Back to the Basement: Filmmaker Tony Brownrigg revisits his late father’s most famous film with Don’t Look in the Basement 2.

By Bradley Steele Harding

    In 1973, a small independent horror film shot in Texas quietly began playing regional runs on the drive-in circuit. Originally released to little success under its shooting title, The Forgotten, it was subsequently sold using such disparate monikers as Death Ward 13, Beyond Help and The Snake Pit. It eventually found its largest audience as Don’t Look in the Basement, a provocative yet ambiguous declaration that audiences found too irresistible to resist. The new title was helped greatly by an ad campaign lifted directly from the previous year’s Last House on the Left, which proclaimed, ‘To avoid fainting, keep repeating: it’s only a movie…’ It was often paired with that Wes Craven classic on a popular double bill that played successfully for several years throughout the US. 

    Basement revolved around the exploits of several eccentric patients at the secluded (and woefully understaffed) Stephen’s Sanitarium. Subjected to an unorthodox experimental therapy, they are encouraged to live out their individual psychoses as a pathway to a cure. Things go awry after a therapeutic session turns violent and a new nurse begins to unravel the terrible secret (indirectly related to the declarative title). The film’s sweaty, claustrophobic aesthetic and memorable performances from a game, if unpolished, cast helped contribute to its devoted cult following through the years. 

THE SNAKE PIT was one of the many alternate titles for DON'T LOOK IN THE BASEMENT.  

     It was the first theatrical film directed by Larry Buchanan protégé S.F. Brownrigg, who would go on to make a series of popular Texas lensed horror films. Throughout the ‘70s the indie filmmaker made such drive-in mainstays as Scum of the Earth (1963) and Keep My Grave Open (1977). Utilizing a cast and crew of local talent, the late Brownrigg cultivated a company of dedicated individuals who ensured a level of professionalism with each film. For years the director attempted to get a sequel to Basement into production, but was never able to line up the appropriate deal. After his death in 1996, Brownrigg’s son Tony, a respected filmmaker in his own right, also tried to get a follow-up off the ground. Yet despite the original film’s success and subsequent cult following, interest in a second chapter was difficult to generate. 

    It wasn’t until recently that Tony was finally able to secure financing for a trip back to the basement. Starring Andrew Sensenig (We Are Still Here), Frank Mosely (The Ghost Who Walks) and Arianne Martin, it's a true sequel to the original film that incorporates ideas S.F. Brownrigg had for a follow up. Similar to what Blumhouse did with Halloween 2018, Basement 2 honors the original by going back to the source material. The original shooting location and original Basement actor Camilla Carr are back - as well as pivotal characters from the '73 film. Most intriguing of all is the casting of exploitation icon Libby Hall, the star of Larry Buchanan's The Naked Witch (1964). Hall, who is Tony's mom and was married to his late father, has a supporting role as a patient in the sequel. 

After playing the festival circuit a few years ago and receiving positive buzz, Basement 2 found a distributor with indie outfit Legless Corpse Films. The boutique distribution company released the eagerly-awaited title on DVD. A more recent Blu-ray release, packaged with the original Basement, was released through Brink Vision. It is also available to stream on Amazon Prime. I caught up with Tony while he was still deep in post-production for the long-in-development sequel.

What was the impetus for making a sequel to Basement 40 years later?

Dad had always wanted to make a sequel. He and Bret McCormick in the late 80’s had gotten together and were working on a sequel then. Bret McCormick was the director of Replicator and a bunch of 80’s low budget films that came out. It was the 80’s so it was very much ‘a group of teenagers go to X location and one by one are killed by Y.’ But he could never get it financed… Never get it off the ground. He tried for years to get it going and throughout that time he and I would talk about the things that he wished he could have done. So he spent a lot of time reminiscing about the first one and his thoughts on what he could do for a sequel. And when he passed away he was still trying to come up with a way to get Basement done. It wasn’t long after that, that I decided that I wanted start trying to get it done myself. 

So there’s actually a script of a slasher version of Basement 2 floating around?

There is somewhere. Where I have no clue. But I know that there’s one out there somewhere. I read it and it was very much a style of movie that was popular in the day, which was, you know… 

A typical slasher movie?

Yes, it was very much a Friday the 13^th kind of, you know… they show up and one by one they’re killed by spirits in the house. And so originally what they were trying to do is that the ghosts of the original characters were killing these teenagers that had come to stay in the old house, the old haunted house.

It took you fourteen years to finally get a sequel off the ground. How did you approach a follow-up for the modern horror audience?

