Video Nasty #6- Don't Go In The House

(1980)
Director: Joseph Ellison
Writers: Joe Masefield, Joseph Ellison, Ellen Hammill

Don't Go In The House is a dark, gritty, subtly unnerving film. And that's just the way I like it! Sure, it doesn't win any points for originality; A disturbed loner living under the inescapable tyranny of his overbearing mother begins offing local women. Even the most casual and uninitiated of horror fans have seen this story countless times. What this film brings is a new method of disposal for the serial killer- A flamethrower! And who can blame him, disco music always makes me want to take a flamethrower to someone too! Seriously though, the first (and incidentally, only) murder we see is definitely one of the more disturbing ones ever seen in these types of films. The coldness of the steel-paneled room. Our protagonist, Donny, isolated in his fire-proof suit. The writhing and screaming as the fire hypnotically engulfs his victim. These are images that will stay with you long after the credits roll.

It's really no surprise at all that this movie made the banned list. "In a steel room built for revenge they die burning... in chains." Yup, that pretty much sums it up. Don't Go In The House is actually an incredibly well made film however. The cinematography is quite good and the film does an excellent job of making you feel kind of sorry for our deeply disturbed antihero. But with the aforementioned violence and underlying themes of child abuse, this film is definitely not for everyone.

Enjoyability: 9 out of 12 beers

Quality: 8 1/2 out of 10 skulls