The Dungeonmaster

Plot

Paul Bradford (Jeffrey Byron) is a skilled computer programmer who lives with his girlfriend, Gwen (Leslie Wing), and "X-CaliBR8," a quasi-sentient personal computer that Paul programmed and which he interacts with via a neural interface. Gwen is jealous of Paul's unusually close relationship with X-CaliBR8, to whom Paul has given a female voice, and fears that their relationship will be destroyed by Paul's reliance on X-CaliBR8 for his various day-to-day activities.

One night, Paul and Gwen are both transported to a Hellish realm presided over by Mestema (Richard Moll), an ancient, demonic sorcerer who has spent millennia seeking a worthy opponent with whom to do battle. Having long defeated his enemies with magic, Mestema has become intrigued with technology, and wishes to pit his skills against Paul's, with the winner claiming Gwen. Arming Paul with a portable version of X-CaliBR8 (which takes the form of a computerized wrist band), Mestema begins transporting Paul into a variety of scenarios in which he must defeat various opponents. Most of the challenges involve Paul using his X-CaliBR8 wristband to shoot people, monsters, and objects with laser beams.

After Paul completes Mestema's various challenges, the two engage in a final battle, which takes the form of a fist fight in which Paul kills Mestema by throwing him into a pit of lava. After Mestema dies, Paul and Gwen are transported back to their house, where Gwen expresses her acceptance of X-CaliBR8 and suggests that she and Paul get married.

In popular culture

The quote "I reject your reality and substitute my own!" (said by film character Paul Bradford) was later popularized by Adam Savage of MythBusters.

This was later referenced by Kirito in Sword Art Online Abridged when he uses the line in reference to MythBusters and it is mistaken by Heathcliff as a reference to The DungeonMaster.

This line is actually a rephrasing of dialogue spoken by actor Tom Baker in the 1976 Doctor Who serial The Deadly Assassin.

The film is sampled in the Skinny Puppy song "Hexonxonx", the second track from the 1989 album Rabies.

The film's trailer is featured in Drafthouse Films compilation of B-movie trailers Trailer War.

The film is referenced in the online series "Sword Art Online Abridged" by Something Witty Entertainment.

One of the tracks on synthwave artist Perturbator's "TERROR 404" album is titled "X-CaliBR8"

Release

On October 29, 2013, Scream Factory released the film on DVD for the first time, along with Contamination 7, Catacombs and Cellar Dweller as part of the second volume of their Scream Factory All-Night Horror Marathon series.

On December 15, 2015, Shout Factory will release The Dungeonmaster on a double feature Blu-ray along with Eliminators.

Sequel

A short film, "The Dungeonmaster II," was produced as an entry in the anthology horror film Pulse Pounders. Byron and Moll both reprised their roles. As of 2014, the film has only been exhibited once.