Cellar Dweller (1988) Reviews

• Okay horror film.

  HumanoidOfFlesh2001-12-27

  This is a fun little horror film about a comic-book artist played by Jeffrey Combs("Re-Animator","Castle Freak")whose creation comes to life and kills him in 1950's.Now,the monster still hides in the basement of his house,which is a home to a group of artists."Cellar Dweller" is a decent horror film from special effects wizard John Carl Buechler.It's very entertaining and it features some cool gore scenes and funny-looking monster.Check it out,if you like this genre.Nothing special,but it will entertain you!

• Fear the cellar!

  roy-nicholas332004-10-26

  I know, your thinking Cellar dweller? That sounds like a poor sad excuse of a horror film with camp acting and a low budget monster, I don't think i'll bother with that, Well more fool you! Yes it has camp acting and yes it has a low budget monster, but what do you want from a horror movie? Blood, Gore? You sick people! Why not instead get your hands on this comedy horror, Switch your brain off for 85 mins and enjoy this ace movie. I think more people should remember the roots of the 80's horror generation, Its movies like this that made my teens so memorable, along with other stuff too of course but that has nothing to do with movies! Anyway fool as ba from the a-team would say (keeping with the 80's theme) get off your bum and go get a copy of this film, watch it and fear the cellar dweller! Then join my crusade to bring these gems back to life and give this film the top rating it deserves...What you waiting for? Go, Go get it now..

• See, kids, a little imagination is a BAD thing!

  Hey_Sweden2013-11-16

  One can do worse than this if they're partial to the cheese horror of the 1980s, a decade when the genre really came to life. Not that it's anything special at all, but it IS reasonably amusing and thankfully pretty short in duration (78 minutes all told). A production of Charles Bands' Empire Pictures, it's got a cool, gnarly monster, a decent cast, some gore and some suspense, and lots of impressive horror themed comic book art. It even comes up with some twists along the way. It's one of the directorial efforts of makeup effects expert John Carl Buechler, who'd previously helmed "Troll" for Empire. Debrah Farentino, acting here under her maiden name Mullowney, stars as Whitney, an aspiring comic book artist whose inspiration was the reclusive Colin Childress (played by Jeffrey Combs in a regrettably brief cameo appearance). In the opening prologue, Colins' creations manage to come to life and commit murder. 30 years later, his house is an art academy, and Whitney is the latest student. She finds that when her imagination is fired, the panels in her strips likewise take on life. So now she and others at the school are in big trouble. The conclusion isn't altogether satisfying, but getting there, one can still have an agreeable enough time. There are some fun moments, and some hoots to be had. Brian Robbins ('Head of the Class', "C.H.U.D. II: Bud the Chud") is likable as a fellow student, as is Miranda Wilson as Lisa. Pamela Bellwood ('Dynasty') is effectively bitchy as Whitney's rival. Veterans Vince Edwards ("Return to Horror High") and Yvonne De Carlo ("The Silent Scream") are enjoyable to watch. Robbins's father, actor Floyd Levine, has a bit as a cabbie, and experienced monster performer Michael Deak plays the titular Cellar Dweller. In the end, "Cellar Dweller" is forgettable but worth a viewing for genre devotees who want to see as much from this decade as possible. Six out of 10.

• "To contemplate evil is to ask evil home."

  Backlash0072003-01-13

  Cellar Dweller is quite an original horror offering as well as my first Jeffrey Comb's flick. Of course I didn't know it was a Jeffrey Combs movie back then, I didn't even know who Jeffrey Combs was. But, being the huge Tales From the Crypt (if you see the movie you'll know what I'm babbling about) fan that I am, the movie had an impact on me. Cellar Dweller is a very loving tribute to the EC comics that are cherished by many a horror fan. It's also a John Carl Buechler film and he created the Ghoulies. That explains why the Cellar Dweller is simply an oversized Ghoulie (some people even say that he's cute). I spent quite some time looking for this movie and gave up. It's one of those movies you see when you're a kid watching Showtime after midnight and you never expect to see it again (especially since you don't remember the title). Then you run across it in a ghetto Blockbuster years later and you realize that this is the movie you've been looking for, and, indeed, one of your heroes is in it. Great gore effects, gratuitous chewing, and Lily Munster (Yvonne De Carlo) make Cellar Dweller a classic in my book, no matter how many people disagree. "Whenever there is imagination, I will dwell." Note for genre buffs: Look for a Troll and a Ghost Town poster on the walls of the colony. John Carl Buechler did the effects for both of those films.

• Good old Cellar Dweller............ down in the pit......... there's IT!!!

  cool_cool_12006-12-19

  Cellar Dweller (1988) was an 80's horror classic in my book. It was good fun, it had an interesting plot and it's short running time meant that it never outstayed it's welcome, i love 80's horrors and this was one of the memorable ones, for it had a really cool monster, and it starred Jeffrey Combs, and thats a big plus indeed!!! If you like cool low budget monster movies then i highly recommend this fun classic from the late 80's, so if you haven't seen it then i suggest you get on ebay and see if there's any copies on there, if so then go for it!!!! I also recommend Monster in the Closet, that was another fun 80's horror with a cool monster. My score for the Cellar Dweller: 8/10