Tales From The Crypt: Demon Knight

On a desert road in New Mexico, a powerful demon in human form, The Collector, pursues drifter Frank Brayker. The vehicles crash and Brayker flees. Local drunk Uncle Willy takes him to a decommissioned church converted into a boarding house, where he rents a room and observes the residents: owner Irene, prostitute Cordelia, postal clerk Wally, and a convict on work release named Jeryline. A misogynistic cook named Roach arrives and informs the group about a theft attempt on his employer's car, unaware it was Brayker, and a suspicious Irene calls the sheriff. Sheriff Tupper and his deputy Bob encounter The Collector at the crash site, who convinces them that Brayker is a dangerous thief. At the boarding house, Tupper and Bob learn that Brayker is in possession of an important artifact and that he is carrying false ID. Tupper also gets word from his base that both cars were stolen and he arrests Brayker as well as The Collector. The Collector kills Tupper by punching through his skull. Driven outside by the key-like artifact Brayker possesses, The Collector draws his own blood on the sand and produces a team of demonic creatures.

Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight

Brayker uses blood from the artifact to protect the building and tells the group they must wait out the night. Unable to get in, The Collector uses psychic powers to seduce and possess Cordelia. Cordelia kills Wally and cripples Irene before Brayker kills her. The group attempts to escape through old mine tunnels under the building, where Jeryline finds a boy named Danny hiding. The other townsfolk, under demonic possession, drive them back into the church. The residents demand an explanation, and Brayker reluctantly tells them the history of the key artifact. Following the creation of Earth by God, demons used seven keys to focus the power of the cosmos into their hands. When discovered, God created light, which scattered the demons and the keys across the universe. The artifact that Brayker holds is the last key needed to reclaim power; and to protect it, God had a thief named Sirach fill it with the blood of Jesus Christ. The guardians of the key, immortal while holding it, have since passed it on, refilling it with their own blood when they die. Brayker received the key from his commanding officer during World War I. Danny disappears and Jeryline rallies everyone to look for him, during which Roach sneaks the key out of Brayker's satchel.

In the church attic, Irene and Bob discover that Wally was planning to attack the post office with a trunk full of weapons. The Collector soon possesses Uncle Willy, who attacks the others. While battling Willy, Roach makes a deal with The Collector to trade his life for the key, but The Collector betrays and kills him soon after Roach walks away. Brayker retrieves the key in the battle and Irene and Bob sacrifice themselves to stop the remaining minions. In the attic, The Collector brainwashes Danny, who mortally wounds Brayker before Jeryline kills him. As he dies, Brayker initiates Jeryline as a guardian of the key, deactivating all blood seals. The Collector overpowers Jeryline, taking the key from her. When he offers her a place at his side and prepares to take her heart as a trophy when she silently refuses, Jeryline confronts The Collector and spits blood from the key in his face, causing him to revert to his actual demon form before being destroyed.

Dir. Ernest Dickerson. 1995, 92 mins. DCP. With Billy Zane, William Sadler, Jada Pinkett, Brenda Bakke, C. C. H. Pounder, Thomas Haden Church. A mysterious drifter known as Brayker (Sadler) possesses the last of seven ancient keys that hold the power to stop the forces of darkness and protect all humanity from ultimate evil. But the human race is safe only if Brayker can evade the demonic Collector (Zane), who has gathered the other six keys. In his obsessive quest for the key, the Collector rallies an army of ghastly cadavers against Brayker and the inhabitants of a rundown hotel. Armed with automatic weapons, sacred blood and sadistic humor, Brayker and the strong-willed Jeryline (Pinkett-Smith) lead the other guests in a gruesome battle against the Collector and his evil horde of ghouls.

Bookended by pun-heavy, cheesy Cryptkeeper segments, Demon Knight starts off with Brayker (William Sadler) on the run from The Collector (Billy Zane). The pursuit ends in a car wreck, and Brayker makes his way to a run-down old church which has become a mission for the downtrodden. Inside, he finds no-nonsense manager Irene (CCH Pounder), drunk hobo Willy (Dick Miller), troubled postman Wally (Charles Fleischer), hooker Cordelia (Brenda Bakke), her a**hole boyfriend Roach (Thomas Haden Church), and former thief Jeryline (Jada Pinkett-Smith). The Collector soon arrives with a couple of cops he has conned into helping him, and it becomes apparent that the Collector needs the key artifact that contains the blood of several saints that Brayker has with him. Turns out The Collector is a demon of some sort who dispatches his minions into the mission to retrieve his prize, all whilst preying upon the weaknesses of the people inside to tempt them over to his side.