Some time had past, it’s now in the 2000's you know. The market’s different, the audiences are different... So I took a lot of things that dad had wanted to do in the first Basement. Then (co-producer and star) Megan Emerick and I sat down and worked on a new script utilizing a lot of the original things dad had wanted to do on a sequel (as far as the original characters are concerned). And make it a true sequel about the continuation of what happened to Sam. That’s partly based on the fact that dad had always regretted that the film ended with Sam just sitting there. He wished there had been more of a resolution.

Dr. White (Frank Mosley) confronts Clive (Brady McInnes) in DON'T LOOK IN THE BASEMENT 2. That's Dawn McGhee (daughter of Bill McGhee, the star of the original BASEMENT), in the far left. 

So this new script was partially informed by the story elements your father wanted in the original film - as well as themes he wanted to explore in a sequel. Are there any ties to the slasher script from the 80’s?

No, this is a thriller and it’s funny that’s something else that Dad had said at one point. He says ‘You know, now-a-days,’ and this was in the 80’s that he’s talking about it, ‘now a days the first Basement really isn’t even a real horror film, it’s more of a thriller. When you look at it there’s really not a whole lot of blood in it.’ And there isn’t, except for the ending scene, you know, and there’s some people that get stabbed in the eye and well, I mean, violence-wise it could almost play like a Disney film...

So you would characterize Basement 2 as a true follow-up to the original film?

It is definitely a true sequel. It’s a true sequel in a more realistic matrix. I didn’t want to do a film that would try to outdo the first one - in the same vein, where it’s just like the first one, only more. ‘Cause that would be competing with Dad - and I didn’t really want to compete with Dad. So we used the first film as historical reference. These events really occurred in this building, with these characters, in 1972 and now a new clinic owns it, modern day, people have cell phones… All the patients there aren’t just quote unquote “crazy,” they actually have real ailments now-a-days: schizophrenia, you know, severe bi-polar, you’ve got people with various forms of dementia, Alzheimer’s, that kind of thing. So we tried to keep this as this realistic clinic in the modern day that had this event happen in 1972. And then we add the paranormal into it… When Sam arrives to this clinic weird things start to happen.

Without giving too much away, what is the basic plot line for Basement 2?

There is a new doctor there. He’s more of the audience’s guide. He’s the regular doctor who’s there who has to figure all this stuff out, ‘cause weird things are happening. Sam is still Sam. He is now in his 70’s but he is still the mind of a ten-year-old. He is relatively unchanged and Willie Minor plays him now because unfortunately we lost Bill McGhee a few years ago. Will did a great job reprising the role of Sam. He really is a protagonist in the sense that he’s still, as he was in the first film, he really is an innocent. He always was. And it’s hard to believe, for a new doctor to believe, that this guy killed all these people. He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who could do all of that, you know? And the bizarre occurrences that start happening when Sam arrives lead the doctor to start digging. There’s a real story behind this and hopefully he can figure it out before the events that are unfolding get to such an extreme that they take him down with him - and the other patients. 

Andrew Sensenig (WE ARE STILL HERE) plays Dr. Matthews in DON'T LOOK IN THE BASEMENT 2.    

Andrew Sensenig plays the new doctor.

We were lucky to get Andrew. He is extremely busy. He had just come off Upstream Color and several other horror films and we had a small window to be able to bring him in and have him play the role. He did a fantastic job. He plays the doctor from New York that’s decided to get away from the big city. He’s running from something himself and winds up taking this job at a little clinic in the middle of nowhere thinking that he can just kind of vanish, you know… And it turns out that’s not the case.

Don’t Look in the Basement 2 is your second genre film (after 2008’s Red Victoria). Did your dad’s films inspire you as a filmmaker?

I was so young when Dad did them, I didn’t even get to see them until the 80’s. But I already knew so much about horror at the time just working around Dad. I love the fact that dad really explored, at the time, a newer genre, which was the drive-in splatter. Especially Poor White Trash, which I love, and Basement, which I love. And as much as Dad loved (them) I was lucky enough to have all the inside scoop from him as to what things he wanted to change or wished he’d changed. Every filmmaker looks at their film after they’re done and goes, ‘I wish I’d done that different or I wish I’d changed that differently.’ And so what I loved more than his films was Dad’s tenacity to want to get it right. That’s what I admired even more than the films, which I loved. But I admired his tenacity to never give up on trying to make it right… better.

Your father got you started in production at an early age.

Oh, yes…  I was a young child with a father who was a producer and director so that equated to me being free talent and free crew. And that was utilized often so I got a lot of training when I was very, very young. My first set was when I was about ten. 10-years-old and he had me gripping. Then when a commercial would come around that needed a child in it he would put me in it. So I got experience in front and behind the camera, which was a lot of fun. All the ButterKrust Bread spots in the ‘70s… I was like the ButterKrust Kid in all these commercials that he was doing.

Your father is known for working with a dependable stable of cast and crew. While working on his commercials did you come into contact with a lot of them?

