John Carl Buechler’s special effects work can be seen in so many movies, including Ghoulies, Sorceress, Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Hype, TerrorVision, Dolls, and Hatchet amongst others, while he also directed Troll, Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood, Ghoulies III: Ghoulies Go to College, Deep Freeze and Under ConTroll.

Colin Childress (Jeffrey Combs) is a Johnny Craig or Reed Crandall E.C. Comics-style artist who is inspired by a book that he found of evil artwork called the Book of the Ancient Dead, which says “To contemplate evil, is to ask evil home.” By the way, the artwork of Childress was created by Frank Brunner, who is best-known for his Dr. Strange artwork. He also designed the characters for Fox’s X-Men cartoon. Ironically, as the book in this movie is kind of like the Necronomicon, he did the artwork for the metal band Necronomicon’s Escalation album cover.

Back to Childress. Somehow, while drawing one rainy and foreboding evening, he conjures up one of those spirits and disappears. Years later, his home has become an art school run by Mrs. Briggs (Yvonne De Carlo) and where Whitney Taylor (Debrah Farentino) comes to continue working on her comic book art, which is influenced by Childress.

The other artists at the school include love interest Philip (Brian Robbins, Head of the Class), performance artist Lisa (Miranda Wilson), detective fiction writer — huh? — who likes to fire guns and act out his stories named Norman (Vince Edwards) and Whitney’s art school rival Amanda (Pamela Bellwood), who conspires with Mrs. Briggs to ruin our heroine’s life. Whitney finds the book in the basement — get the title now? — and unleashes it on the school. At first, it only kills her rivals, but soon it starts taking out all of her friends.

It’s silly, but in the best of ways, and looks great thanks to it being shot by Sergio Salvati, who was also the cinematographer or director of photography on Puppet Master, Zombi, The House by the Cemetery, The Beyond and so many more. And its writer, listed as Kit DuBois, is really Child’s Play creator Don Mancini.

In summation, though, I love any movie that has a giant wolf monkey creature with a pentagram sliced into its chest that lives as long as creativity does.

Robot Jox is part of the Enter the Video Store — Empire of Screams box set. Extras include new audio commentary by special make-up effects artist Michael Dea, moderated by film critics Matty Budrewicz and Dave Wain from The Schlock Pit, a video appreciation of special make-up effects artist John Carl Buechler, a new interview with special make-up effects artist Michael Deak, the original sales sheet and production notes, a VHS trailer, an Empire Pictures trailer reel and image galleries, including behind-the-scenes photos courtesy of special make-up effects artist Michael Deak. You can get this set from MVD.