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[We Love ’90s Horror] ‘Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight’ is an Undeniable Genre Classic

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The ‘90s often get a bad rap with horror fans. After the numerous successful slashers and creature effects films of the ’80s, the ‘90s offered a different variety of horror fare. Though there were plenty of hits, hidden gems, and misunderstood classics, the ‘90s usually don’t get the kind of love that other decades get when it comes to horror. It’s time to change that.

As the intro to this column states, the appraisal of ‘90s horror is not usually a favorable one. Not only do I hope to remove that stigma by spotlighting numerous films from the decade, but this entry gives me the chance to double down on my refusal of that notion by praising one of the greatest achievements in horror history: HBO’s Tales from the Crypt.

Tales from the Crypt aired for one season in June 1989 with a truncated order of six episodes. However, when the series became a runaway hit with both audiences and critics, the show returned the following year in full force. The EC Comics adaptation wasn’t hindered by censorship standards, and that allowed the creators to go absolutely wild with these pulpy slices of fiendish fiction. John Kassir’s impish embodiment of the Crypt Keeper would go on to become a bonafide cultural icon of the ‘90s, and the show would attract an amazing array of young and seasoned talent. When people say that the ‘90s wasn’t a good decade for horror, they have to be forgetting the incredible success of Tales from the Crypt.

It was such a success that the producers were able to create a theatrically distributed feature film during the show’s run. Instead of taking inspiration from the plethora of EC Comics stories, the movie would be a completely original tale. In fact, the script had been kicking around since 1987 — before it was ever attached to Tales from the Crypt — and finally ended up getting made with Ernest Dickerson in the director’s chair. And when it was all said and done, the world was given Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight.

And it’s one of the greatest horror films of the ‘90s.

The setup is what drive-in connoisseur Joe Bob Briggs would call “spam-in-a-cabin.” Well, in this case, it’s a decrepit boarding house that ends up being besieged by a smooth-talking demon known as the Collector (Billy Zane). He’s hunting down a drifter named Brayker (William Sadler) in order to obtain a mystical artifact that will allow demons to rule all of existence. A supernatural siege movie gets underway, and the wackadoo spirit that was the bedrock of Tales from the Crypt is allowed to flourish in the biggest ways possible.

We have to start off talking about the cast because this is a home run ensemble. William Sadler is appropriately gruff, tough, and mysterious as Brayker. Jada Pinkett gives the character of Jeryline a ton of personality, and her performance completely helps sell her eventual arc. CCH Pounder lends her unflappable badassness to Irene, the caretaker of the boarding house. You have Thomas Haden Church scumming up the joint as the aptly named Roach. And then you get the wonderful pair of Charles Fleischer and Dick Miller doing their dependably great character acting.

But, this movie is owned by Billy Zane as the Collector. It’s not hyperbole to say that this is one of Zane’s absolute best performances. His grasp of the material’s tone is unparalleled, and he relishes every single moment he gets on screen. His ability to juggle between charm, buffoonery, genuine menace, and gleeful evil is a sight to behold. When we talk about the horror icons of the ‘90s, the Collector should be a no-brainer entry on that list.

Thankfully, there is plenty to adore about Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight on top of Zane’s delightful scene-stealing. Todd Masters and his crew get to go hog-wild with the effects. This movie is deliciously goopy, gross, and impressive. Not to mention that Dickerson directs the film with real kinetic energy. He cut his teeth on episodes of Tales from the Darkside and was the cinematographer on Spike Lee’s groundbreaking Do the Right Thing. A clear fan of the genre, Dickerson gets to let loose with the kind of abandon that imbues the movie with the kind of youthful spirit we associate with Tales from the Crypt.

Whenever the discussion of ‘90s horror comes up, there are only a few big releases that most people will highlight. It’s baffling to me that Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight doesn’t get brought up as one of the decade’s best. Between the show’s triumph and the fact that we got two movies out of the brand — spoiler alert: Bordello of Blood is not gonna be featured in this column — we should be trumpeting Tales from the Crypt as one of the best examples of ‘90s horror. And Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight delivers everything that works about the series with the stylish flavor and narrative satisfaction of a feature film.

When we end up cataloging the greatest horror films of the decade, there is no doubt that Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight is going to be in that lineup.

On a related note, check out the brand new documentary Horror Noire on Shudder to see more about Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight and many other excellent films!

Drew Dietsch has been professionally writing about film and entertainment for over a decade. His bylines include FANDOM -- where he was a founding contributor and Entertainment Editor -- Bloody Disgusting, SYFY WIRE, Atom Insider, CHUD, Crooked Marquee and more. He created and hosts GenreVision, a weekly film discussion show at genrevision.com.

Editorials

‘Leprechaun Returns’ – The Charm of the Franchise’s Legacy Sequel

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leprechaun returns

The erratic Leprechaun franchise is not known for sticking with a single concept for too long. The namesake (originally played by Warwick Davis) has gone to L.A., Las Vegas, space, and the ‘hood (not once but twice). And after an eleven-year holiday since the Davis era ended, the character received a drastic makeover in a now-unmentionable reboot. The critical failure of said film would have implied it was time to pack away the green top hat and shillelagh, and say goodbye to the nefarious imp. Instead, the Leprechaun series tried its luck again.

