Don't Look in the Basement (1973)

A young psychiatric nurse goes to work at a lonesome asylum following a murder. There, she experiences varying degrees of torment from the patients.

Director:

S.F. Brownrigg

Writer:

Tim Pope

Stars:

Bill McGhee, Jessie Lee Fulton, Robert Dracup

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Bill McGhee	...	Sam (as William Bill McGhee)
Jessie Lee Fulton	...	Jane St. Claire
Robert Dracup	...	Ray Daniels
Harryette Warren	...	Jennifer D.
Michael Harvey	...	Dr. Stephens
Jessie Kirby	...	Danny
Hugh Feagin	...	Sgt. Jaffee
Betty Chandler	...	Allyson King
Camilla Carr	...	Harriet
Gene Ross	...	Judge Oliver W. Cameron
Annabelle Weenick	...	Dr. Geraldine S. Masters (as Anne MacAdams)
Rosie Holotik	...	Nurse Charlotte Beale
Rhea MacAdams	...	Mrs. Callingham

Storyline

Nurse Charlotte Beale arrives at the isolated Stephens Sanitarium to work, only to learn that Dr. Stephens was murdered by one of the patients and his successor, Dr. Geraldine Masters, is not very eager to take on new staff. Charlotte finds her job maddeningly hard as the patients torment and harass her at every turn, and she soon learns why Dr. Masters is so eager to keep outsiders out.

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Plot Keywords:

lust | breasts | weeping | eyeglasses | psychopathic killer | 

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Taglines:

Not Recommended for Persons Over 30!

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Genres:

Horror | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Filmed on the grounds of Westminster College in Tehuacana, Texas.

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Goofs

When the people are chopping someone up with axes, one of the heads of the axes fall off.

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Quotes

Dr. Geraldine S. Masters: [menacing Charlotte] Look at me. Do you see a saint, who cures the incurable? Supreme authority? Only the faithful live here. Only he who honors me. Faithful. Faith, before a saint!
Sam: Deanie, is she bad?
Dr. Geraldine S. Masters: Oh, she's sick! She's filthy! Take her upstairs. We'll correct her conscience.

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Crazy Credits

The characters in the film are shown as the actor/actress' name appears at the end of the film, including the murdered characters!

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Alternate Versions

Once listed as a video nasty, the UK Stax (Boulevard) and Elstree Hill DVDs are now 15 rated and uncut, restoring the original cinema cut to a shot of an axe hitting a woman's bloody body.

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Connections

Referenced in Elvira's Movie Macabre: A Bucket of Blood (2011)

User Reviews

Not as bad as you might expect

This film kicks off as I thought it would go on, in that a mental patient slays his doctor with the business end of an axe. However, considering that was included on the Video Nasty list in the 80's, it isn't very gory. I fully understand and agree with the idea that buckets of gore does not make a movie great, but when I'm watching a shocking, previously banned Video Nasty; call me old fashioned, but I generally expect to see gore. Still, the film does have other redeeming features.

The acting isn't one of them however; when watching a film like this, one doesn't go in expecting to see great performances, but some of the acting in this movie was so unbelievably below standard that at times even I, a fan of shock horror with bad performances, cringed. The old woman that later has her tongue removed is a particular cause for concern on this film's acting resume; I know that the roles of the mental patients are meant to be fairly quirky, but this one was downright insulting. The rest of the bad performances come from unknown actors, most of which would never go on to make another film, or at least another film of note; and that is quite fitting really.

Another feature of the film that isn't redeeming is the way it is filmed. If I said that it was unprofessional, I'd be right; and I am right, the movie is unprofessionally filmed. Because of this, the whole piece stinks of amateurs at the bottom of their craft. I know that you cant expect fabulous cinematography from a film such as this, but the fact that it is bad makes sure that the film faces an uphill struggle from the start; it looks bad, and for some that will mean it is bad.

However, despite all said so far; this film really does have some redeeming qualities. The characters for one; they're not particularly well done; they certainly aren't deep or fleshed out, but they do make sure that the film creates the right atmosphere for a sanatorium; they're a mixed bag, and although I've never been in a nut house, the one in this film is what I'd expect one to be like. Also of note is the way that it's fairly well plotted; there's always something going on to keep you entertained and it doesn't tie itself up with lots of meaningless plot details, which is definitely to it's credit. The twist towards the end should have been seen coming a mile off by me, but it wasn't, and I think that is to the film's credit also; it catches you by surprise. By the end, it becomes obvious as to exactly what is in the basement, but by then it doesn't matter because the film is nearly over anyway.

Overall, Don't Look in the Basement is one of the better Video Nasty's that I've seen, and I've seen a few from that illustrious list. What it lacks in certain areas, it makes up for in others and although it's not very gory, certainly not by today's standards; I'd still recommend this to fans of shock horror cinema.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

September 1973 (USA)

Also Known As:

Death Ward #13

Filming Locations:

Trinity University, Tehuacana, Texas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$100,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Camera 2 Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1