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Makeup and special effects wizard John Carl Buechler, who contributed to Re-Animator, Hatchet, From Beyond, and Directed Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood, helms this low-budget B horror film.
The movie starts with a comic book artist, played by horror legend Jeffrey Combs, who is hard at work on some drawings. He accidentally brings to life one of his creations. This is a hideous horned devil bear monster that kills a young girl behind him. Childress (Combs) burns the beast but, in the process, kills himself in the fire.
Fast forward 30 years, and we are introduced to Whitney Taylor. She is a young artist whom Childress inspired. She wants to go live in the small art college where he died in creating his last art piece. The house is run by a cranky old bitty, played by Lily Munster actress Yvonne De Carlo, and is full of eclectic art students. Including one girl that seems just to be a thorn in her side for no other reason than to be a bitch. Whitney has a vivid imagination and imagines scenes of zombies killing girls on altars.
She dives headfirst into her art, and soon, the cellar dweller beast comes back from his grave to quench his bloodthirst. It probably has to do with the fact that she has become obsessed with his creature and the satanic book she pulls inspiration from. So anyone in the house that pisses her off, she starts to draw them being terrorized by the cellar dweller. The only problem is….. that art imitates life.
The best part about this film is the excellent special effects, creature animatronics, and rubber suit greatness. Not that that’s bad at all! It’s just a product of low-budget 80s horror, which gives it that certain endearing charm. Imagine a comic book-inspired and much less Irish version of Rawhead Rex. There is no weird ritualistic sexual discharge to be found here, though.
This film was also included in the Arrow Empire Video Box Set. Full of special features, a new transfer, scene cards, and a poster. The extra commentaries and documentaries on the effects are well done as well.
