This innovative low-budget effort is about an avid reader of horror novels. Whenever she reads from the pages of a horror book entitled "I, Madman" she wanders off into a dreamland and witnesses lurid murders being committed by a grotesque figure in a black robe and scarf. Only then she discovers that the murders are occurring in real life exactly as it occurs from the novel.<br /><br />Ultimately I found this film quite enjoyable, and only has a few minor flaws and the acting is above average from everyone involved. The most intense and quite chilling scene in the entire movie is the woman being drugged and scalped in a semi-conscious state. That was quite brutal to watch I admit and a well illustrated death. Most of the "shock" scenes and red herrings are predictable however (esp. the killer's appearance in the elevator). The gore factor is adroitly used and convincing, the removed lips and nose effects on the killer and victims are shockingly effective and the suspense never lets up after it's initial tedious 30 minutes. Jenny Wright is well used in this horror outing and is way above the caliber than the depressing "Near Dark" ever thought of being, in my opinion. Mind you, after reading the rave reviews from other fellow IMDb viewers, I don't find this one the "cream of the crop" of B-Horror films, it has the same standard elements of B-Horror films such as graphic gore, OK Acting, and contrived (although still fun) occurrences throughout the movie. By no means am I trashing the movie, I really enjoyed it much and the suspense held my interest throughout the film. What ruined this one from being a superior B-Horror classic was Tibor Takács's poor choosing of using his idiotic monster from "The Gate" which is not the least bit frightening as the scalpel killer was. I also wished that Wright was the heroine of the story who saves the day instead of that silly looking creature. A bad ending to an otherwise creative and intriguing horror story. "I, Madman" didn't knock me out of my socks, but it is still a gem for the horror genre fans to check out and have fun with.