Danny Sheen, like any good celebrity, has decided to undertake a charity project to increase his popularity. He'll fund the renovation of the Old Essex Theater, a building he has no particular love for but has been talked into restoring by the beautiful, charismatic Jill. Exploring the ruins alongside Jill and her unfortunate fiancé, Danny thinks he sees an old woman crouched in the stage's wings, but convinces himself he's imagining things. He finds a playbill of acts performed right before the fire that put Old Essex out of commission, one of them being "Mrs. Midnight," and decides to investigate. With the help of his friend, old crime reporter Bill, Danny uncovers Mrs. Midnight's career as a renowned scientist and inventor of zoophagy - the consumption of still-living animals. Shunned in medical circles for this barbaric practice, Dr. Graham assumed an alternative identity as a woman and performed alongside animals in shows at the Old Essex. On the fateful night of the fire, his performance and potential connection to the Whitechapel Murders enraged the audience to burn the building down. Dr. Graham's face was horrifically burned by the flames and he was committed to an asylum for the remainder of his days. Danny releases these discoveries to the press, along with a Jack the Ripper letter Bill found, describing how the murderer ate his victims alive - a potential link between the two figures. Shortly after, Bill is found murdered, part of his brain eaten. Horrified, Danny revisits the Old Essex with a camera crew to release his theories to the world. He sees the old woman again and identifies her as Mrs. Midnight. She leads Danny and Jill's fiancé on a dangerous chase through the theater, ultimately dropping a burning candle that lights the building on fire once again. Jill's fiance suffers horrific burns, and Danny sustains broken bones while trying to save him. Recovering in the hospital, Danny receives regular visits from Jill, who nurses him back to health. But he has another visitor at night - Mrs. Midnight, always trying to feed him a spoonful of "brain food."