13 Facts You PROBABLY Didn't Know About 'TALES FROM THE CRYPT: DEMON KNIGHT' (1995)
Today marks the 27th Anniversary of Tales From The Crypt: Demon Knight and with that we thought what better way to celebrate then to revisit the film and find out a few facts you PROBABLY missed.
‘Demon Knight’ was released on this day in 1995 and directed by Ernest R. Dickerson and written by Ethan Reiff, Cyrus Voris, Mark Bishop
The cast was a great one with Billy Zane, William Sadler and of course Jada Pinkett (before she was Smith).
Now without further adeu, here are
13 FACTS YOU PROBABLY DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT ‘TALES FROM THE CRYPT: DEMON KNIGHT’
The Film Was Tied To Traditional “Horror Holidays”
Purposely released on Friday, January 13 because the Tales From The Crypt movies were originally to be tied with traditional "horror weekends" such as Friday the 13th or Halloween.
Jada Almost Lost Out To Cameron Diaz
The studio originally wanted Cameron Diaz for the role of Jerryline, but director Ernest Dickerson convinced the producers to cast Jada Pinkett instead.
The Film Originally Had No Ties To Tales From The Crypt
"Demon Knight" was a script that had been circulating in Hollywood for a number of years. Although it wasn't adapted from E.C. Comics and lacked the standard morality play, the producers decided it had the right mixture of horror and humor to be produced as a Tales from the Crypt spin-off movie.
The Demons Glowing Blood and Eyes Were Made Out Of Everyday Materials
The green slime was taken from Glowsticks which the FX crew disassembled. The same technique was used for PREDATOR.
The Church Set was Actually Built For Planes
The entire set was constructed practically in an abandoned airport hanger in Van Nuys, California. Since the bulk of the film was set over the course of a single night, this allowed the crew to shoot during the day.
There Were 2 More Films Tied To Tales From The Crypt Before They Were Replaced
At the end of the closing credits, the Cryptkeeper announces the forthcoming feature "Dead Easy," which was intended to be the second film in a Tales from the Crypt theatrical trilogy. "Dead Easy" (aka "Fat Tuesday") was a zombie story set in New Orleans, but it was eventually abandoned, and the third film, "Body Count," also went unproduced. Ultimately, a "Tales from the Crypt" trilogy was completed, with "Demon Knight" being followed by Bordello of Blood (1996) and Ritual (2002).
Did You Catch The Name Of The Town?
The name of the town the film ends up in is named Wormwood. Star Wormwood is considered one of the signs of the Biblical Apocalypse.
Postman Wally Was About To Go On A Rampage!
Wally Enfield, is a recently fired postal worker. The remaining protagonists find a large collection of guns in his home, realizing that Enfield intended to attack the post office. This is likely a reference to several real-life spree killings perpetrated by maniacal postal workers from the late 1980s onward.
Jimmy Hoffa Makes A Cameo In The Film
After the story has ended, the camera pans downwards through the earth into the Crypt-Keeper's "home" for the closing shenanigans. As it passes through the earth, you can see a skeleton's hand with a bunch of keys connected to a name tag that reads "Hoffa", a reference to Jimmy Hoffa, the famous leader of the Teamster's union who disappeared under mysterious circumstances near the Detroit suburb of Bloomfield, Michigan in 1975. Hoffa's disappearance has led to decades of speculation about where his body was disposed of, either by burial or other means.
How Many “Collectors” Did You Spot?
In this film there are four Collectors. The first one was in the crucifixion scene, the second one was after Frank Brayker shot the Nazi soldier, the third one was played by Billy Zane and the fourth one was the man in Black waiting at the bus stop.
Nobody Knew The Sex Of The Cat!
Chloe the cat is referred to as both a male and female cat. Irene calls it "him", while Jeryline calls Chloe "her".
Where Did The Extra Ammo Come From?
When the group is huddled at the top of the stairs, Braker asks Deputy Bob how he is doing on ammo. The Deputy checks his revolver and says "Not so good...4 shots left." Later, when the Collector gets past the bloodshield, and the Demons are convening on the group, Deputy Bob yells at Braker and the others to get into the attic while he covers the rear. While the others are climbing into the attic, Deputy Bob fires off six rounds at the demons, instead of four.
If You Have The DVD or VHS You Have Something Special
At the end of the credits, there is a short sequence of The Cryptkeeper asking the audience why they are still there and then inviting them to see the next Tales From the Crypt theatrical release “Dead Easy”
This sequence existed on the VHS and DVD releases of Demon Knight, but was removed on the Laserdisc and Blu-Ray versions of this film.
And just as a added bonus, here is Billy Zane being amazingly charming…and evil.
Stay up to date with “The Dark Side Of Pop Culture” by following MacabreDaily on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
