2. Don't Look In The Basement (1973)
Cheapo B Movie happenings designed for the drive ins, Don't Look in the Basement really exploits the heck out of its mental hospital setting and crazy characters. The chief doctor of the asylum believes that patients should act out their murderous fantasies in a simulated setting. He lives to regret this when a character known as "The Judge" whacks an axe in his back - killing him. An elderly Female nurse has had enough of the place and declares she is going to retire. While packing her bags, she is attacked and killed by Harriet who claims the nurse stole her baby (she carries a doll around). The only member of staff left is Dr Geraldine Masters who reluctantly lets in Charlotte Beale - a new nurse hired by the head doctor before he croaked. Dr Masters introduces Charlotte to the inmates. There is a lobotomised man named Sam who has reverted to childhood. A nymphomaniac, schizophrenic woman called Allison. An octogenarian woman who talks to flowers as if they were her children. A practical joker called Danny. An emotionally dependent woman called Jennifer. A military man whose head is fried because he accidentally killed his own men in the Vietnam war. And of course there is the crazy judge who killed the head doctor. After a bit of faffing about, it is revealed Dr Masters is actually a patient in the asylum. She now goes a bit wild - burning the sergeant's hand when he doesn't do as asked and killing Jennifer for stealing medication. The poor old lady gets her tongue ripped out and a telephone repair man gets murdered lest he find out the real set up at the Asylum. Allison is distraught because she wanted to marry and have sex with the man. She takes his body into her room... The rest of the film deals with Charlotte's attempts to escape and it all resolves itself with a big axe massacre at the end of the film in which everyone but Charlotte dies. The murderer is an apparently docile person so his crazed antics are quite jarring. Borrowing the same tagline as Last House on the Left - "To avoid fainting. Keep repeating it's only a movie!", Don't Look in the Basement is exploitation gold dust - a whacked out cheapo feature in a Mad House - it promises all sorts of lurid goings on. The film is quite fast paced and never falls into the exploitation movie trap of long periods of film where nothing really happens. The characters are interesting enough to fill the film - even though some of them might be a bit contrived and are typical stereotypes of those inflicted with insanity. Because of its low budget, the film has a shabby look to it. For me, this enhances the overall viewing experience - it makes it more authentically grindhouse, but doubtless the casual viewer will find it irritating. But for us sleaze-mongers, Don't Look In The Basement hits the sweet spot.