"Don't Open the Door!" follows Amanda Post, a young woman who returns to her hometown thirteen years after the murder of her mother; she arrives because her grandmother is apparently on her deathbed, but soon finds several locals vying for her family's historic home, and is tormented by threatening phone calls that grow increasingly disturbed.
This followup to S. F. Brownrigg's "Don't Look in the Basement" (another shoestring regional horror flick) is a far better film that it deserves to be, and is possibly even better-made than "Basement." The plot here is straightforward, and the film shows its cards around the midway point, spoiling the potential "twist," but even still, there is plenty of offbeat fun to be had here.
Stylistically, "Don't Open the Door!" is quite colorful and lush, at times recalling Mario Bava's "Blood and Black Lace," especially with the use of mannequins as a plot device. The locations are well-shot, and there is a claustrophobic terror to the proceedings as Amanda finds herself subject to disturbed phone calls that grow increasingly violent and sexual in nature. Historically speaking, "Don't Open the Door!" may be a more important film than most realize; it was originally released in 1974, even predating Bob Clark's "Black Christmas," which has a similar setup involving a sorority tormented by a demented anonymous caller. The breathy, bizarre phone calls featured in "Don't Open the Door!" could have equally served as inspiration for those that appeared in the subsequent 1980 slasher "Prom Night," as they are similar in tone.
Susan Bracken, daughter of comedian Eddie Bracken, plays the lead here quite effectively. Her character is headstrong, sassy, and assertive--she is no damsel in distress, which is a bit refreshing to see for a film of this ilk. Even at her most terrified, she takes matters into her own hands, and holds her own against the various locals attempting to intimidate her into handing over her family's home. The film's final act is a bit disjointed and it does seem to grow clunky as it scrambles to provide us with a clean-cut conclusion (which I'm not sure is entirely achieved), but no less, I found myself pleasantly surprised by this film. For a low-budget, regionally-made horror film, "Don't Open the Door!" is inventive and stylish. Well worth a watch, especially given that it seems to have pre-empted the "killer caller" slasher as we know it. 7/10.
This followup to S. F. Brownrigg's "Don't Look in the Basement" (another shoestring regional horror flick) is a far better film that it deserves to be, and is possibly even better-made than "Basement." The plot here is straightforward, and the film shows its cards around the midway point, spoiling the potential "twist," but even still, there is plenty of offbeat fun to be had here.
Stylistically, "Don't Open the Door!" is quite colorful and lush, at times recalling Mario Bava's "Blood and Black Lace," especially with the use of mannequins as a plot device. The locations are well-shot, and there is a claustrophobic terror to the proceedings as Amanda finds herself subject to disturbed phone calls that grow increasingly violent and sexual in nature. Historically speaking, "Don't Open the Door!" may be a more important film than most realize; it was originally released in 1974, even predating Bob Clark's "Black Christmas," which has a similar setup involving a sorority tormented by a demented anonymous caller. The breathy, bizarre phone calls featured in "Don't Open the Door!" could have equally served as inspiration for those that appeared in the subsequent 1980 slasher "Prom Night," as they are similar in tone.
Susan Bracken, daughter of comedian Eddie Bracken, plays the lead here quite effectively. Her character is headstrong, sassy, and assertive--she is no damsel in distress, which is a bit refreshing to see for a film of this ilk. Even at her most terrified, she takes matters into her own hands, and holds her own against the various locals attempting to intimidate her into handing over her family's home. The film's final act is a bit disjointed and it does seem to grow clunky as it scrambles to provide us with a clean-cut conclusion (which I'm not sure is entirely achieved), but no less, I found myself pleasantly surprised by this film. For a low-budget, regionally-made horror film, "Don't Open the Door!" is inventive and stylish. Well worth a watch, especially given that it seems to have pre-empted the "killer caller" slasher as we know it. 7/10.