Don't Look In The Basement!

Rating:
Summary: "Um, Is This Part Of The Treatment, Doc??"
Review: Nurse Charlotte Beale has just come to the Stephens home for the criminally insane. She has no idea that Dr. Stephens has just been butchered by one of the patients, nor does she know about the nurse who was killed. Charlotte meets Dr. Masters, who explains about the doctor's sad demise. Masters is reluctant to take her on board. That is until nurse Beale says she'll have to let the folks at her old hospital know about the tragic event. Charlotte is hired and introduced to the "family" of patients. There's "The Judge", the same homicidal maniac who attacked Dr. Stephens. Then we have "The Sarge", a vietnam vet with more than a little Post Traumatic Stress! Next up is Allison, the nymphomaniac of the group. Also, there's Harriet, who clings to a doll and protects it with fury and venom. Sam is the popsicle-addicted gentle giant with the heart and mind of a child. Danny is the obnoxious brat, always stirring up trouble with the others. A delusional old woman and a bipolar gal round out the folks on nurse Charlotte's new roster. Unfortunately for her, the patients know far more than she does about what's really going on in the house. What terrible secret is hidden in the basement? What is it that Sam keeps trying to tell Charlotte? S.F. Brownrigg has put together a pretty good tale of murder, madness, and mystery. Much of the same crew of actors would go on to be in "Don't Open The Door" six years later. DLITB belongs in any horror collection...

Rating:
Summary: "Oh Sam....she is so sick"--Dr. Masters
Review: The first time I saw this film was at a drive-in in the late 1970s! What a trip! "Don't Look in the Basement" is one of my favorite trash films: over-the-top acting, hilarious dialogue, gore and a freaky soundtrack.

Rating:
Summary: Woefully mediocre
Review: This film was actually on the original video nasties list in the UK, but after watching it you'll wonder why. It is a very low budget film about an asylum where the inmates take contol. There are many diverse crazies inside, and the ending is the only real gory bit of the film. It ends up being silly, and can't escape its cheapness. The DVD is poor. The picture is below average. The sound in mono is a little muffled, but that's because of the age and budget of the film. The extras consist of interactive menus, some film facts and info on the director and screenwriter, and some previews of other films from the distribution company. Overall a poor film, it just looks so cheap and amateur, with a below average DVD transfer.

Rating:
Summary: DONT LOOK IN THE BASEMENT
Review: THIS IS A REALLY GOOD HORROR MOVIE WITH A COOL STORYLINE. THE ACTING IS PRETTY GOOD AND THE CHARACTERS ARE INDIVIDUALLY INTERESTING.THIS IS ONE OF THE CREEPIEST FILMS AROUND.WORTH CHECKING THIS ONE OUT!

Rating:
Summary: if you're a horror fan,it's worth a viewing...
Review: this low budget insane asylum flick isn't too horrible..not as gory as you'd expect from the box and all that..there's a small twist which I figured out in the first 15 minutes and I'm sure most people will..the name of the movie is pretty pointless since there's no mention of a basement til the last couple minutes and what's inside isn't all that surprising..still this movie isn't too horrible and if you love b-movies,you should atleast check it out..

Rating:
Summary: Sam's Exceptional Acting
Review: This movie actually took place in a small town in Texas. The set was very hot. The actors had to work under horrible conditions and still they were able to make good horror film. Sam (played by William Bill McGhee) was very convencing as a retard. Several of the actors can be seen in other films like High Yellow, Drive-In, etc. This is great for your horror film collection.

Rating:
Summary: Why isn't this a camp classic?
Review: This movie has what it takes to be a camp classic. Silly over-acting, low budget, made in the 70's, and the most important... a really wonderfully nasty leading lady, Dr. Masters! You already know the story, house for the loonies gets loonier as the movie goes on. Yes, but some of the characters are just fantasically crazy. The lady whose very protective of her baby(doll), the crazy old lady that thinks flowers are her children (not too mention all her wonderfully humerous warnings to nurse Charlotte to "get out".), and of course Allyson, the sex starved weirdo that screams whenever given a chance. The highlight is the amazing Dr. Geraldine Masters. This woman is so great! She is a cross between Joan Crawford in "Trog" and Mrs. Voorhees in the 1st "Friday the 13th" film. She's a very direct woman indeed. Mean, nasty, will NOT be crossed. She goes on these little verbal tirades that leaves the viewer gasping for air, since she seems to ramble endlessly without taking a breath. I grew up watching this film on late night television in the late 70's/early 80's. As a child I was terribly affected by the scene in which Charlotte walks in on Allyson laying in bed with the dead telephone man, whom she refers to as her husband in this scene. It's still a bit disturbing. The worst of the actors is Charlotte, the nurse that arrives early in the film. She cannot deliver even the simplist line without it sounding hokey. The movie has a wonderful charm that keeps me coming back to it a few times a year, The DVD was a disappointment. Poor picture quality. Lots of scratches and spots, also has a blueish tone in the dark scenes. Still, better than VHS. Don't watch this for horror value, though it does have a little. Watch it if you like a campy, low budget period piece. It's SO 70's, and wonderfully so.

Rating:
Summary: Dont Look In The Basement
Review: This movie stars my father, William "Bill" McGhee. I thought it was very scary for its time. The actors won rave reviews in the South for this horror film. It was genesis of horror films that we enjoy today.

Rating:
Summary: Dont Look In The Basement
Review: This movie stars my father, William "Bill" McGhee. I thought it was very scary for its time. The actors won rave reviews in the South for this horror film. It was genesis of horror films that we enjoy today.

Rating:
Summary: No-budget garbage
Review: Those who remember back to the good old drive-in days where a number of horror films played might recall this film being a big hit, along with "Last House on the Left", which it constantly played with as a double-bill. Now that we've grown up we can see what amateurish, zero-budgeted tripe this was. Few characters are of any interest (I liked Sam, the black popsicle-sucking half-a-mind and the cynical telephone repairman who is wary of the goings-on) but this is certainly not worth your time other than curiosity value.. worst of all, the titular basement doesn't come into play until the very end!! Although that's around when the best scene happens, when the mastermind of all the murderous mayhem gets a most bloody comeuppance, followed by most of the psycho cast getting theirs. Not much else to recommend, but the DVD transfer is good. Gore fans won't be overly pleased overall, but this was 1973, after all.