Don't Look in the Basement 2

Man. Was I harsh on the first one. Now, after seeing the follow-up, the original was an all-but masterpiece.

When I was a kid, like nine or so years old, I saw the original horror low-budget shockfest and I was scared to death. The low-budget of it all plus the "I'm not supposed to see this, but my parents are asleep and as long as I keep the volume low" aspect was what put me over the edge.

So, when I just now (about two years, too late) realized there was a sequel, I decided to spend my Friday night with a double feature of the two Don't Look in the Basements. Because it had such an impact on me, the original still sent shivers down my spine as I recalled how I felt when I was under 10 and seeing such carnage.

And then, I started the follow-up, close to 40 years after the original. And boy, this was bad.

It appears the new creators had no clue what the original was about. Either they only saw clips of the 1973 film, or they only read a synopsis, they made a completely different movie using some of the main characters from back then and morphed it into a literal comedy.

To give the synopsis, originally there was an isolated and experimental mental hospital that saw the attempted murder of the only doctor and a new nurse tricked by a patient into believing she was the new head doctor. Mayhem ensures and patient Sam murders everyone in order to save said new-nurse who escapes.

That was part one. Part two takes place in real time (approx. 40 years later) and Sam returns to a "new" mental hospital run by an enormously incompetent staff and the tone/genre completely shifts. Oh, and some murders happen with generic results.

While the actors involved give their all and the film was well shot, the movie couldn't have been more different than the original. It's like them making (another) sequel to Psycho 40 years later and making it a comedic spoof of Norman Bates tripping over the stairs leading from his mother's house to the motel.

Normally, I would recommend even in the slightest for fans to see a follow-up to a movie they may have loved or deemed a "guilty pleasure," but in this case, stay away, stay far away. This "movie" was a waste. And especially for those who LOVED the original, which I'm starting to. You will see conclusions to the characters you initially rooted for end up being completely destroyed here.

Don't look in the basement and certainly, don't look this one up.

***

Final thoughts: Okay, here's where I give my own guilty pleasure. Fine, there was one aspect I loved. One of the orderlies, the bigger one, "Bishop" - played by Scott Tepperman, was a pleasure to look at. Sure, him and the other psycho orderly were obviously inserted as comic relief, I still couldn't keep my eyes off such a hunk. At least, in such a terrible misfire, I could find pleasure in such the bear.

This movie was exccelent,it had funny moments, and I just loved the entire movie ,watched it a couple times highly replayable, has the same feel as similar movies like session 9 and death tunnel, ,this movie was great I bought it and added it to my DVD collection, of out of print b movies fits great ,,,it's way better than part one and continues on with the story perfect, and the main cast of characters, all of them we're great ,this was really well done and over looked great story especiallly when your living it for real, hits home depending what your life experiences are great movie

The original 1973 movie found itself banned in Britain as a Video Nasty, I haven't watched it for some time but I recall it being fairly good. Pity the same thing can't be said for its 2015 sequel. The movie starts off slowly but reasonably interesting, sadly the second half descends into a confusing mess. Several characters ask "What's going on?", I only wish I knew! I could watch it again to try and make sense of it but frankly I have better things to do with my time. The acting is generally passable and there are a few gory moments, but it's not enough to save this dross. Beware some dubious reviews!

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

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.