No, I did not. Now Annabelle Weenick (who played Dr. Masters) was my acting coach growing up. I did take acting lessons from Annabelle for quite a while. I loved Annabelle... In the late 80’s I did a play with Sharon Bunn from Keep My Grave Open and Larry O’Dwyer from Don’t Open the Door and Hugh Feagin from Basement. So I did a play with all three of them at Theater Three and it was a lot of fun. I was already in my 20’s at that point so I got to ask all the questions that I’d never gotten to ask before about back from the day. Because you only hear so much from your father. Your father tells you the things he wants you to hear.

It’s been said that Annabelle (who died in 2003) was instrumental in putting Basement together.

From what I have heard, Annabelle and Gene Ross (who played Judge) would go out and re-write scenes. They kind of acted as on-the-set writers when something wasn’t working or a scene wasn’t working. Annabelle and Gene would go out and re-write something and then work with the actors, then bring it back in and Dad would direct it. But, yes, from what I have heard Annabelle was very instrumental in working on the script. Camilla Carr who was in Basement wound up being the script supervisor and acting at the same time. It was that low budget a production. 

Camilla Carr, who played Harriet in the original BASEMENT, returns in the sequel playing Emily, a different character.

Carr, who played Harriet in the original Basement, has a role in the new film. Did you approach anyone else from the original cast?

I had talked to Camilla years ago about the possibility of bringing her in for a sequel. And she was interested then. A lot of the actors have either moved on or some of them… the guy who played Danny (Jessie Kirby) – can’t even find him. Of course, Annabelle’s passed on… and several of them have passed on. Hugh Feagin, he’s doing theater right now. Bob Dracup, we were trying to find a place for Bob but we just couldn’t find a good place for him. But yeah, I talked to a bunch of the cast members that I could find at the time – and most of them expressed interest and definitely a genuine love for dad. Which really made me feel good.

Were you able to contact Rosie Holitik (who played Nurse Charlotte)?

Yes. Well Rosie’s very successful in real estate now a days. She has a different life now. Like many actors that leave the business it’s kind of something you put behind you. So, it wasn’t really something she was interested in. But we do actually find out what happened to her (character) in the new script. We don’t just leave her out. It will be a definite surprise.

The sequel takes place in the same location used in the original film (the Trinity Institute in Tehuacana, TX). Had you ever visited the building prior to shooting?

Yeah, I actually went in the late 80’s with Dad when he was trying to get his sequel going. He visited the place and I went with him. So I kind of toured the house for the first time in the late 80’s with Dad. And Dad kind of let me know, ‘Oh this is where we shot this and this is where we did this’ and I already knew the film at that point. It was a really neat feeling to be able to walk around and say, ‘Oh, yeah, this is where, you know, this scene happened and that scene happened…’ The fact that it is still here in 2014 is even more amazing.

It must have been surreal, especially for actress Carr, going back there 40 years later…

Yes. It was a great experience for her. You kind of walk around kind of starry-eyed for the first few minutes when you see the staircase and you see the first floor of the upstairs. Then you go into room 4, which is where the murder occurred in the first film. That’s the only room like it in the whole building. The only room structured like that… It’s like ‘Oh, yeah, this is where Dad directed this. This is where, you know…’

It’s hard to believe it’s still standing.

It’s very hard to believe it’s still standing. It actually is part of a Texas landmark, the Trinity Institute, which is the old Westminster College. What a lot of people don’t know is that the building is not just by itself in the middle of nowhere. There’s a gigantic five-story college not three hundred feet from that building. That building is actually the dormitory for the college. The college is from the 1800’s, it’s very old and falling apart. The caretakers are trying to actually raise funds to renovate because it is a landmark. So we’re hoping we can do a little documentary about, not only this film, but about the location itself and maybe try to help them raise some funds to get the college renovated.

Exploitation legend Libby Hall (S.F. Brownrigg's wife and star of Larry Buchanan's THE NAKED WITCH) plays Milly - one of Dr. Mathew's (Andrew Sensenig) patients. 

As the writer, director and star of Red Victoria, which revolves around a writer who is reluctant to take on a horror movie, I have to ask – are you a fan of horror movies?

I am a fan of horror movies in this sense: I enjoy and love the psychology behind them. Because of my upbringing with a horror director I was creating special effects make-up at ten. Putting gashes on my friends and blood and all that other good stuff. So not a lot scared me, especially in the movies because I knew how they were made. One of the reasons I did Red Victoria was because at the time I wasn’t able to get Basement off the ground. I had tried for a while and I was talking to a distributor who said, ‘Why don’t you do a horror film?’ I was like, ‘No, I’ve tried that, Dad did Basement and you know I don’t really want to try to walk in his footsteps… so I want to do a comedy.’ 

