History Film / DemonKnight

* TheStinger: At the end of the closing credits, the Crypt Keeper appears to ask the audience why they're still there and to tell them to look out for his next movie. (He refers to ''Dead Easy'', which production ultimately never moved forward with.)

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 Tooper (John Schuck) and Deputy Bob (Gary Farmer), seeking a [[ArtifactOfDoom key-shaped artifact]] that he claims Brayker stole from him. The Collector soon reveals that he's actually a demonic BountyHunter 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 [[ThePowerOfBlood 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 TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt if it runs out of blood and is used by the forces of darkness.

* AndStarring: John Kassir as the voice of the Crypt Keeper
* AppliedPhlebotinum: The blood in the key wards off demons, or [[BloodyMurder kills them if they touch it]].

* ArtifactOfDoom: Slight subversion -- the key can ward off demons as long as there's blood in it, but can used by to bring about TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt if it's empty.

-->'''The Collector:''' That whole eyeball shit only works on lesser demons.

** EvilIsSexy: So much so, Billy Zane went with the bald look for a few years.
* BigBad: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted,]] in that the primary antagonist (The Collector) is actually TheDragon for a BiggerBad - {{Satan}} himself.

* BilingualBonus: When Roach says, "Vaya con dios," The Collector replies, "And a vaya con diablos to you, sir!"

* TheCameo: Is that an uncredited John Larroquette I see? He's briefly seen as a slasher movie monster in the Cryptkeeper [[BookEnds book-end segments.]]

-->'''Sheriff''': Well Bob, it's too late to give them a ticket. But if it'll make you feel better, you can shoot their ashes.
* DealWithTheDevil: The Collector tries to bribe or threaten each character into helping him get the key.

* DemonLordsAndArchdevils: The Collector himself distinguishes himself by saying that the eye-ball weakness only applies to "lower-level" demons. His [[OneWingedAngel true form]] is the only demon that we see with wings.

* TheEndOrIsIt: [[spoiler:The Collector is defeated and killed, but a strange man in a black hat starts following Jeryline, who has taken on the duties of guarding the key, on her way out of town.]]

* {{Fanservice}}: Uncle Willy's fantasy.

* {{Flashback}}: A few interspersed to show the key's origins, the first guardian (Sirach) protecting it, and how Brayker eventually came to possess it.
* ForegoneConclusion: In-universe. The Collector keeps telling Jeryline that Brayker is gonna die. [[spoiler: He's right.]]

* GrandStaircaseEntrance: When [[spoiler: Brayker]] dies, and all of the blood barriers vanish, The Collector makes one of these, to a swelling score.

* AHandfulForAnEye: The Collector seems to have the upper hand against [[spoiler:Jeryline... until she spits a mouthful of blood from the key into his eyes. Due to the blood being an extremely diluted mixture of Jesus Christ's, it actually has the effect of acid against the demon]].

* HereWeGoAgain: [[spoiler: After [[FinalGirl Jeryline]] escapes in the end, we catch a glimpse of another Collector, tailor-made for her.]]
* HeroOfAnotherStory: The key's previous guardians - two of whom (Sirach and Dickerson) are shown during brief flashbacks.

* JerkAss: Roach

* LoveableRogue: Jeryline used to be a thief. [[spoiler: Which makes her a superb candidate as a Demon Knight.]]

-->"Homer? This is for five years of minimum wage, you asshole!"

** The temptation the Collector offers to Uncle Willy is a bar fully of nude women offering him beer and making sexual innuendos about "enjoying a long, hard one". And for the kicker, some of them were played by porn stars.

* OneWingedAngel: We do briefly to get to see The Collector's true form [[spoiler: just before he dies]]: a gigantic, skeletal being with a ram's head and enormous wings. [[spoiler: [[MadeOfExplodium He blows up real good]].]]
* OnlyAFleshWound: One character has her arm ripped off early in the film, but she neither bleeds to death nor goes into shock despite never getting the serious medical treatment that surviving such an injury would require.

