5.8 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
In the 1930s, a horror comic artist's creations come alive and kill him. Years later, a new cartoonist revives the creatures in his house, now part of an artist's colony.
Starring: Yvonne De Carlo, Debrah Farentino, Brian Robbins, Pamela Bellwood, Vince EdwardsHorror | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 2.5 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Thirty years ago, a popular comic book artist by the name of Colin Childress (Jeffrey Combs) created a masterpiece, so good it came to life and violently recreated the horrific scenes he drew. Fast forward a few decades. A budding young artist, Whitney Taylor (Debrah Mullowney), travels to a small boarding school for gifted up-and-coming artists. She struggles to impress those around her, but she talks her way into turning an old dank, dusty, cobweb-riddled cellar into her studio. She's long been inspired by Childress' works and becomes determined to recreate his characters. Little does she know that by doing so her creations will come to life, ready to kill in the most grotesque manners possible.
Cellar Dweller begins with a disclaimer: "The new HD transfer was created from the only surviving film element, a film print, direct from MGM's vaults. Some video and audio anomalies may be present." Be that as it may, the image is quite pleasant. It reveals an endless supply of print wear -- scratches, speckles, hairs -- but with the otherwise filmic texturing, it adds a bit of vintage drive-in flair to the presentation. It's not perfect by any means, but it shows character that actually suits the movie quite nicely. Detailing is firm, showcasing artwork, various environments, skin, clothes, and creature effects with pleasing depth and textural nuance. Colors are well balanced, black levels are fine, and flesh tones appear accurate.
Cellar Dweller's DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless soundtrack carries the movie to baseline sonic satisfaction. The track struggles to push wide at the beginning, but it opens up as the film moves along. Effects like distant thunder claps engage the further reaches of the stage nicely enough. Clarity is passable but there's ample room for improvement. Dialogue is adequate, though it, too, could use a boost in clarity to eliminate a scratchiness that accompanies any number of scenes. Dialogue positioning is decent enough, though there are times when it's not imaged quite to the middle.
This Blu-ray release of Cellar Dweller contains no supplemental content.
Cellar Dweller is a fun and very well-done B-movie. It's texturally rich, structurally simple, well acted, and the creature is scary. The Blu-ray is good, too, in an old drive-in sort of way. It's imperfect to be sure, but it's imperfect in a way that gives it a pleasing character. The disc, which is currently only available as part of a double feature with Catacombs or in the Empire Pictures Collection, comes recommended.
(Still not reliable for this title)
Curse IV: The Ultimate Sacrifice
1988
Ragewar
1984
Collector's Edition
1987
1989
1986
1982
2014
2019
Late Phases
2014
It Lives by Night
1974
2005
2022
1989
2015
2014
Collector's Edition
2002
1941
Restored Edition
1981
El jorobado de la Morgue
1973
Slugs, muerte viscosa
1988