DON'T OPEN THE DOOR

A gory-glory return to the gorilla filmmaking style, emotional independence, and scathing social satire of the often reviled, sometimes revered, never boring Grindhouse of old, Don't Open The Door is a surprisingly fun little slice of fear. As subversively intelligent as it is emotionally scathing, this cheaply shot, cheap-looking bruise on the arm of cinema is only aided in psychological effect by its grainy look, dark lighting, and professional if blunt direction. Achieving with little budget what million dollar remakes fail to accomplish in movies more directed at 'safe appeal' than terror, this unapologetic exploitation shocker evokes a sense of terror, suspense, and seedy moral ambiguity that lends a somewhat cliché if well written surface story both emotional resonance and raw apprehension.

Peopled with offbeat, bent characters who lend the story an almost surreal quality ala a poor man's David Lynch, and invested with the director's trademark stealthy pacing and attention to bizarre detail, this simplistic story of an emotionally scarred but dutiful grand-daughter returning home to care for her ailing grandmother is as convincing in premise as it is in its naturalistic and presentation and low budget, no-frills delivery. Once home, the heroin (believably depicted and acted, investing her character with a sense of vulnerability without resorting to scream-queen hysterics), is trapped inside with a homicidal maniac. The story then graduates towards scenes whose very simplicity dulls you into a sense of complacency before 'getting you!' with old fashioned scare-tactics. This cat-and-mouse game, while far from unique (practiced more than any other trope in the sordid psycho-sexual history of the thriller), is nevertheless well staged. If we don't always find satisfaction in the plot twists, at least getting there is enjoyable.

Director S.F. Brownrigg's follow up to his even more sordid (and accomplished) horror vehicle Don't Look in the Basement, this film utilizes the murky interiors of the house as expressions of mood, rather like the house is an actor. A wise move, considering so much of the film's time is spent there. Just as much attention is lent to living characters; while they lack the intimate emotional geography of truly well written personas, they are able to emit a sense of symbolic caricature that saves them from appearing simply ridiculous. When the young women receives obscene calls from a menacing speaker demanding she entice him sexually, her fear and the terrifying ambiguity of the situation are mirrored by the director's choice of shadowy lighting, symbolizing the unknown, dark path which she is following. While the acting doesn't inspire confidence it does propel events from scene to scene briskly, and while viewers might resent the fact that the heroine herself is rather snotty, this extra layer of believability lends further realism to a sensationalized story of sexual hysteria and stalking. One almost gets the impression that the actors are similar in their function to the disturbingly captured porcelain dolls employed throughout the film, victims and victimizers whose characteristics and fates are already inscribed in their souls.

This minimal piece of atmospheric horror is presented by the nice folks at VCI in a 1.85.1 transfer. While the film's Drive-In, low budget constraints are evident in the visual quality, complete with grain, spotting, and weak colors, the picture is reasonably satisfying, and doesn't deter too much from enjoyment. In fact, devotees of Grindhouse will groove on the nostalgic feel of precisely these elements, which, in essence, mirror the corrupted mood and implications of a grim story. A definite improvement over past VHS sources, this is as good a print as one can hope for when considering the film's source and scarcity. Audio is serviceable, with hissing that occasionally makes hearing difficult. Again, I would sooner blame the source than the efforts of VCI.

Extras are entertaining and insightful - if scant - including an informative bio on the director, a true pioneer of do-it-yourself exploitation who instilled his film threats with deliciously demented mood, a theatrical trailer, and additional trailers for VCI titles. A celebration of horror and sleaze more often hinted at by effective atmosphere than plain viscera, you may not want to Open the Door but you should definitely watch the film!

Review by William P Simmons