jenny wright be virginia and a mousy bookstore worker or wannabe actress who get catch up in a horror novel by an author name malcolm brand . the book be so vivid that virginia often picture herself in the book . takacs reworking of this familiar theme fails due to his reliance on some very old horror film convention . virginia search for brand second novel and i and madman and after finish the first and which involve a demonic creature who take it revenge on it creator . in the second story and the madman of the title have razor off his own facial feature in order to please the woman he love . he then track down well feature and use the woman friends a his own personal part store . in virginia world and a compete actress be kill and scalp . the madman show himself to virginia wear the other actress red hair and and virginia be trouble . luckily and she have a cop beauhunk who like to come over without knock and scar the living daylight out of her ( and supposedly the audience ) . soon and the piano repair guy across the street have his ear remove and and virginia go to the police and who poo poo her story and send her packing . now and here be where the film lose me . virginia read in the book where the next victim be a swarthy mediterranean type with one heck of a schnoz . she do a little stakeout of her own where the murder will take place and and bam and her swarthy mediterranean type friend from act class with one heck of a schnoz sit down next to her and they have a chat . he leave and she still look for and everybody now and the swarthy mediterranean type with one heck of a schnoz . of course and virginia realize her dumb mistake too late and run after mr. swarthy in time to see him kill and . denosed . now cop beauhunk and his lieutenant be all ear ( so to speak ) and and virginia read in the book that the next victim will be a librarian watch over by cat . virginia and not learn her lesson and decide the killer will strike next at a library . now and every victim so far have have a connection to virginia and except this one . and virginia have completely forget her sassy coworker at the bookstore who recently acquire a stray cat . and be work alone that same night . the director then give u a convoluted scene at the library and where we know the killer be not and and even a shadowy figure who turn out to be some poor janitor who find himself look down the barrel of some dozen and a half police issue firearm . how he sneak through the dragnet throw up around the library by the cop be never explain . the finale and involve virginia and the madman and be not bad and until the old whew and the killer be dead and we can relax . look out behind you and he alive . ploy come into play . the villain and who turn out to be the author himself and be very good . lot of shadowy and backlit shot really make him effective and as do the bizarre facial reconstruction he decide to attempt . the gore here be very convincing and but the stop motion animation takacs use to well effect in the gate be not . no one ever explain why malcolm brand come back to haunt virginia and and no one else . i coast along with i and madman on it good intention for long enough and but eventually the whole thing stray into familiar territory and and then try to convince me they be up to something completely new and different . in the end and i can not get too manic about i and madman . this be rat ( r ) for physical violence and some gun violence and strong gore and profanity and sexual content and and adult situation .