Nightbreed

REVIEW
Barker's second feature, based on his novella "Cabal," is as ambitious as his first feature Hellraiser but falls short in its execution. Hidden away in a deserted cemetery is a mythical civilization of ghoulish outcasts. A young man, Boone (Sheffer), has horrific visions of these creatures and in an act of poor judgment seeks treatment from a creepy psychiatrist (played by Cronenberg), who frames Boone for a series of killings he himself is committing. Boone is killed and then reincarnated as one of the Nightbreed, a race of underground monsters who are readying themselves for battle against their human oppressors. Though Barker's intentions are good, the film is sluggish and meandering, and the director fails to create any palpable suspense. However, the design and execution of the creatures are excellent.