Don't Look in the Basement 2

Don't Look in the Basement 2 (2015)

** (out of 4)

A mental hospital is the setting as boss Emily (Camilla Carr) tells her crew that they've got a new patient coming. It turns out that Sam (Willie Minor) was in a sanitarium where he murdered eight people in 1972. Dr. William (Andrew Sensenig) is given his case and it doesn't take long for everyone to realize that something isn't right.

DON'T LOOK IN THE BASEMENT was a shocking hit back in 1972 even though it featured no stars or much of a budget. The film was directed by cult favorite S.F. Brownrigg and it remained popular throughout the last couple decades thanks to its public domain status, which meant people had easy access to it. This direct sequel took over thirty years to materialize and it was co-written and directed by Tony Brownrigg, the original director's son.

It seems doing sequels to these older movies is something that is catching on because another 70s favorite, SILENT NIGHT BLOODY NIGHT also got the sequel treatment. I went into this expecting something quite awful and was shocked not to get that. In fact, I was rather amazed at the technical quality of the picture because you'd never know that you were watching a low-budget movie. The cinematography by Chuck Hatcher makes this seem like a Hollywood picture because of how great it is. The editing, the score and one of the songs played throughout were also extremely good.

Another shock was the fact that all of the performances were extremely good and believable, which is something I rarely say for a film like this. If you're familiar with the first film then you'll remember Carr and it was great getting to see her return here. Brownrigg does a very good job in the director's chair but I must say that the only disappointing thing was the actual screenplay. There's simply not enough going on here to keep you glued to the screen for the rather short 82 minutes.

I really wish that a better or fuller story had been done. Everything is here for a good movie but it falls just short because there's way too much talking going on and there's needed to be a bit more plot development. Still, DON'T LOOK IN THE BASEMENT 2 was a shocking surprise and manages to be better than the first film.

This was an incredible movie. I hated the first one, but this is so much better. I like how it all comes together and explains a lot. Give it a try, it's good

I've read a lot of comments about the acting and i tend to agree, the acting was probably the best part of the film. Ive never spent any time in a sanitarium but i imagine it doesnt look like an old creeky house with junk left out in the open and books and junk left everywhere. Its as if they were so intent on making the set look like the original, no one thought to actually make it look like a clinic. All things considered, its a C- in my book.

The arrival of a new patient at a home for the mentally ill stirs up ghosts from the past, causing the staff and residents to exhibit severe personality changes.

S.F. Brownrigg's cult 1972 horror Don't Look In The Basement gets a belated sequel courtesy of Brownrigg's son, Tony. Unlike his father's film, which was a cheap, grainy, lo-fi effort (none of which prevented it from being an effective shocker), Tony's film is surprisingly polished, boasting crisp cinematography and solid performances. What it is lacking, however, is a decent pace and a strong story.

The first forty minutes of Don't Look In The Basement 2 are extremely uneventful and unfold at a snail's pace, introducing the viewer to the characters, none of whom are as memorable as those in the original film. At around the halfway mark, the plot gets a little more interesting as people begin to act strangely, but the leaden pace persists. There's a smattering of gore to help liven up proceedings (including some graphic gut munching), but on the whole I found the whole thing frustratingly lacklustre, and not really worth the 40+ year wait.

Belated 2015 sequel to 1973's Don't Look in the Basement. This one is directed by Tony Brownrigg (son of the late S. F. Brownrigg who directed the first). Nice to see that Brownrigg Jr managed to use the same building as the one featured in the first movie. The premise is that the one surviving patient from the first film, who has remained institutionalised elsewhere ever since, is returned to what was Stephen's Sanitarium (the reason for this is never made quite clear). However, his presence awakens the spirits of all those we saw killed at the climax of the first film, and who then start to possess the present-day staff and patients

This is obviously a labour of love for the director (it's touchingly dedicated 'for dad' at the end). The switch from the 'psycho biddy' horror of the first film to haunted house/possession is interesting. It's a shame that for the first half of the 1hr 28min runtime pretty much nothing happens. As with the first film the cast are all virtual unknowns, but they do okay (although there are two characters inserted as 'comic relief', whose presence and tone really jar with the rest of what's going on). When things finally get underway there are some nice ideas, and some cute callbacks to the original film, but it never really grabs you and the ending is a little flat. Only really worth checking out if you're a fan of the first. 5/10.