CELLAR DWELLER (1988)

DISC 3 OF ENTER THE VIDEO STORE: EMPIRE OF SCREAMS BOXSET FROM ARROW VIDEO

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Cellar Dweller

CELLAR DWELLER (1988)
Directed by John Carl Buechler
Available on Blu-Ray in Arrow Video’s Enter The Video Store: Empire of Screams Boxset

When cartoonist Colin Childess’ demonic, beastly comic creation comes to life, as illustrated in his latest horror comic series Cellar Dweller, the artist confronts the demon monster as they battle.

Thirty years later, Childress’ house is the site of an art colony, where numerous young artists of all different styles live and create their work. A new addition to the art school, Whitney Taylor, seeks to continue the work of Childress by creating a modern version of Cellar Dweller, the comic she loved so much as a kid. Little does she know that the creature her imagination conjures in pen will rise from the page and become reality, creating a story of its own.

A monster movie at heart, CELLAR DWELLER is everything you expect from a cult horror title from the 80’s. A solid, imaginative story of how comic creations come to life is a great plot to open a fantasy horror with, especially when the opening star is Re-Animator‘s Jeffrey Combs. The shot of a satanic beast chasing a young woman, clothes ripped from her body, in the basement of the comic book artist is enough to grab any viewers attention. Fast-forward to the future, and the viewer is eagerly awaiting the chain of events to start again, this time with glorious close-up shots of the beastie, terrifying students and munching on severed feet.

Actress Debrah Mullowney stars as lead character Whitney, whose love of the Cellar Dweller comic book inspired her to take up drawing. With a particularly skill for the comic book style, her hopes and aspirations are to continue the fine work of Childress and what better place then in the home and room where the good artist once occupied. Not everyone in the art academy shares her enthusiasm, with Mrs Briggs (Yvonne De Carlo aka Lily Munster!), the academy’s overseer, particularly aggravated by Whitney’s presence, particularly when a ‘real artist’ could have taken her spot at the colony. To make matters worse for Whitney, her high school nemesis Amanda is also a student at the academy and seems to set out to make Whitney’s presence at the art school a short-lived one. Whitney does, however, find kindred spirits in the form of Phillip (Brian Robbins), an optimistic, fun-loving abstract artist who loves to finger paint, and Lisa (Miranda Wilson), a performing arts student.

Whitney is a fantastic character to lead the viewer into the world of Cellar Dweller, with her passion for the comic book unrivalled, even in the face of her critics. She’s a strong character, but still has her natural weaknesses, which allows the viewer to sympathise with her character. When Whitney decides to draw some Childress-inspired artwork, it inspires the viewer to get involved in her world and imagination. With bullying to contend with, something that many of us have dealt with in our lives, Whitney wants payback and we see the glorious results, until it eventually gets out of hand and unstoppable.

The practical FX of Cellar Dweller is one of the main draws of the film and I’m glad to say the results are fantastic. The satanic beast, with his sharp fangs, is scary yet somehow cute and amusing at the same time, though I wouldn’t like to be on the receiving end of its bloodthirsty claws. It appears some of the shots of the beast are reused over the duration of the film, but this is fine, as the creature is so well crafted up close, and looks pretty intimidating when seen at a distance, towering over its victims.

For lovers of 80’s cinema and cult titles, CELLAR DWELLER is a must-have part of the collection. Much like Dolls, this is horror that charms and has some surprises and gruesome scenes to boot.

Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Cellar Dweller is available on Blu-Ray as part of the Enter The Video Store: Empire of Screams boxset from genre label Arrow Video.

The film has received additional picture restoration and is complete with original lossless stereo audio, giving this beloved B-movie a renewed life on the format.

CELLAR DWELLER – Arrow Video Blu-Ray Special Features

New audio commentary with special make-up effects artist Michael Deak

The Shlock Pit film critics Matty Budrewicz and Dave Wain are joined by Cellar Dweller’s special make-up FX artist, Michael Deak, who inhabited the Cellar Dweller creature suit in the film. Wain and Budrewicz are the perfect hosts for this relaxed and fun interview with Deak. As both experts and enthusiasts of Empire Pictures creations, the duo manage to get a lot out of their guest. It’s clear they know their stuff, and the questions they ask really pull interesting stories and information out of Deak, who himself is a great storyteller. Deak goes into great detail with his answers, and talks about his career, working in Italy, his creations, as well as his experience of working on Cellar Dweller and the approach to creating the movie. A terrific commentary for fans of this film.

Grabbed by the Ghoulies (16 mins)

In this new featurette, The Shlock Pit film critics Matty Budrewicz and Dave Wain host an appreciation of John Carl Buechler, special make-up effects artist of many Empire Pictures films and director of Cellar Dweller and Troll. Set to footage from the films he worked on, and still photography, Budrewicz and Wain provide a fascinating, informative exploration of his career, right from his first film Stingray for which he worked in the make-up department. A terrific overview of this creative genius, crammed full of facts about Buechler’s life and work.

Inside The Cellar – New Interview with Special Make-Up Effects Artist, Michael Deak (16 mins 30 secs)

In this new video interview, Michael Deak talks about his life and start in Fresno and meeting with John Carl Buechler on Ghoulies, who he subsequently ending up working for. He talks about their friendship and what it was like working on projects for Buechler, and how he personally had a good working relationship with Charles Band.

Trailers

The trailers section features the VHS trailer for Cellar Dwellar (1 min 15 secs); More Films By Empire Pictures (11 mins 23 secs) – a trailer reel for Empire Pictures classics Ghoulies, Ghoulies II, Breeders, Eliminators, Crawlspace, From Beyond, and Prison; More Films By Empire Pictures (VHS Mode) (17 mins) – VHS trailers for Ghoulies, Ghoulies II, Eliminators, From Beyond, TerrorVision, Troll, Enemy Territory, Catacombs, Ghost Town and Crawlspace.

Image Galleries

Behind The Scenes (1 min 40 secs) video of stills from behind the scenes of the Cellar Dweller shoot, and Artwork and Stills gallery which has poster art and stills from the movie, 45 in total, which can be cycled through.

Original Sales Sheet

Two-page sales sheet for Cellar Dweller that can be flicked through using the remote.

Original Production Notes

16 pages of production notes for Cellar Dweller that can be cycled through with the remote.

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About Bat 4348 Articles
I love practical effects, stop-motion animation and gore, but most of all I love a good story! I adore B-movies and exploitation films in many of their guises and also have a soft spot for creature features. I review a wide range of media including movies, TV series, books and videogames. I'm a massive fan of author Hunter S. Thompson and I enjoy various genre of videogames with Kingdom Hearts and Harvest Moon two of my all time favs. Currently playing: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Yakuza Zero and Mafia III.

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