He tried to talk me into it and I said, ‘Alright, I’ll do a horror film about a guy that doesn’t want to make a horror film.' That’s what Red Victoria was, it was really my frustration in the fact that horror is considered by many to be so easy to make and it’s not. It’s actually very hard. That’s why the lead character in Red Victoria kind of looked down his nose at horror. It’s the opiate of the masses, it’s cheap thrills… And at the end of Red Victoria he wound up coming to realize what true horror is… Which is really fear of being out of control either by an external source or an internal source. And that’s something that I find fascinating about horror.

 

New Music Video is Girdler Homage

I am currently working on a film project with a unique audio component. My creative partner, Andy Jones, is helping to create the soundscape. Andy is also a singer/songwriter and is releasing an EP called Tales of Doom Vol 1, which is dropping October 27, 2017. I was asked to help him create a music video for his song "Mary," a haunting piece inspired by the satanic panic of the late 80s/early 90s. We decided to use footage from the 1972 William Girdler film ASYLUM OF SATAN.

Watch the MARY music video here. 

HALLOWEEN: 20 YEARS LATER (Monsters at Play Film Review)

 

What exactly were John Carpenter and Debra Hill thinking when they set out to write the continuation to their breakout hit Halloween? That 1978 shocker was not only a critical and box office success, it became the most successful independent film ever made at the time. In Halloween Michael Myers is the personification of the boogeyman. Though his motivation is vague, the script is just literate enough and the cinematography clever enough, to imply why Myers might be compelled to stalk intrepid babysitter Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis). After escaping from a sanitarium 15 years to the day he murdered his sister Judith, Myers returns to his childhood home. Watching from a window he sees the teenage Laurie who is the same age as the sister he butchered. She’s interacting with a young boy only a few years older than he was when he committed the act. He’s also standing at the very door he walked through right after the crime. As Laurie walks away from the house Myers watches as she sings to herself, “I wish that we were all alone, just the two of us…”

Michael (Nick Castle) watches Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis) walk away from the Myers house.

 It’s not a huge stretch to assume that the masked madman might view this an invitation to dance. Halloween 2 elaborates on this subtle “Laurie as sister” theme by unashamedly making her his actual sister. Because Judith’s murder appeared to be punishment for her sexual encounter with her boyfriend, Myers reasons for wanting his chaste younger sister dead are simply nonsensical. This third act revelation from the charmless sequel cast a pall over the entire Halloween series. By giving Myers a reason to kill (however slight), it altered his personae from neighborhood boogeyman to an obsessed psycho who merely wanted to off his entire family. (It’s a conceit practically inspired though when compared to the further revelations about Myers in the subsequent sequels.) Carpenter stated early on that what made The Shape such a scary presence was that he was a complete enigma. The more you know about the thing in the shadows, the less frightening (and compelling) it is.

THE SHAPE stalks the Strode girl.

 It only took them 20 years to get the boogeyman back where he belonged: in the darkness, waiting for the Strode girl. But 20 years later, Strode is no longer a girl but a functioning alcoholic with a treat bag filled with angst. She’s also no longer Laurie Strode after faking her death and changing her name to Keri Tate. Tate is now the headmistress of a private California boarding school and the mother of 18-year-old John (Josh Hartnett). Bypassing the Shape shenanigans of Parts 4 –6 (where Laurie is dead and Myers goes after her orphaned daughter) writers Robert Zappia and Matt Greenberg connect the dots directly from Halloween 2. Though shot in both eyes and burned in an explosion, the persistent Myers has been wandering the world in search of his sister for several years.

Michael (Chris Durand) tracks down Marion (Nancy Stephens) who has information on Laurie's whereabouts.

On October 29, 1998 he finally tracks down the home of the late Sam Loomis (the late Donald Pleasence). Loomis, it turns out, had a rather surprising relationship with Nurse Marion Chambers (Nancy Stephens from H1&2) and shared a home with her. After finding a secret file on his sister, Myers finally ends the life of the nurse who survived a previous attack 20 years ago that night. He learns of Laurie’s whereabouts and heads out to California to end the life of sister number two once and for all. Back at the boarding school, Keri deals with recurring nightmares and a drinking problem. Her Halloween ordeal has made her overly protective of her son; putting the two at odds with her extreme behavior. A school camping trip over the Halloween weekend pits the mother and son against each other. Keri doesn’t want him leaving home; especially during this troubling anniversary. Though Keri concedes at the last minute, John and his friends have already planned a private Halloween celebration on the empty campus (where the Tate’s also live). Thinking that John has left with the rest of the students, Keri plans a party of her own with school instructor Will (Adam Arkin).

Keri AKA Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis) finally sees Michael (Chris Durand).

