There are so many horror movie monsters that will never get the notoriety they deserve. It will always be the big franchises that take up all the attention with their multiple sequels and charismatic lead antagonists. The creature in this film is cheesy and looks really bad in some scenes. It is the story of an aspiring cartoonist who is unintentionally unleashing a demon through her drawing. Jeffrey Combs (who plays Herbert West in Re-Animator and looks just like that character!) plays Colin Childress, who is the original artist to create the generic creature for this film. Years after his death Debrah Farentino plays the ambitious Whitney Taylor who moves into an artist co-op to follow in Childress's footsteps. Hopefully without the whole murder suicide thing--fingers crossed. John Carl Buechler directed this and though he is mostly a prominent special effects artist he also directed a bunch of movie including Troll from 1988 and Friday the 13th, The New Blood. This is good 80's horror, the effects are better than Troll, and it looks great. It's the story that lacks that something special to pick up the pace just a little. There are plenty of characters that are unique but not that interesting, and the acting and dialog are the low points of the film. I love the comic book art featured in the film. This is the type of film that should be remade, not films that were good originally. I give this a 6 of 10. It won't be for everyone. If you're looking for a good movie, this is not it, but it is fun to watch with some friends.
Cellar Dweller (1988)
Updated: May 13, 2022
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