Don't Look in the Basement (1973)
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29% of users liked it
(2,697 ratings)
One of the first of several horror films with "Don't" leading the title, this gory low-budget thriller takes place in an experimental hospital for the criminally insane, where the pioneering director allows several patients to act out their twisted fantasies (which involve necrophilia,… More One of the first of several horror films with "Don't" leading the title, this gory low-budget thriller takes place in an experimental hospital for the criminally insane, where the pioneering director allows several patients to act out their twisted fantasies (which involve necrophilia, paranoia and popsicles). When a new staffer shows up, things start to go haywire -- beginning with the bloody axe-murder of the doctor himself and leading to a total takeover of the asylum by its most dangerous inmates. The acting is horrendous, the sound is incoherent and the color is so cheap-looking that some theaters were issued black-and-white prints... but somehow the intrinsic sleaziness generated by the threadbare production manages to lend it a remarkably suitable ambience. Instead of vanishing into obscurity, this quirky little potboiler became a staple on the early-70's drive-in circuit, thanks to Hallmark Films' frequent double-bill bookings with Wes Craven's Last House on the Left (even borrowing the logline "Keep telling yourself: It's only a movie...") and Mario Bava's Bay of Blood. Some video versions are missing most of the graphic violence from the original cut. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi
- Directed By
- S.F. Brownrigg
- Written By
- Thomas Pope, Tim Pope
- Genres
- Mystery & Suspense, Horror
- In Theaters
- Jan 1, 1973 Wide
Critic Reviews
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Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com
An absolute snooze from start to finish.
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Scott Weinberg, DVDTalk.com
I'm not even sure if the movie has a basement in it, but it's a real stinker to be sure.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Camilla Carr
as Harriet
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Betty Chandler
as Allyson
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Robert Dracup
as Ray Daniels
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Hugh Feagin
as Sgt. Jaffee
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Jessie Lee Fulton
as Jane St. Claire
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Rosie Holotik
as Charlotte Beale Nurse
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Jessie Kirby
as Danny
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Anne MacAdams
as Geraldine Masters
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Rhea Macadams
as Mrs. Callingham
- William Bill McGhee
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Gene Ross
as Judge Oliver W. Cameron
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Harryete Warren
as Jennifer
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Mike Harvey
as Dr. Stephens
- Annie MacAdams