The Kirlian Witness (1979)

horror

Pictured: The Kirlian Witness (1979)

Directed by Jonathan Sarno.

The Kirlian Witness (also known as The Plants are Watching) fits the bill when looking for something to watch on International Plant Appreciation Day (April 13). Similar to Eyes of Laura Mars, this film’s story is built on pseudoscience. More specifically, Kirlian photography. Nancy Snyder‘s character Rilla hopes to use this technique — revealing the energy field, or aura, of people and other animate things — to solve her sister’s murder. However, the only witness to the sister’s death, apart from the mysterious killer, is a plant. Rilla’s bizarre investigation eventually leads her to a startling discovery.

Jonathan Sarno’s film is a certified slow-burn, but it’s also intriguing and good-looking. This oddball of crime-solving horror is, at the very least, unique.

The Kirlian Witness is available for rental/purchase (under its alias) at digital retailers like Apple TV.


Scream for Help (1984)

horror

Pictured: Scream for Help (1984)

Directed by Michael Winner.

For Scream Day this year (April 24), why not visit Scream for Help? In this teenage thriller filtered through Death Wish, a Nancy Drew type suspects her stepfather is up to no good. And when her suspicions are proven right, she and her mother have to fight for their lives.

Scream for Help had the makings of a standard ’80s teen-slasher, but this turned out to be more like an “afterschool special meets home invasion” flick. And a hilarious one at that. It was likely not Michael Winner’s intention for this film to be so laugh-a-minute — star Lolita Lorre, bless her heart, has the funniest deliveries — however, trying to keep a straight face during his cinematic hot mess is impossible. Tom Holland‘s script was straight up murdered. Still and all, this is an entertaining disasterpiece that would have been an entirely different film had the original director, Richard Franklin, stayed on (rather than going off to direct Link).

The HD restoration of Scream for Help is available on Blu-ray from Scream Factory, but the digital version is standard-def.


Penumbra (2012)

Pictured: Penumbra (2012)

Directed by Ramiro García Bogliano & Adrián García Bogliano.

While it’s advised not to stare at the sun during the solar eclipse on April 8, fans of satirical horror are encouraged to give Penumbra, an Argentinian-Mexican film featuring an imminent solar eclipse, a watch. The unsubtle artwork suggests a straightforward survival story, however, the actual product is quite different and twisty. Cristina Brondo plays a prickly businesswoman who may have made her last sale; her new client has ulterior motives.

Surely some viewers will be put off by the protagonist of Penumbra, whose behavior in anticipation of the ominous eclipse is problematic. Yet, strangely enough, her being an imperfect victim adds something to the film, whereas a more pristine character would have made the whole experience less gripping.

Penumbra is currently available on AMC+.


Strange Nature (2018)

Pictured: Strange Nature (2018)

Directed by James Ojala.

For a less known eco-horror film to watch this Earth Day (April 22), Strange Nature tells its story with both urgency and force. Here, the late Lisa Sheridan (of FreakyLinks) played a struggling single mother looking into a local anomaly: mutated frogs. Soon enough, the cause of this abnormality extends beyond the water and creates other threats for the town’s human residents.

This truly indie production has its obvious limitations, yet the story — one based on a real life incident in Minnesota — and characters compensate for any visual flaws. The practical effects for the mutant beast are also admirable, given the meager resources available.

Strange Nature is currently streaming on Tubi.


No genre is as prolific as horror, so it’s understandable that movies fall through the cracks all the time. That is where this recurring column, Deep Cuts Rising, comes in. Each installment of this series will spotlight several unsung or obscure movies from the past — some from way back when, and others from not so long ago — that could use more attention.

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