Jeryline

I've had this image in my head for a very, very long time now. Well, I finally got around to draw it. Now for those of you who don't know who this is, this girl was a character from the cult movie Demon Knight, which was directed by Earnest Dickerson, and was released in theaters in 1995. Jeryline was the soul survivor of the film, and she was played by actress Jada Pinkett Smith, the wife of Will Smith. Now, it's likely that not many of you have heard of this film before. But for those of you who just heard of it for the first time, allow me to introduce you. Well, there's not a whole lot to say since I reviewed the movie a while back, and that it was a cult film that was released back in the mid 90s when Tales From the Crypt went from being a TV series to a movie making studio. And Demon Knight was the first of only three films released by Universal Pictures, which are apart of the now dead Tales From the Crypt franchise. The two other films they released were "Bordello of Blood" (1996), and Ritual (1999). Demon Knight starred not only Jada Pinkett Smith, but other well known actors like Billy Zane, William Sadler, Thomas Haden Church, Dick Miller, CCH Pounder, and Charles Fleischer, who most people know as the voice of Roger Rabbit. Now, I'm not so sure if Jeryline's name is even a real name. Because I have not met a single person who goes by that name. In fact, I'm pretty sure "Jeryline" is a made up name, much like how Daria is a made up name. Or at least I'm pretty sure its made up because I don't know anybody who goes by that name.

But anyway, in the movie, Jeryline was working as a janitor at the motel for payment. She reveals to Brayker (William Sadler) that she's in it to make up for acts of theft. As the Collector (Billy Zane) wreaks havoc on the motel by summoning his army of undead zombies and demons, and turning human victims into his obedient bestial slaves, Brayker finds himself in a tight spot. Now he must protect not only himself and the key, but also the people trapped inside the motel. It was later revealed that Jeryline had the ability to resist the Collector's power when he tried to seduce her. And when Brayker was mortally injured by a possessed child named Danny, he passes the key and the duties of guardian onto Jeryline before he dies. Jeryline then assumes responsibility, and defeats the Collector by spitting the sacred blood into his face, which she held in her mouth from the key. After that, Jeryline leaves the desolate motel and makes her way into a bus. Before the end of the movie, she briefly meets her own demonic nemesis, who doesn't enter the bus because of a blood seal that Jeryline placed at the door. He says "No, it's okay. I'll wait for the next one". Sadly, this is where the story ends. Even though the door was left open for a sequel, no sequel was ever made. So it's pretty much a cliffhanger sort of ending. Because many questions were left unanswered; where did the second Collector come from? Obviously he was tasked with the same mission as his predecessor. But what will become of Jeryline? Will she survive the next battle? Or will she die? And what about the next guardian? Who will she pass the key to when it is time? Who will become the next guardian in case Jeryline doesn't survive? And how will the second Collector be defeated? Sadly, due to the lack of an official sequel, these questions will never be answered. But still, despite that Demon Knight has met with mixed criticism, it's still a classic. And looking back at this movie today, literally 20 years after it was released, I think it still holds up well by today's standards.

Jeryline, Demon Knight, belongs to Universal Pictures.