It is based on the mythical creature that feeds on the unborn in Philippine folklore, with the screenplay written following a story telling session by Frank L. Anderson, who was a friend of the filmmakers.

The movie was written by amateur directors Wyre Martin and Barry Poltermann and shot with a low budget, while actors were paid just $50 a day with the expectation they would receive a cut of any future profit.

Despite protestations from her boyfriend, Katrina meets Peter Null, who offers to pay her to bear the child; she agrees to sign over the rights for a large payment, in effect acting as a surrogate.

Heavily pregnant, Katrina is brought to the secluded estate deep within a menacing forest and is introduced to its residents; crippled Olive Null, mentally-ill reclusive sister Claire and their devoted Filipino maid Cupid, who Peter explains was once a midwife.

Unbeknownst to Katrina, the residents are secret "Aswangs", vampires with mega-tongues that feed on living fetuses and they are planning to eat her unborn child.

Anderson had grown up in the Philippines and told both Poltermann and co-director Wyre Martin a legend about a vampire "that would sit on rooftops and drop down its tiny thread-like tongue to suck out the blood of fetuses.

"[7] Co-director Poltermann noted there was a sense of "let's try this, let's try that" to determine what would work and would not and that it was deliberately shot in this manner, although suggested that if he were to do another film he would "be more disciplined stylistically.

[11] According to Poltermann, the film, shot during the autumn with leaves decomposing, had a "secluded feel to it", making it look like it was "set in northern Wisconsin," despite being around 30 minutes away from Milwaukee.

Some scenes, according to Poltermann, were lifted from classic fright-flicks including The Shining and Rosemary's Baby, which he referred to as "visual sampling" in paying homage to great horror movies.

[9] A mechanical rubber tongue was created which was capable of complex movements, which required hiring an effects technician at a cost of $5,000, which used a large portion of the budget.

[10] The cast included university student Tina Ona Paukstelis and John Kishline, as well as Victor DeLorenzo, former drummer for rock group Violent Femmes.

[10] Paukstelis, who played Katrina, reflected on how fun, but exhausting it was to film, noting that she remembered "having to run around barefoot in a nightgown in November at night in the woods".

[13] Poltermann described the casting of Norman Moses as Peter Null as interesting, as in his audition he redefined the character as one that would sing and dance, which writers did not envisage.

[5] Although Martin and Poltermann planned for a direct-to-video release, they received numerous offers to run the film in theaters which would have put their movie on screens nationwide.

"[18] Film Threat claimed that the uncut release was "completely loaded to the teeth with nerve-wracking suspense, an atmosphere of sheer dread, stomach turning gore and just a dash of black humor.

[16] Critic Emanuel Levy reviewed the film in Variety, noting that "the production lacks shrewd humor and visual style" and suggesting that it "is more gruesome and gross than really frightening".