SFX Legend Todd Masters Shares Rare Concept Art and Images from ‘Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight’
Demonic creature feature Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight, released in theaters on January 13, 1995, turns 30 today. To celebrate its milestone anniversary, the film’s special effects makeup designer and creator Todd Masters (“From,” It Lives Inside, Slither) has spent the day sharing rare behind-the-scenes images and concept art on Instagram. A tongue-in-cheek action-horror […]
Demonic creature feature Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight, released in theaters on January 13, 1995, turns 30 today. To celebrate its milestone anniversary, the film’s special effects makeup designer and creator Todd Masters (“From,” It Lives Inside, Slither) has spent the day sharing rare behind-the-scenes images and concept art on Instagram.
A tongue-in-cheek action-horror hybrid that boasted great practical creature work and a stellar cast from top to bottom, Demon Knight followed ex-solider Brayker (William Sadler) as he’s forced to take refuge in an isolated hotel and find a successor for his biblical quest. Brayker’s last stand becomes ground zero in a high-stakes battle for Earth’s domination. The fight between a ragtag group, led by Brayker and Jeryline (Jada Pinkett Smith), against demonic ghouls led by the charismatic Collector (Billy Zane) is a complete blast from start to finish. Ernest Dickerson’s direction and Todd Masters’ delightful creature designs, plus an ensemble cast with no shortage of memorable performances, iconic scenes, and quotable lines of dialogue, make this ’90s gem a fan favorite.
The stellar designs and work by Masters and his special makeup effects and creature crew contribute a large part of what makes the film so memorable, and Masters has shared some interesting creature designs from the film. That includes an early, unused sketch that presents a vastly different outcome for Danny (Ryan O’Donohue), the young boy who succumbs to possession after reading a comic book found in the attic. In the film, Danny’s transformation heralds the climax as he mortally wounds Brayker, though his shape remains mostly human.
Masters shared rare concept art on Instagram that envisions a much less humanoid version of the demonic Danny.
Masters also humorously revealed some slight tweaks to his demon designs that could’ve earned Demon Knight a very different title thanks to some noticeable anatomy changes: Demon Balls.
Billy Zane’s demonic Collector reveals his Hell form in the final confrontation, and that, too, went through a design phase that could’ve wound up going a vastly different direction. Masters also shared a peek at what could’ve been.
The memories don’t stop there; Masters shares candids from the makeup effects trailer on set, too, giving a closer look at creature designs featured in the film.
Happy 30th, Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight. And fangs for the memories, ghouls.