The general consensus for the Leprechaun films was never positive, and the darker yet blander Leprechaun: Origins certainly did not sway opinions. Just because the 2014 installment took itself seriously did not mean viewers would. After all, creator Mark Jones conceived a gruesome horror-comedy back in the early nineties, and that format is what was expected of any future ventures. So as horror legacy sequels (“legacyquels”) became more common in the 2010s, Leprechaun Returns followed suit while also going back to what made the ‘93 film work. This eighth entry echoed Halloween (2018) by ignoring all the previous sequels as well as being a direct continuation of the original. Even ardent fans can surely understand the decision to wipe the slate clean, so to speak.

Leprechaun Returns “continued the [franchise’s] trend of not being consistent by deciding to be consistent.” The retconning of Steven Kostanski and Suzanne Keilly’s film was met with little to no pushback from the fandom, who had already become accustomed to seeing something new and different with every chapter. Only now the “new and different” was familiar. With the severe route of Origins a mere speck in the rearview mirror, director Kotanski implemented a “back to basics” approach that garnered better reception than Zach Lipovsky’s own undertaking. The one-two punch of preposterous humor and grisly horror was in full force again.

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Pictured: Linden Porco as The Leprechaun in Leprechaun Returns.

With Warwick Davis sitting this film out — his own choice — there was the foremost challenge of finding his replacement. Returns found Davis’ successor in Linden Porco, who admirably filled those blood-stained, buckled shoes. And what would a legacy sequel be without a returning character? Jennifer Aniston obviously did not reprise her final girl role of Tory Redding. So, the film did the next best thing and fetched another of Lubdan’s past victims: Ozzie, the likable oaf played by Mark Holton. Returns also created an extension of Tory’s character by giving her a teenage daughter, Lila (Taylor Spreitler).

It has been twenty-five years since the events of the ‘93 film. The incident is unknown to all but its survivors. Interested in her late mother’s history there in Devil’s Lake, North Dakota, Lila transferred to the local university and pledged a sorority — really the only one on campus — whose few members now reside in Tory Redding’s old home. The farmhouse-turned-sorority-house is still a work in progress; Lila’s fellow Alpha Epsilon sisters were in the midst of renovating the place when a ghost of the past found its way into the present.

The Psycho Goreman and The Void director’s penchant for visceral special effects is noted early on as the Leprechaun tears not only into the modern age, but also through poor Ozzie’s abdomen. The portal from 1993 to 2018 is soaked with blood and guts as the Leprechaun forces his way into the story. Davis’ iconic depiction of the wee antagonist is missed, however, Linden Porco is not simply keeping the seat warm in case his predecessor ever resumes the part. His enthusiastic performance is accentuated by a rotten-looking mug that adds to his innate menace.

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Pictured: Taylor Spreitler, Pepi Sonuga, and Sai Bennett as Lila, Katie and Rose in Leprechaun Returns.

The obligatory fodder is mostly young this time around. Apart from one luckless postman and Ozzie — the premature passing of the latter character removed the chance of caring about anyone in the film — the Leprechaun’s potential prey are all college aged. Lila is this story’s token trauma kid with caregiver baggage; her mother thought “monsters were always trying to get her.” Lila’s habit of mentioning Tory’s mental health problem does not make a good first impression with the resident mean girl and apparent alcoholic of the sorority, Meredith (Emily Reid). Then there are the nicer but no less cursorily written of the Alpha Epsilon gals: eco-conscious and ex-obsessive Katie (Pepi Sonuga), and uptight overachiever Rose (Sai Bennett). Rounding out the main cast are a pair of destined-to-die bros (Oliver Llewellyn Jenkins, Ben McGregor). Lila and her peers range from disposable to plain irritating, so rooting for any one of them is next to impossible. Even so, their overstated personalities make their inevitable fates more satisfying.

Where Returns excels is its death sequences. Unlike Jones’ film, this one is not afraid of killing off members of the main cast. Lila, admittedly, wears too much plot armor, yet with her mother’s spirit looming over her and the whole story — comedian Heather McDonald put her bang-on Aniston impersonation to good use as well as provided a surprisingly emotional moment in the film — her immunity can be overlooked. Still, the other characters’ brutal demises make up for Lila’s imperviousness. The Leprechaun’s killer set-pieces also happen to demonstrate the time period, seeing as he uses solar panels and a drone in several supporting characters’ executions. A premortem selfie and the antagonist’s snarky mention of global warming additionally add to this film’s particular timestamp.

Critics were quick to say Leprechaun Returns did not break new ground. Sure, there is no one jetting off to space, or the wacky notion of Lubdan becoming a record producer. This reset, however, is still quite charming and entertaining despite its lack of risk-taking. And with yet another reboot in the works, who knows where the most wicked Leprechaun ever to exist will end up next.


Horror contemplates in great detail how young people handle inordinate situations and all of life’s unexpected challenges. While the genre forces characters of every age to face their fears, it is especially interested in how youths might fare in life-or-death scenarios.

The column Young Blood is dedicated to horror stories for and about teenagers, as well as other young folks on the brink of terror.

Leprechaun Returns movie

Pictured: Linden Porco as The Leprechaun in Leprechaun Returns.

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