DON'T LOOK IN THE BASEMENT (1971)
Directed by S.F. Brownrigg
VCI DVD
THE FILMS
I'm half and half on this one.
In my mind, Don't Look In The Basement has quite a reputation. That title. The year. Director S.F. Brownrigg's continual obscurity. When the film arrives, it brings with it a genuinely eerie feel -- claustrophobic, intense, and a sweaty, nightmarish final half hour. Unfortunately, you have to wade through some regrettable overacting, inappropriate music cues, and endless dialogue to get there.
There's a small sanitarium run by a Dr. Stephens. Nurse Charlotte Beale arrives to work there and finds out that Stephens has died under mysterious circumstances. For the rest of the film, the viewer is subjected to various patient hijinks, as murders begin to occur and things don't seem to be right. We're also witness to a ton of screaming. I mean, really -- A LOT. The film slowly builds towards an intense climax with a twisty-ending that I actually didn't see coming.
Don't Look has a lot to like. As the film progresses, the otherworldly quality ropes you in. We never leave the sanitarium setting and things get pretty bloody towards the end. That's all good stuff. Unfortunately, the first chunk of the film contains too many distractions (I still don't understand what would compel Nurse Beale to work at this place after her first five minutes) to make it a bonafide classic.
AUDIO AND VIDEO
The full frame print is decent, albeit slightly washed-out. There's a bit of ghosting present on the transfer, as well as some compression. Not that it's unwatchable, but I'm sure it could look much better. There are a number of public domain collections which feature this film, but I'm betting they all originate from this disc.
EXTRAS
There are cast and crew biographies, and trailers for Blood And Black Lace, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, Night Visitor, and Gorgo.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I enjoyed the experience of Don't Look In The Basement. While my initial impression was less than positive, the last half of the film made up for that -- enough to warrant a track-down of Brownrigg's other films. By all means check it out. Just don't expect a mess-terpiece.
— Joseph A. Ziemba, 01.03.04 |
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