Soon Myers shows up and begins another Halloween cutting up some randy teens before setting his sights on sis. Halloween H20 is a satisfying denouement to the saga; thanks in no small part to Curtis’ involvement. Her performance here is both brave and exhilarating; there isn’t one false note in the reprise of her best-known role. Her grounding portrayal of the broken Laurie makes the Myers menace all the more plausible – and even scary. She is ably supported by a cast of solid actors including her mother Janet Leigh (in a fun cameo), L.L. Cool J., Michelle Williams and the aforementioned Arkin and Hartnet. This belated valentine to fans of the series was directed with great skill by the underrated Steve Minor (director of the scariest Friday the 13^th installment - Part 2). Halloween: H20 is a fitting finale to the long night HE came home.

Yes Keri, HALLOWEEN 2 was just a bad dream.

HALLOWEEN II (1981) Review (Originally posted on Planet Fury)

     The Moustapha Akkad presentation of HALLOWEEN II picks up directly where the original ends. Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence) shoots boogeyman Michael Myers (Nick Castle) six times, sending him over a balcony and onto the front lawn of the Doyle house. Of course, everybody knows that you ‘can’t kill the boogeyman’ and Myers’ body is nowhere to be found. Intrepid “final girl” Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), is taken by ambulance to Haddonfield Memorial Hospital to tend to her wounds while Loomis and Sheriff Brackett (Charles Cyphers) wander the streets of Haddonfield attempting to find The Shape. 

     Throughout his original rampage, Michael’s motives were seemingly tied to the anniversary of murdering his sister Judith (fifteen years prior). After returning to the scene of the crime, he fixated on a teenager (Laurie) who reminded him of his sister, compelling him to repeat the crime again. His efficient trail of death was either tied to survival or his compulsion to relive the past. A Phelp’s Garage mechanic, two dogs and three horny teens were either slashed or strangled - and sometimes both. By HALLOWEEN II, our boogeyman (now played by stunt man Dick Warlock) appears less focused and much more angry. Maybe it was the knitting needle in the neck, the hanger in the eye, the butcher knife in the chest, the six close-range bullets to his body and two-story fall to the ground that soured his patient, methodical approach? Whatever the cause, poor Alice (Anne Bruner), a random teen alone in her home, is the first unfortunate victim of the angrier, less subtle Myers. Alice’s only sin? Leaving the front door unlocked. Myers may have returned, but he couldn’t have wandered further from Orange Grove Ave.

 

   The rest of HALLOWEEN II focuses on Loomis’ attempts at finding Myers - and Myers’ attempts at killing Laurie. While Loomis gathers clues indicating a nonsensical (and unnecessary) motive for his former patient, the incompetent staff at Haddonfield Memorial are systematically killed by Myers in several mean and equally nonsensical ways. The creepy cat and mouse games of a child-like psycho have been replaced by FRIDAY THE 13^th-style murder set pieces. What is most frustrating with this follow-up, again scripted by Carpenter and Debra Hill, is that there is no true protagonist. Curtis’ Laurie is drugged and bedridden for most of the running time. The intrepid babysitter from the original is relegated to the sidelines while Loomis is left to search dental records and wax philosophic on evil and the origins of Samhain. The audience is left to wander the dark halls with group of dim, vague archetypes simply waiting for a syringe to the eye.  Hard to believe that Carpenter and Hill would choose to pursue such a limited and redundant narrative. It’s a slick yet depressing coda to a classic film that surely deserved better. 

     Director Rick Rosenthal (HALLOWEEN: RESURRECTION) does a serviceable job with the slight material he was given. He gets some solid performances from Pleasence, Cyphers and Lance Guest (JAWS: THE REVENGE) as concerned paramedic Jimmy. Nancy Stephens makes a welcome return as the cynical, chain-smoking Marion and Gloria Gifford is a strong presence as head nurse Mrs. Alves (the lone authority figure at Haddonfield Memorial). Curtis, who did the sequel out of loyalty to Carpenter and Hill, is suitably worried and anxious in her extended victim role. Though a poorly-chosen wig offers distracting evidence that this is definitely not the same brave teen who fought so valiantly to stop the boogeyman. Thankfully she was able to reconcile the somnambulant turn of her character TWICE several years later in the compelling HALLOWEEN: H20 and the even better Blumhouse re-imagining HALLOWEEN 2018 (which ditches all the sequels and the sibling connection altogether). 

