Don't Look in the Basement (1972 film)

Wow, talk about minimal art design!

We're going back even further with today's entry for Don't Week, with a low budget classic called Don't Look in the Basement (aka The Forgotten).  This one's a bit all over the place, especially near the end, but it was an interesting film that keeps you on edge for a while.  I originally watched it on a double DVD set with the William Castle classic House on Haunted Hill, starring Vincent Price.  The film actually stands up pretty well, considering its age and the attention it probably got over the years (or lack thereof).  And so, without further ado, here's my review for Don't Look in the Basement!

The film starts in an old farmhouse where a motley crew of people are living.  It's serving as a home for the criminally insane, the Stevens Sanitorium, where Dr. Stevens has some unusual theories on treating mental illness.  We follow the nurse, Jane, as she makes her rounds, but then she gets threatened by one of the inmates, Harriet, when Jane tries to touch her "baby" (really a doll).  Whether this is just the tip of the iceberg, or the breaking point for her isn't clear, but Jane decides to move on to another pasture.  She goes out to the doctor, who's working with an inmate called Judge who's using an ax to pummel a log.  While the two are talking, Judge turns with the ax and whacks Dr. Stevens in the back.

When this happens, another medical figure steps out of the house.  This is Dr. Geraldine Masters, and she takes charge of the situation rather quickly.  When told that Jane's going to be leaving soon, something weird happens to her...

The rest of the movie follows new nurse Charlotte, who arrives shortly afterwards, and manages to befriend most of the inmates.  But, as she gets closer to them, someone else is watching her, and people end up in a bad way when they get close to informing her of something...

This was a pretty fun movie.  There isn't a whole lot of blood, despite the era it comes from, but the subject matter itself is rather intense.  All of the actors playing the inmates give a LOT to their performances, and it adds to the watchability of the film.  I liked it, and really do recommend it to anyone interested in this period of horror film.

All in all, I give it a 4 out of 5.  It's a good film that keeps you guessing till close to the end, with interesting characters all over the place.  Next, we have a film with a Double Don't title... the way I'm reviewing it, it's called Don't Open the Door, but another title for it was Don't Hang Up.  Until then, take care, and this is Red Hawk signing out!