If ever there was a film treatment that deserved to be pegged as a feature length introduction of the 1990’s “Tales from the Crypt” series it’s “Demon Knight.” One part comedy, one part horror, one part mysticism, and a dash of irony makes “Demon Knight” one of the most entertaining horror romps of the decade with a premise that feels like an epic episode of “Tales from the Crypt” with every bit of comic book novelty you’d expect from something involving the Cryptkeeper. “Demon Knight” much like everything else in the “Tales from the Crypt” brand is a meta-horror comedy that works as a self-aware dose of the genre with a hefty injection of menace to go along with it. While the film does pack a large assortment of laughs and gaffs, it’s also quite scary.
Tag Archives: Satanic
The Devil's Advocate (1997)
When the credits roll, “The Devil’s Advocate” reveals itself to be a massively ambitious but incredibly mediocre supernatural thriller that sanctimoniously dismisses big city, big business, and law as the stomping grounds of the devil, while casting out its protagonist Kevin as evil for leaving the small country and submitting to the potentially successful life in the big city. There, the skyscrapers are empty, the streets are endless, and the folks are demons of excess, vanity, and sheer adultery. Taylor Hackford’s supernatural thriller seems to be built on and around the final monologue of Al Pacino’s character John Milton, who gives a rousing speech about God, sin, and everything else to protégé Kevin.
Demons 3: Books One and Two [Digital]
I really like how these extra additions to these rare limited edition re-releases of the horror classics known as “Dremons” are really intended to connect the mythology. And yes, even in “Demons” a movie without rhyme or reason for being one of the most chaotic horror films ever made, there’s room for a good writer to create a mythology. Set in the world of “Demons 3,” writers Stefan Hutchinson and Barry Keating tell a compelling story in two graphic novels about the rise of Michel and Christopher. Along the way a man named Nostradame is plagued with endless horrible visions of the apocalypse, blood and guts, and endless turmoil caused by the rise of demonic entities that will destroy all of society and civilization.
Drive Angry (2011)
Who knows why a movie about the lone ranger from hell flopped in 2011? No one will ever know. I attribute it to the lack of big name draw and exhaustion with Nic Cage from general movie audiences, but nevertheless, “Drive Angry” is an ambitious and admirably raucous grindhouse throwback that takes the battle of heaven and hell and brings it to planet Earth where a dad comes back from hell to keep his daughter from going to the stomping grounds of Satan. “Drive Angry” is a movie that… well, it’s a movie. It’s a movie that is there and it has no idea who the hell it’s supposed to be marketed to.
The Landlord (2009)
I guess on paper, “The Landlord” seemed like a great concept for a horror comedy. Emil Hyde’s movie starts off simply enough with a sitcom premise with a horror twist about a man living with two demons. The man has to rent out an apartment to keep the demons fed. The demons who reside in his flat have a knack for possessing and devouring the tenants and he has to go back to renting the flat all over again. This can be set up for some raucous laughs and clever twists on the concept, but sadly “The Landlord” is a lethargic and brutally tedious horror comedy that never scary or funny.
Night of the Demons (2009)
I’ll be the first to say that a remake of “Night of the Demons” is pointless. While it is considered a mild classic among horror geeks who remember the video age, that’s about as far as we can go from calling it a classic. It’s a fun party movie. This inane 2010 remake is more brand name exploitation than a remake. Sure it’s called “Night of the Demons,” and features some rather forgettable nods to the original (Diora Baird does a memorable variation of the lipstick-nipple scene, though), but it’s not entirely a remake. In the end though even admirers of the original 1988 horror film (all five of you!) may be able to gladly place this as a companion piece to the original and have some fun with its eighties trash horror comedy style that is never afraid to poke fun at itself but is also never above creeping the audience in to submission.
Circle (2010)
I held out almost little hope for Michael W. Watkins crime thriller slasher film about a Greek mythology obsessed serial killer who has a penchant for gathering and murdering his victims on the basis of fulfilling some need within him to manifest some Greek legend, but “Circle” gradually proved me wrong as it progressed. While it’s not a masterpiece by any definition, it definitely is a solid horror film with some roots in the formula cop sub-genre in which we’re following two mismatched hard boiled cops on the track of the vicious Bennett, a mastermind and genius psychopath who manages to break free from his asylum after ritualistically killing off a group therapy session he was engaging in.