[2] In a small suburban town, a group of college students—Mark Loftmore, China Webster, Sarah Brightman, Gemma, James, and Tony—visit a mysterious wax museum.

Their trip was caused by Sarah and China's earlier encounter with David Lincoln, a taciturn gentleman who claims to own the exhibit and extends them an invitation.

Tony and China unintentionally enter two separate pocket dimensions, as depicted by the displays, by crossing the exhibition barrier rope.

Mark takes Sarah to the attic of his house, where he shows her an old newspaper detailing the murder of his grandfather (which was seen in the prologue); the only suspect was David Lincoln, his chief assistant, whose photograph closely resembles the museum owner.

The two then consult the wheelchair user Sir Wilfred, a friend of Mark's grandfather, who explains how he and Mark's grandfather collected trinkets from "eighteen of the most evil people who ever lived" and that Lincoln stole the artifacts; Lincoln, having sold his soul to the Devil, wants to bring their previous owners to life by creating some wax effigies and feeding them the souls of victims, a concept taken from Haitian Vodou.

Providing all eighteen with a victim would bring about the "voodoo end of the world, when the dead shall rise and consume all things".

The reunited couple are confronted by Lincoln, who dies getting shot by Sir Wilfred and falls in a vat of boiling wax.

Sir Wilfred is decapitated by a werewolf as Sarah and Mark manage to escape the burning museum with their lives and begin to walk home, not noticing that the hand from the zombie display is scuttling away from the rubble.

[3] The "eighteen most evil beings" used in the film are the Marquis de Sade, a werewolf, Count Dracula (his Brides and son exist only within the portal and are not among those displayed), a Golem, the Phantom of the Opera, The Mummy, George A. Romero-style zombies, Frankenstein's monster, Jack the Ripper, The Invisible Man, a voodoo priest, a witch, a snakeman, Rosemary's Baby, an axe murderer, an alien, a giant talking venus flytrap, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr.

[8] TV Guide gave the movie one out of five stars, stating that fans of gore will be pleased, but finding little else of worth.