* OurDemonsAreDifferent
** [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] by The Collector, who ponders just ''who'' makes all these rules.

* ThePowerOfBlood: The key was filled with the blood of Jesus Christ (and later guardians of the key) to prevent the demons from using it. The blood can create barriers and [[BloodyMurder hurt demons]].
* RealityWarper: The Collector, though it's never made clear how much of it is simply him [[MindRape getting into his victims' heads.]]
* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: Being the guardian of the key means you don't age. Brayker is at least a hundred years old. Since the movie doesn't date itself, the fact that Brayker became immortal during WorldWarI just makes him older and older as the film ages.

* ScaryBlackMan: [[spoiler: The Other Collector.]]

--> "You know this [[HellOnEarth Hell on Earth]] business? Big fucking deal! I've got hemorrhoids."

* [[TallDarkAndSnarky Tall, Bald, And Snarky]]: The Collector, as evidenced throughout this page.
* ThematicSeries: Along with ''Bordello of Blood'', making up the ''Tales From the Crpyt'' film franchise even though the two stories have no narrative connection.
* ThemeTuneCameo: The second Collector whistles the ''Tales from the Crypt'' theme tune.

* TitleDrop: Easy to miss, but the Collector actually does use the term "Demon Knight" to refer to the guardian of the key, when he brags no one had ever taken a demon knight alive before.

* WeCanRuleTogether: The Collector makes the offer to Jeryline. Her response is really something to behold.

* YouCantFightFate: [[spoiler: Discussed by Brayker - especially when it comes to the TakeUpMySword.]]

* EvilCannotComprehendGood: The Collector is physically incapable of saying the word "love," which leads to yet another hilarious moment with Billy Zane:

* CantFightFate: [[spoiler: Discussed by Brayker - especially when it comes to the TakeUpMySword.]]

Not to be confused with ''ComicBook/DemonKnights''.

* {{Flashback}}

** And of course, this being a ''TalesFromTheCrypt'' production, we get a wraparound featuring the Cryptkeeper, an animatronic entity that somehow manages to be the largest ham in the history of television.

Not to be confused with ''DemonKnights''.

** Bald Is Sexy: Billy Zane certainly thought so. He went bald for a year or two after the film was released.

* ClusterFBomb: The Collector's rant (see CrowningMomentOfFunny).
* TheCameo: Is that an uncredited John Larroquette I see? He's briefly seen as a slasher movie monster in the Cryptkeeper [[BookEnds book-end segments.]]
-->'''John Larroquette''': Where did they dig this guy up?

* DirtyOldMan: Uncle Willy. If his topless women fantasy wasn't enough evidence, then [[{{kalel32688}} This Troper]] doesn't know what is.

* FoeYay: The Collector and Jeryline. It's pretty one-sided, and The Collector isn't exactly subtle about it.

* AHandfulForAnEye: The Collector seems to have the upper hand against [[spoiler:Jeryline...until she spits a mouthful of blood from the key into his eyes. Due to the blood being an extremely diluted mixture of Jesus Christ's, it actually has the effect of acid against the demon]].

* ImprobableAimingSkills: Since the only thing that destroys demons (other than the holy blood) is a shot in the eyes, Brayker is insanely good at hitting that relatively small target using just about any weapon he gets his hand on. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] in that he does have ThePowerOfGod on his side, and he is at least a hundred years old, giving him lots of time to work on his marksmanship.

* LifeOrLimbDecision: The Collector offers [[spoiler:Irene]] her severed arm in exchange for her soul. On a platter. [[spoiler:Irene]], in a CrowningMomentOfFunny, [[DidYouJustFlipOffCthulhu flips him off]].

* [[NiceJobBreakingItHero Nice Job Breaking It, Jerk Ass]]: Roach nearly brings about TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt simply because he can't resist taking a parting shot at his asshole boss.

** {{Lampshaded}} by The Collector, who ponders just ''who'' makes all these rules.

(Scene: A massive car wreck)

* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: Being the guardian of the key means you don't age. Brayker is at least a hundred years old.