     Rosenthal’s film looks and feels very much like the original, thanks to returning cinematographer Dean Cundey (SATAN’S CHEERLEADERS). The first moments after the opening credits, with Myers’ POV through the back alleys of Haddonfield, contain a mischievous energy missing from the rest of the film. These brief shots cleverly mirror the beginning of the original and promise a movie that is far more inventive than what proceeds. As a HALLOWEEN sequel, it’s mostly trick, but as a mindless slasher film it’s a digestible treat (if you prefer hard candy). It’s helped greatly by the kinetic score, an electronic revamp of Carpenter’s iconic original soundtrack. The extended, entirely expected stalking sequence between Myers and Laurie is shot and edited with a modicum of energy. However, the leisure pace of the Warlock Myers is often unintentionally funny. Laurie “narrowly escaping” the surgical knife by a slow moving elevator is far removed from the nail-biting confrontations orchestrated in the original. 

     What is most obvious (and unfortunate) with HALLOWEEN II, is that Myers is most certainly NOT the boogeyman. The silent, sneaky phantom in the shadows from HALLOWEEN is nowhere to be found once Strode has been secured in the stretcher. Perhaps by bookending the film with The Chordettes’ “Mr. Sandman,” Carpenter and Hill were intimating that our heroine began hallucinating as soon as she stated that, ‘It was the boogeyman.’ Razors in the mouth, exploding cars, boiled faces and slippery pools of blood are surely the stuff of nightmares. 

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Possession of Nurse Sherri DVD Review (Re-post from 2004 Monsters at Play article)

Silly softcore artwork for Retro Shock-O-Rama's DVD release of Nurse Sherri.

     Don’t let the slick softcore, direct-to-video cover art fool you, this is authentic ‘70’s schlock at its most entertaining. Though known in it’s various releases under several different titles (including Beyond the Living and Black VooDoo), most are familiar with this bargain basement Al Adamson film simply as Nurse Sherri. A lurid mix of horror and sexploitation, Sherri is one of the last great examples of drive-in circuit programming - and one of the most absurdly compelling.  
     While attempting to raise the body of a dead disciple, enigmatic cult leader Reanhauer (Bill Roy) has a heart attack. He’s promptly rushed to a hospital for emergency surgery and ends up dying. His tortured spirit, in the form of a crudely animated green blob, quickly possesses sexy nurse Sherri (the pretty but vacuous Jill Jacobson). Using her as his demonic vehicle, he haphazardly begins a plot of revenge against the crackerjack surgical team that operated upon him. Death by pitchfork and other sharp objects soon follow. Ultimately, it’s up to Sherri’s boyfriend Dr. Peter (handsome piece of wood Geoffrey Land) and her fellow nurse confidants (Marylin Joi and Mary Kay Pass) to help her exorcise the evil spirit. 

Jill Jacobson is not confused, she is simply possessed by a confused spirit.

     It’s pointless to delve much into the “plot” of this schizoid production given its fractured history. Even the premise of film is  arbitrary (not to mention contradictory) when given the slightest scrutiny. The cult leader in question seeks revenge because he refused medical help. Though the surgery proves unsuccessful, he would have died regardless – which renders his beyond-the-grave retribution completely nonsensical. His amazing and ever-evolving supernatural powers putting a huge exclamation mark on the junky narrative. Subplots are provided and ultimately prove fruitless. Prentiss Moulden plays a blind ex-football player with knowledge on all things supernatural. His scenes with cult icon Joi (Ilsa: Harem Keeper of the Oil Sheiks) are well played. The two African American actors give the most convincing performances - which is faint praise indeed. 
     The film is opened up somewhat by an additional “subplot” provided by extra footage shot when it was decided to play up Sherri’s “scarier” aspects. Adamson regular J. C. Wells, who was a minor character in the first cut, now receives lots of screen time as an ex-cult member. Telekinetic mayhem, a car chase with ubiquitous vehicle explosion and some nicely shot exteriors are the “bonuses” of this extra mandated footage. Though these sequences add nothing to the central plot, they greatly enhance the production value. This is appreciated even more once the original cut of the film is viewed. Obviously much of the enjoyment factor in watching Sherri is the poorly executed story structure. Those who prefer coherence and continuity along with their exploitation should avoid this (and most Adamson films) altogether.

Marylin Joi and Prentiss Moulden give all in Nurse Sherri (a.k.a. Black VooDoo).

