Transmutation

Cyborg-vampire extraterrestrial overlords with giant scorpion stingers; shapeshifting Sasquatches on murder sprees; Zombie drones; Demonic cult sacrifices; and loads of totally unnecessary full frontal nudity...Demonwarp has a little something for everyone.

This is one of those totally bizarre, so bad it's brilliant, 80's schlock horror gems that never made it past a VHS release...though it is certainly due for an upgrade.

It starts off like you'd expect your standard "don't go into that part of the woods" film with bigfoots would. But by the time the end rolls around you find that you have been taking in something much more bizarre- and hilariously so!!!

For a while I was worried they weren't going to tie up all the loose ends that were subtly introduced in earlier parts of the film (like the crash of the spacecraft, and inexplicable zombie that makes an appearance half-way through). But alas, I was too quick to judge. I just needed to let it all play out...and when it does...it's gold, baby. Gold.

The overall style and acting are incredibly cheesy- albeit in the most entertaining way possible. Which only acts to compliment the b-grade aura exuded by this epic monster flick.

The special effects and gore tend to be hit or miss. Some parts are as bad as the acting...while others are actually quite well done (like the transformation scenes near the end).

Patently ridiculous storyline aside, the highlight of this production is definitely the monsters. They are actually pretty well done, considering the nature of the film and all. Especially the Bigfoot character...which is badass!

What starts off as a pretty standard "group of kids wanders into the wrong part of the woods" type film, quickly takes a turn towards the bizarre...and that's what makes it so great! The final twist is a bit cliché- but honestly, I expected nothing less. A true cult classic!!! Comes highly recommended.

7 out 10 for creativity and entertainment value. Though it probably deserves far less.

My review was written in March 1988 after watching the film on Vidmark video cassette.

"Demonwarp" is a moderately successful sci-fi/horror pic that could have used more sci-fi and less routine horror. Film is going out as a direct-to-video entry, presumably to avoid cutting its gory and sexy material to achieve a theatrical R rating.

A group of teens for the umpteenth time in the past decade is camping at a remote cabin in the woods, attacked by a Bigfoot monster (well-executed by makeup specialist John Buechler, but shown too often to be credible). George Kennedy's daughter was carried off by Bigfoot from the same cabin a while back and he shows up to help the teens fight the unknown.

Farfetched plot peg has Bigfoot turning out to be the creation of space aliens who landed nearby many years back. Pic climaxes with the aliens' stooges sacrificing nubile, topless Earth girls (Michelle Bauer and Pamela Gilbert) to their gooey monster boss. A corny multiple-nightmare ending sabotages much of the buildup effect.

Technically well-made, "Demonwarp" is ultimately an excuse to show off naked women (definitely prime voyeur material), gory makeup and some interesting monster garb. More creativity and less exploitation could have qualified for theatrical usage.

The creators of this film really broke the goofy meter with this one. The movie begins routinely for the horror genre - five twenty somethings alone in a cabin in the woods (Demon Woods no less) with a murderous bigfoot type monster on the loose. Typically, the twenty somethings are slowly killed off and from this point on the flick gets incredibly asinine. Turns out that bigfoot and people in zombie masks are being controlled by a master alien in a Bronson Canyon cave. The zombies bring victims to the slaughter for the alien so it can partake of various body parts (one scene in particular shows one of the topless females on a slab getting her heart torn out and fed to the master alien). And how the hell did George Kennedy get involved with this mess? It always amazes AND saddens me to see fading veteran actors take embarrassing roles like this. Prepare to be astounded and puzzled if you watch this debacle.

A group of teens in a cabin in a woods are attacked by a creepy-ass Bigfoot monster, which kills a couple of them. The monster disappears into the night and the next morning they go on a search into the woods to find and destroy it. The name of the forest the carnage takes place in is Demonwood, and it seems many strange events have occurred there over the years, according to some supporting characters. The teens meet up with George Kennedy who's daughter was carried off by the same monster. He's also looking for revenge. A few extras wandering around the woods get slaughtered by the Bigfoot. Some of the murders are gross. Some of the gorier special effects are good. The last 20 minutes comes out of left field and adds another spin on the story, a spin that involves aliens, zombies, and a cultish looking maniac. Not a bad horror movie, it should prove to be a good view by any un-demanding horror fan. The twists at the end are kinda fun, and there are some good grisly moments strewn through out the story. Gratuitous nudity helps keep things interesting and the cast is not all that bad. George Kennedy is fun to watch hamming it up as the vengeance-minded father. Worth a look. Two And A Half Stars.

This film, while no film great (or even genre giant), is oddly entertaining. The acting and direction are pure mid-to-late-80's B-movie cheese, but somehow the ridiculously convoluted plot and hysterical performance by George Kennedy make this film a good time waster-especially if you've got a few friends who appreciate this sort of crap.