Meatcleaver Massacre 1977

In the film set in Los Angeles, the story begins with Professor Cantrell, a renowned expert in the occult, delivering a lecture at his university about a Gaelic demon known as Morak. The lecture introduces viewers to the dark and mysterious world of supernatural entities, setting the tone for the terrifying events that follow. After his lecture, a group of reckless students—Mason Harrue, Robert Clark portraying Sean Allen, Dirk Kramer, and Phil Jones—feeling rebellious and intoxicated, decide to visit Professor Cantrell’s home as part of a prank. What seems like a harmless joke quickly turns sinister when Mason, in a fit of rage, bludgeons the professor, prompting the others to participate in a horrifying act of violence by murdering Cantrell’s wife and children. They each stab the innocent family members, sealing a night of darkness and horror.

The assault leaves Professor Cantrell alive but severely injured, resulting in him becoming paraplegic and slipping into a coma. The investigation into the brutal massacre is led by Detective Wexler, played by [J. Arthur Craig], who searches for clues and finds only a small piece of triangular cloth at the crime scene. Meanwhile, in his unconscious state, Cantrell begins to summon the demon Morak, calling upon it with the hope of revenge—setting the stage for supernatural retribution.

As the story unfolds, Sean begins to experience intense feelings of guilt and hallucinations. He has a vivid nightmare where he is chased by an elusive force through a mausoleum and across an empty beach. Upon waking, his girlfriend Darlene, played by [Alisa Beaton], confronts him about his altered behavior. Desperate for clarity, Sean takes a walk into the desert to clear his head but is haunted by disembodied voices and a disturbing vision of Cantrell’s blood and his deceased daughter. Soon after, he is violently attacked by an invisible demonic force that slashes him open and disembowels him—a harrowing scene illustrating the terrifying power of the supernatural entity.

When Sean fails to return home, Dirk and Phil grow increasingly anxious. They confide in Mason, worrying that they will be arrested for their involvement, although Mason remains defiant, claiming that Professor Cantrell’s curse will prevent any chance of his recovery or return of speech. Dirk, overwhelmed with fear, contemplates suicide by cutting his wrists but instead locks himself into his role as a mechanic in Topanga Canyon. During his shift, he hears strange noises in the garage before the demonic entity slams a car hood onto him repeatedly, crushing him to death.

Detective Wexler correlates the triangular cloth from the crime scene with Dirk’s jacket, deepening the suspicion of occult influence in the murders. Meanwhile, Phil ventures into Hollywood, visiting a massage parlor where he engages in an intimate encounter with Patty. That night, working alone as a projectionist at a local movie theater, Phil begins experiencing disturbingly vivid visions of the Cantrell family murders. These visions culminate in his gruesome death—an explosion from a malfunctioning film projector ending his life.

Realizing that the supernatural force might be behind these deaths, Detective Wexler becomes convinced that Cantrell inadvertently or intentionally used occult rituals to invoke Morak, causing chaos and destruction. He attempts to reach Mason, who is now confined to a psychiatric hospital, hoping that Mason might possess a counter-incantation to halt Morak’s wrath. However, Mason, overwhelmed by guilt and fear, murders Wexler in a desperate act. The demonic presence, Morak, intervenes, attacking Mason and perpetuating its reign of terror.

In the aftermath, Mason’s claims of being attacked by a demon are dismissed, and he is mocked by others at the psychiatric facility. The film culminates in a chilling exploration of guilt, supernatural vengeance, and the devastating consequences of tampering with forbidden knowledge, leaving viewers with a sense of unease about the unseen forces that lurk beneath the surface of our world.