     Basically, Nurse Sherri is a strange marriage of the film Carrie and the nurse sexploitation sub genre. In fact, producer Sam Sherman (listed in the credits as Mark Sherwood) offers a candid audio commentary where he credits Carrie and the Roger Corman film Student Nurses as inspiration. The final result is probably the most coherent of all of Sherman’s collaborations with the late director. It’s also one of the more compelling pieces of low budget schlock released at the time. (The climax of the film is actually edited quite nicely and does hold a modicum of suspense.) 
     What makes this film more than just a “so-bad-it’s-good” experience is a combination of elements. Often Nurse Sherri feels like an Ovidio Assonitis production. The jarring editing and poor continuity frequently found in his Italian/ American releases (which include Beyond the Door and The Visitor) tend to give them an eerie, otherworldly quality. In this respect, Sherri’s budget limitations and numerous re-shoots often work in its favor. There is also a claustrophobic uneasiness that permeates the film as well. Practical locations (no studio sets) and its 16 millimeter you-are-there documentary aesthetic certainly give it an edge. It’s the perfect companion piece to William Sachs’ The Incredible Melting Man from ’77. Both films are micro-budgeted, claustrophobic horror films that work because of their obvious limitations. Though certainly no classic, Sherri can be immensely entertaining for those who appreciate the sub-genre. 

A bloody hand attempts to awaken the somnambulant Nurse Sherri.

     Nurse Sherri was originally shot in 16mm, then transferred to 35mm. High color contrast and severe grain on the release print are often the result. Sherri’s additional footage was shot on 35mm film stock, which only adds to its inconsistent presentation. The original release probably looked much like the image on this DVD – lots of minor wear with heavy contrast and grain. The night scenes are also extremely dark on the original cut of the film. There is an alternate, sexed-up version of Sherri included as well. This cut has even more wear and high contrast but, oddly enough, the night scenes are much brighter. The image is not letterboxed, but the 16mm aspect ratio remains intact. Al Adamson was not known for his mise-en-scene as a director - so even the 35mm scenes don’t seem to lose much information in the framing. For the record, most the film was shot by Roger Michaels - who does an adequate job. There are no awkward boom mics in the frame or major technical gaffes.

     Sound quality on the DVD is merely adequate. The original film transfer had audio problems and these are even more prominent in the digital presentation. The groovy catalogue music (all provided by the same television composer) comes in quite clear. Most of the sound problems come from post-production dubbing (or maybe the lack of) but really add to the drive-in experience. You don’t purchase a grind house film like this expecting much in terms of technical quality. However, compared to Something Weird’s DVD releases of the H. G. Lewis films (all 16mm), this is vastly inferior on all levels. Also, the film’s audio during the commentary track is off slightly – and is a bit distracting. 

The unfortunate Sherri is overtaken by a sparkly green blob in Nurse Sherri.

     This disc is a must for all fans of ‘70’s drive-in films for the audio commentary alone. Sam Sherman has provided numerous commentaries for other DVD releases and he’s got the system down. As stated previously, the audio of the film is out of sync during his voice-over, but he rarely stops to take a breath. His candid comments about the genesis of the film, behind-the-scenes struggles and reedits make it even more interesting. Originally Nurse Sherri was intended as a sex film with horror elements. The original cut is provided and is a fascinating look at the making and remaking of an exploitation film. Also included is the theatrical trailer and a TV spot - both great pieces of schlock advertising. Shock-O-Rama and Seduction Cinema trailers (mainly ‘90’s direct-to-video titles) are also part of the package.

     Though a fully-remastered, widescreen print would have greatly improved the package, this is the best Nurse Sherri has appeared since its release and the commentary alone is worth the (inexpensive) retail price. Certainly not for every taste, especially those who prefer the “intentionally campy” horror films that permeated the multiplexes in the mid-80’s. But if you prefer your exploitation with honest absurdity and eager-to-please schlock, then search out your favorite DVD vendor for this out-of-print gem.   

The gloriously lurid original one-sheet for the 1978 theatrical release.

 

 

Getting Carrie Right: A Repost of the FearNet off-Broadway review

HE KNOWS YOU'RE ALONE DVD REVIEW (from 2004 - MONSTERS AT PLAY)

“He’s after me Marvin; he’s trying to kill me! He killed Nancy!”

Amy (Caitlin O’Heaney), manic in the morgue, in HE KNOWS YOU’RE ALONE.

Directed by Armand Mastroianni in late 1979, HE KNOWS YOU’RE ALONE is one of the more slavish slahers to brandish a knife in the shadow of John Carpenter’s HALLOWEEN. It’s also one of the more enjoyable. Burdened with an awkward title that’s more of a tag line - and a lazy ad campaign, Mastroianni’s film didn’t exactly set the boxoffice on fire in the fall of 1980. It’s remembered primarily for two things: the movie debut of a young Tom Hanks and the creepy opening sequence where a woman is stabbed in a movie theater. But this efficient, often suspenseful, little exploitation film deserves more than mere footnote status in this often-derided subgenre.

