Esteemed occultist Cantrell (Habif) is at the top of his game: a respected college lecturer and research source on the mystic arts.

So, it comes as some surprise when four young thugs break into his home and brutally murder his wife, son and daughter, leaving the professor for dead.

Still alive, but deep in a coma, Cantrell summons an ancient demon named Morak to take bloody revenge on the hoods who slew his family...and what a red vengeance it will be!

This low budget splatter gets points for a few moments of minor inspiration (the nightmare sequences are interesting). But the choppy plotting undermines any real tension it tries to create.

The murder scenes are watchable (death by car hood, death by cactus needles), but it's never enough, and never sustained.

Christopher Lee's only involvement here would be hosting a brief intro/outro that has seemingly little to do with the main action.

Also known as Hollywood Meatcleaver Massacre.