The tale begins with a car chase into a town called Wormwood, a man named Brayker (William Sadler: The Mist 2007, Iron Man 3 2013), on the run from a demon who calls himself The Collector (Billy Zane: Titanic 1997, The Phantom 1996). This has been going on for several years, all for an artifact which has been keeping demons from taking over the Earth, initializing the biblical apocalypse. He seeks temporary shelter in an old church, now ran as a local motel, currently housing a small group of people. Among those in the group are Jeryline (Jada Pinkett Smith: Scream 2 1997, The Nutty Professor 1996), Irene (C.C.H. Pounder: Orphan 2009, Face/Off 1997), Uncle Willy (Dick Miller: The Terminator 1984, Gremlins 1984), Roach (Thomas Haden Church: Spider-Man 3 2007, Zombie Roadkill TV series), and a few others.

A mysterious drifter known as Brayker (William Sadler) possesses the last of seven ancient keys that hold the power to stop the forces of darkness and protect all humanity from ultimate evil. But the human race is safe only so long as Brayker can evade the demonic Collector (Billy Zane) who has gathered the other six keys. In his obsessive quest for the key, the Collector rallies an army of ghastly cadavers against Brayker and the inhabitants of a run-down hotel. Armed with automatic weapons, sacred blood and sadistic humor, Brayker and the strong-willed Jeryline (Jada Pinkett-Smith) must lead the other guests in a gruesome battle against the Collector and his evil horde of ghouls. Infested with a talented cast, thrilling special effects and the Crypt Keeper's deadpan delights, Demon Knight delivers diabolical fun and a body of frights.

Not long after Brayker's arrival, a handsome and charming gentleman in a trenchcoat and cowboy hat known only as The Collector (Billy Zane) shows up with Sheriff Tupper (John Schuck) and Deputy Bob (Gary Farmer), seeking a key-shaped artifact that he claims Brayker stole from him. The Collector soon reveals that he's actually a demonic Bounty Hunter and quickly lays siege to the hotel, raising up an army of skeletal minions to aid him in getting his dirty hands on the Key and going about tempting some of the hotel's residents with their innermost desires. Brayker reveals to the residents (well, those who survive the demonic onslaught...) that the Key once contained the blood of Jesus Christ and subsequently that of previous guardians of the Key. The Key can ward off evil if it contains blood, but will bring about The End of the World as We Know It if it runs out of blood and is used by the forces of darkness.

The Collector tears the sheriff's head off and tosses it at Bob, while Brayker retrieves the key. The Collector advances on Brayker and grabs him by the throat, but Brayker presses the key against the Collector's face, burning him and forcing him to let him go. The Collector growls angrily and crashes out the window. Outside, he launches into a brief but angry tirade at the residents, pulling off and tossing aside his coat and cowboy hat. The Collector then cuts his palm and bleeds green goo that he then splashes all over the ground. Within a matter of minutes, an army of skeletal demons emerges from the ground and proceeds to begin attacking those inside the rooming house.

Before the events of the movie, Frank Brayker was a private during World War I. During the war his commanding officer was killed and entrusted baker with an ancient artifact. This artifact was one of the seven keys which, when gathered together, allowed the powers of the cosmos to be harnessed and controlled. The seven keys were originally used by the demons that appeared in the darkness when god created the universe. While possessing the seven keys, the demons could rule over the universe and all living things. When God saw this be created light to banish the demons and separate the keys. In order to prevent the keys from being used, God had chosen holy men to safeguard the keys unto death. These holy men where the demon knights and their blood was used to fill the keys when they died and passed on to others. The key that belonged to Frank Brayker's commander had once been filled with the blood of Jesus as he had died on a crucifix. While Frank held and protected the key he was immune to the effects of age and disease making him biologically immortal but still vulnerable to injury.

Brayker uses blood from the artifact to create seals on the doors and windows, keeping the creatures out, and tells the group they must wait out the night. Unable to get in, the Collector uses psychic powers to seduce Cordelia and possess her. Cordelia kills Wally and cripples Irene before Brayker kills her. The group attempts to escape through old mine tunnels under the building where Jeryline finds young comic lover Danny hiding, but the other townsfolk, under demonic possession, drive them back into the church and upstairs until the seal on the landing stops them. The residents demand an explanation and Brayker reluctantly tells them the history of the key. Danny disappears and Jeryline rallies everyone to look for him, during which Roach sneaks the key out of Brayker's satchel. 041b061a72