After a bride-to-be is stabbed through her seat while watching a horror movie, Detective Gamble (hunky Lewis Arlt) grows concerned that it might be the work of a long dormant serial killer; one who murdered Gamble’s own fiancé just hours before their wedding. Sure enough, it turns out that Ray Carlton (the menacing Tom Rolfing) has returned from the void to begin stalking brides - and anyone associated with their wedding party. Fresh off the bus from Slasherville, Ray sets his sights on Amy (Caitlin O’Heaney), a bride-to-be in the final planning stages of her wedding. While her fiancé is off on a wild bachelor party (and her parents conveniently away) she busies herself with dress fittings and a lingering doubt about her upcoming marriage. Her best friends Nancy (Elizabeth Kemp) and Joyce (soap mainstay Patsy Pease) keep her company while she watches her younger sister (Dana Barron) and flirts with ex-boyfriend Marvin (Don Scardino). All the while she is followed by the wide-eyed stalker, who begins to slice up everyone associated with her upcoming wedding. 

Ray Calton (Tom Rolfing) sets his sights on bride-to-be Amy (Cailtin O'Heaney) in HE KNOWS YOU'RE ALONE. 

There are several aspects of Mastrianni’s film that set it apart from the typical slasher film from this era. Shot on Long Island, the cast is filled with talented New York actors including many Broadway and soap opera vets. O’Heaney, also seen in the ugly, misogynistic SAVAGE WEEKEND (shot in ’79 but released in the early ‘80s) makes a likeable, if somewhat neurotic, heroine. Scardino, who stared in Jeff Lieberman’s SQUIRM a few years prior, gives another “charming goofball” performance as Amy’s spurned beau. Kemp (looking very Laurie Strode-like) is also very appealing as Nancy, the girlfriend who sets her sights on a young jogger (Hanks). Much has been made about the future BOSOM BUDDIES star in this film. In what constitutes as little more than an extended cameo, Hanks is fine as a psych student who gives a short spiel on the nature of fear. The late Rolfing is appropriately menacing as the stalker, though some of the awkward staging in the final act renders his character a bit clumsy. Writer Scott Parker embellishes the derivative story with just enough characterization for the actors to hold on to, lending the scant dramatic elements a nuance not typically found in the slasher genre. The believable, and sympathetic, characters also give the suspense sequences an added sense of urgency.

Mastroianni’s first film is appropriately intense, especially during the harrowing climax set at a morgue. Few slasher films from this era were very ambitious; most of which substituted suspense for extreme violence and gore. HE KNOWS eschews much of the violence predominant in the genre, relying more on implied, off screen bloodletting. The Long Island location and late fall backdrop also give the film an isolated, chilly sense of place. Indded its lush fall aesthetic elevates much of the workman-like cinematography by Gerald Feil (who would go on to shoot FRIDAY THE 13^TH PART 3).  

Nancy (Elizabeth Kemp) on her first (and last) date with psych major Elliot (Tom Hanks).

Though HE KNOWS is in many ways a superior thriller, especially when considering its budget and 15-day shooting schedule, it remains one of the more blatant reactions to the success of HALLOWEEN. Suspense set-pieces, characters and even music borrow liberally from the Carpenter film. It also lacks the cinematic skill and innovation that made that watershed film so memorable. In the engaging commentary with Mastroianni and Parker, they mention Carpenter’s film only once; odd when you consider how much they relied on his formula for success. In their defense, much of the “kitchen sink” horror brought back into fashion by HALLOWEEN was around well before its landmark release. The “old dark house” with the specter in the shadows goes back to the thrillers of the ‘30’s. Pressure was also imposed upon the filmmakers by producers who insisted on more of the formulaic aspects -like the nude shower scene. And in a bit a slasher film irony, a few of the set pieces that occur in the climax of HE KNOWS turned up a year later in the disappointing HALLOWEEN 2. While no one would accuse Carpenter of stealing from Mastroianni’s film, it’s interesting how certain film genres seem to mirror one another – intentional or not. 

Subtle, isn't he? 

The 2004 DVD release from Warner’s Home Video (now out of print) is a great gift to fans of this overlooked film. The beautiful transfer is presented in its original aspect ratio; the first time since its theatrical release. It also appears that the print was struck from the original negative; dark scenes that appeared murky on video and cable are now sharp and clear. The Dolby Digital sound is a serviceable mix with little distortion apparent. The special features include the original trailer and, best of all, commentary by Mastroianni and Parker. Their behind-the-scenes reminiscing might not be the most eagerly anticipated DVD audio track this year, but to kids who grew up reading Fangoria, this “special feature” truly is one.  

The out-of-print MGM DVD 2004 release of HE KNOWS YOU'RE ALONE.

Issue #9 of Fangoria, with its iconic image of a chainsaw wielding pig, featured a cover story on HE KNOWS (a photo of Rolfing grabbing at O’Heaney is pictured in the second frame of the iconic film strip.) Any kid who purchased that issue in the fall of 1980 will certainly want to get of copy of this film. It’s an entertaining artifact from a high point in exploitation history.