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Cellar Dweller

  • 1987
  • R
  • 1h 17m
IMDb RATING
5.1/10
3.4K
YOUR RATING
Cellar Dweller (1987)
A comic book artist Whitney Taylor is doomed to repeat history in a most grotesque way when she unleashes a demon after drawing it.
Play trailer1:17
1 Video
86 Photos
FantasyHorror

A comic book artist Whitney Taylor is doomed to repeat history in a most grotesque way when she unleashes a demon after drawing it.A comic book artist Whitney Taylor is doomed to repeat history in a most grotesque way when she unleashes a demon after drawing it.A comic book artist Whitney Taylor is doomed to repeat history in a most grotesque way when she unleashes a demon after drawing it.

  • Director
    • John Carl Buechler
  • Writer
    • Don Mancini
  • Stars
    • Yvonne De Carlo
    • Debrah Farentino
    • Brian Robbins
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.1/10
    3.4K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • John Carl Buechler
    • Writer
      • Don Mancini
    • Stars
      • Yvonne De Carlo
      • Debrah Farentino
      • Brian Robbins
    • 58User reviews
    • 85Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:17
    Official Trailer

    Photos86

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    + 81
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    Top cast9

    Edit
    Yvonne De Carlo
    Yvonne De Carlo
    • Mrs. Briggs
    Debrah Farentino
    Debrah Farentino
    • Whitney Taylor
    • (as Debrah Mullowney)
    Brian Robbins
    Brian Robbins
    • Phillip Lemley
    Pamela Bellwood
    Pamela Bellwood
    • Amanda
    Miranda Wilson
    Miranda Wilson
    • Lisa
    • (as Cheryl Ann Wilson)
    Vince Edwards
    Vince Edwards
    • Norman Meshelski
    Jeffrey Combs
    Jeffrey Combs
    • Colin Childress
    Floyd Levine
    Floyd Levine
    • Taxi driver
    Michael Deak
    Michael Deak
    • The Creature
    • Director
      • John Carl Buechler
    • Writer
      • Don Mancini
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews58

    5.13.4K
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    Featured reviews

    7HumanoidOfFlesh

    Okay horror film.

    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!
    5andy-bradford3

    Good fun

    Cheap and trashy, this film didn't scare but thrilled me with its sense of camp. Yvonne De Carlo is such an underrated actress and is always worth taking a look at. The film is low budget and apart from De Carlo doesn't have any other well known names. The story is very simple a man writes a story about a scary monster. The monster comes to life and kills him but of course that is not the end of the monster. It waits round for more victims... This film may turn up late at night on TV, if it does turn off the lights curl up on the couch and enjoy the next hour or so. The plot cant be taken seriously so just enjoy the absurdities of it. I saw this film on VCR several years ago and cant wait for it to be released on DVD. Yvonne has made several low budget shockers over the years and this has got to be one of the best.
    Catleo_99

    Artistic Horror

    An Interesting film, beginning in the 1950's. A Cartoonist (Colin Childress) finds inspiration from a book of magic spells. Whilst creating his latest comic he accidentally unleashes a creature of pure evil created by his own imagination. Luckily the creature is slain but only at the cost of its creator.

    30 years later a fan of the cartoonist (and his series Cellar Dweller) arrives at her idols cottage in the woods, to become part of a remote art community. She soon sets up a room in the basement. Later finding the same book Colin drew inspiration from, only to release the creature for the second time.

    An awe-inspiring movie that can drag at times, most would lose interest. But at the end it does make one think. Ok graphics for the time and a wonderful performance enacted by Jeffrey Combs.
    8cool_cool_1

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

    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
    5paul_m_haakonsen

    Enjoyable, although cheesy, late 1980s creature feature...

    I sat down here in 2023 to watch the 1987 movie "Cellar Dweller", which actually made it the second time that I have seen the movie. I had, however, forgotten about the storyline, and thus I opted to watch it again.

    Even more impressively, then I had also forgotten that Jeffrey Combs was in the movie. Sure, it was in a minor role and not all that long on the screen, but he was there, and that was a nice addition to the movie. And even more so, it was funny to see that there was a poster from the movie "Re-Animator" hanging in the room of Whitney Taylor.

    "Cellar Dweller", from writer Don Mancini and director John Carl Buechler, is an archetypical 1980s cheese-fest. And I mean that in a good way, because you know what you are getting into here, provided that you have watched late 1980s horror movies, which I have in an abundance.

    The storyline in "Cellar Dweller" proves entertaining enough. It isn't a horror cinema masterpiece, but it is definitely watchable for what it turned out to be. And actually I will say that "Cellar Dweller" is among one of the more prominent of late 1980s horror movies or creature features, if you will.

    The acting performances in the movie were good, and they had a good cast ensemble together for bringing the different characters to life on the screen. Just a shame that Jeffrey Combs wasn't given more on-screen time.

    The creature effects in "Cellar Dweller" were fairly good, and still are passable when you sit down and watch it today, whereas many other late 1980s creature features had far inferior effects. And that makes "Cellar Dweller" all the more watchable.

    If you enjoy some late 1980s cheesy horror, then "Cellar Dweller" is well-worth watching. I was adequately entertained by director John Carl Buechler's 1987 movie.

    My rating of "Cellar Dweller" lands on a five out of ten stars.

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    Related interests

    Elijah Wood in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
    Fantasy
    Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby (1968)
    Horror

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The comic art by Jeffrey Combs's character was made by Frank Brunner.
    • Goofs
      When Amanda records Lisa she does so through a basement window. Later when watching the tape, the recording shows Lisa through different angle despite having been filmed only from one.
    • Quotes

      Colin Childress: He who has wisdom, wonders not of the beast, for nothing in hell lives without Man's consent. Woe unto you that gives the beast form. To contemplate evil, is to ask evil home.

    • Crazy credits
      Instead of a simple "Cast" listing in the closing credits, the list of actors begins with "A Good Cast is Worth Repeating."
    • Connections
      Featured in Minty Comedic Arts: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Child's Play 1988 (2022)
    • Soundtracks
      Cellar Dweller Theme
      Orchestrated by Carl Dante

      Published by Empire Films Music, BMI

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    FAQ15

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 30, 1988 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United States
      • Italy
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Cellar Dwellar
    • Filming locations
      • Italy
    • Production companies
      • Empire Pictures
      • Dove Corporation Ltd.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 17m(77 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Ultra Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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