The best part about the new breed of indie filmmakers is that, for a minimal investment of time and money, you can watch their development as storytellers and picture-painters. Often rocky first-time efforts are eclipsed by later visions which smooth out rough edges and perfect formulae. Sometimes the exact opposite happens, but for the most part, watching their films in chronological order is almost like watching a caterpillar go into chrysalis and emerge as a butterfly (if you'll pardon the cliche).

There is no greater example of that than Brian Clement. Starting with Meat Market (and its sequel), through Binge & Purge (review here) and the awesome "epic anthology of the undead" Exhumed (review here), Clement is continuously honing his craft and improving his art. While still raucously entertaining (if you're into gut-munchers), his first two films seem rather quaint compared to his later efforts, which focused less on absurd gore and more on surprisingly adult themes and concepts.

The Dead Inside represents his furthest step from his previous filmography, all of which were cannibal/zombie fare to some extent, to present a honest-to-goodness haunted house romp, without his usual interjections of dark humor to lighten the mood. The Dead Inside is a movie that takes itself seriously, but even better, the viewer can take it seriously as well.

We're introduced to John Katzen and Lola Morgandy, "Paranormal Extraction Experts" (PEE?), in true Clement form as they investigate a cemetery haunted by necrophages (aka ghouls). A clipful of bullets and a doozy of an incantation later, and the shambling ghouls are destroyed.

They are then contracted by a man named Barnabas whose house plagues him, and its dwindling tenants, with nerve-shattering night terrors. Adding another interesting wrinkle to the story is the discovery of a "negative gravity" field in the attic. Needing help to decipher the dream-related aspects of this haunting, they recruit their colleagues Professor Falstead and Dr. Koeppler to provide their expertise on the case. Unfortunately for them, the house is just as hungry for them as it was for its previous victims (many of whom disappeared without a trace), plaguing Katzen with brutal "false memories" of his involvement fighting the fascist Italians during WWII, and anyone who dares sleep in the house with horrific nightmares. As Lola discovers the sordid history of the house at the local library, the rest of the group find a peculiar machine in the basement which is holding open a dimensional gateway...a gateway which lets through the hungry creatures that feed on the inhabitants of the house.

Whereas his previous film Exhumed bore subtle Lovecraftian traces in its four-pronged narrative, The Dead Inside is positively dripping with them. The story itself seems like a mishmash of Beyond the Wall of Sleep and Frank Belknap Long's The Hounds of Tindalos, with a nice dollop of originality to make it Clement's own. Its framing bears a striking resemblance to films of the 40's (which makes sense, as it's set in 1948), and the ominous machine in the basement, with its vacuum tubes and sizzling electrodes, calls to mind the atom-age horror of the 50's, but with a colorful panache that calls to mind Mario Bava and the psychedelic 70's look. Despite its schizophrenic appearance, its a wonder to behold, and Clement still wows me with his resourcefulness. Despite the micro-budget, he squeezes every last penny onscreen with authentic period garb, rather impressive optical effects, and some of the most harrowing battle scenes I've ever seen in a film, period.

Best of all, and I mean no disrespect whatsoever, but unlike his previous movies, The Dead Inside is honestly, genuinely scary. The denizens of Barnabus' house of horrors are genuinely creepy, from vaguely humanoid spectres to a lost family of circus performers. Sure, I'm not normally bothered by clowns, but there was just something unsettling about the clown father (not to mention his hooded acrobat wife and their harlequin brood) with his minimalist outfit and stark makeup. It also helps that the characters are a little better developed than in most cases. The movie isn't a character study by any means, but we learn a little more about them than what's expected in a film of this type, and we genuinely worry for their safety.

The makeup effects by Jason Ward, while far less prevalent than in Clement's previous films, are of simply stunning quality. During the final battle sequence soldiers are shredded by mortars and gunfire with eerily realistic results. The score by the Hagberg Brothers is pleasantly understated, seeming far more organic and integrated into the film than even big Hollywood productions.

As far as films go, this is easily Clement's best, albeit not as accessible as his previous efforts. While its whirlwhind narration during key scenes can be a bit overwhelming, it cements his reputation as a solid indie filmmaker, capable of something far more provocative than much of the genre fare out there. It's eerie, emotional, and rather adult.

For more information visit http://www.frontlinefilms.net.