Don't Hang Up

source: Don't Hang Up

Amanda Post (Susan Bracken) hasn't returned to her (rather palatial) family home in 13 years, as she witnessed her mother die there as a young child. However, she gets a call informing her that her grandmother is near death, and Mandy dutifully goes home again to care for her in her final days. Upon arrival, she reunites with a host of her small town's odd cast of characters, who all pretty much have their agendas stamped on their foreheads, given the unsubtle writing. First we've got Dr. Crawther (Jim Harrell), who is AWFULLY fond of pumping poor granny full of extra sedatives, Judge Stemple (Gene Ross) who is the executor of grandma's affairs( and clearly has an interest in real estate ~wink, wink...nudge, nudge~). To round out the bunch of potential cannon fodder, Claude Kearn (Larry O'Dwyer) the nebbishy curator of a museum devoted to the house and its history, attached at the hip to antique dolls, doilies and the like. Shortly after arriving, Mandy is subject to a series of threatening and increasing perverse phone calls, from someone who has a severely unhealthy fixation with the women of the Post family and the estate. The first 3/4 of the film is mostly wasted on secondary characters and their subplots, with bonus run time padding from various ineffectual visits from Amanda's doctor boyfriend, Nick(Hugh Feagan). None of it is sketched deeply enough for you to care, and none of the actors here are talented enough to make something out of the utter nothing they're given. Scares and blood are few, and even the centerpiece phone calls are kind of goofy rather then menacing. The only bright spot is Amanda remains a good step more feisty and plucky than heroines of the genre, and the additional agency makes you actually root for her in spite of all of the quality issues. The tension and a nice touch of visual dime store surrealism finally starts building through the last 30 minutes, then drops with a thud into an abrupt and unsatisfying ending, lacking much narrative sense and leaving all of the early plot threads blowing in the breeze. Why do the Judge and Claude hate each other so much? They're both covering the other's dirty deeds, so why no united front? What did the doctor get out of drugging the grandmother senseless if the judge gets the house? How long has Claude been talking to a dummy of Mandy's mum and dressing in drag on the weekends? The dolls and his brief drag turn were a few of the better unsettling visuals/plot points, and both are barely utilized. Why is Nick so utterly bloody useless? The world may never know. All in all, a watchable little film with a few treasures amongst its trash pile, but far less interesting than it could have been. The best I can say for it is that it was an early adopter of elements that would later be far better utilized in genre classics like "Black Christmas" or "Don't Answer The Phone"

"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.

Don't Open the Door! (1975) * 1/2 (out of 4) Thirteen years after seeing her mother brutally murdered, Amanda (Susan Bracken) returns to her hometown when she receives a call saying that her grandmother is about to die. Soon after arriving Amanda starts to realize that something strange is happening and after receiving some prank calls she realizes she's not safe. Director S.F. Brownrigg made five films in his career and he's gained a pretty big cult following over the years and it's interesting to read reviews from his fans because all of them are mixed on what film of his is the great. The most popular is certainly DON'T LOOK IN THE BASEMENT but it seems that this film has some calling it his best with others saying it's his worst. I think the film shows some growth from Brownrigg's 1973 film but at the same time there are still many problems here. First for the good stuff. The pacing of the film is certainly much better than what we previously saw from the director and it's really too bad that this more upbeat pacing wasn't used in earlier films because they could have been much better. The pacing certainly helps this film because the story is so lacking in many different ways. For starters, there's really not too much going on. You should be able to identify the killer before the twenty-minute mark so there's really no surprises as you work towards the end. Another problem is that we're often sitting through scenes that just drag on without any purpose and none of them really effect what's going on. The performances here are all rather mixed but I thought Bracken did a decent job in the lead and fans of DON'T LOOK IN THE BASEMENT will be happy to see some of the patients from that film in roles here. Brownrigg once again makes some nice atmosphere but it's pretty much wasted due to the weak story.

****SPOILERS*** Mindless and ridicules horror flick with the young lady in red, her favorite color, the plucky Amanda Post, Susan Brackman, being trapped in her grandma's, Rhea MacAdams, creepy house who seems to be on her deathbed and about to check out, of life, at any moment. Were told that Amanda witnessed her moms murder in the same house 12 years ago and is now spooked in being there again. But there she is, looking after grandma, and confronted by these two weirdos the person or curator running the place Claude Kerns, Larry O'Dwyer, or what seems to be grandma's power of attorney Judge Stemple, Glen Ross, who for reasons known only to themselves don't want Amanda around. For the remainder of the movie we have, and it's no secret to those of us watching ,this crazy nut Kerns calling Amanda for phone sex and threatening to murder her grandma who's as good as dead anyway, if she doesn't comply to his sick demands. Judge Stemple who has other reasons in wanting Amanda out of the house is later a victim of Kerns in wanting him out of his way, like Amanda, so he can end up having the house all to himself. ****SPOILERS*** With all this happening to her Amanda loses it and in the end joins her grandma' in becoming a zombie on steroids as well as murderess. And the person whom she ends up murdering, by bashing his skull in, is her concerned but not too bright, in not realizing what she's going through, boyfriend Nick played by Hugh Feagin who seemed to be the only sane person in the entire movie! Were shown at the end the person-we think- who actually murdered Amanda's mom 12 years ago and by also stealing and mutilating her favorite doll that eventually caused her to go completely nuts but by then, after what we went or suffered thorough watching the movie, couldn't care less whoever he was or what he did.

"Don't Hang Up" AKA "Don't Open The Door" The first hour of this film felt like two hours or more worth of watching... it dragged and dragged. By the time there was 1/2 hour left I really didn't care who lived or died - I wished they would all just die. I wished a big meteorite fell on top of the house with all of them in it and it was over with... but it didn't happen that way so I fast-forwarded the film to see this "great ending" (please note the sarcasm). Most of the film is just about this Amanda Post girl that hardly ever checks on her sick grandma - the supposed reason for going to the house to begin with. At one point, the doctor came and asked how long has the grandma been asleep and airheaded Amanda says "Oh since I've been here... about 12 hours" then she realized she really hasn't checked on her grandma in all that time - she's been too busy enjoying the house, answering the phone and talking to people that keep running in and out of the home. Really just a stupid movie with an airhead as the so-called star of the show - she's cute but a real airhead. 1/10

Over the years, various indie horror filmmakers have cult followings, sometimes for the low quality of the films (Ed Wood and Andy Milligan spring to mind). Probably because of the high profiles of these schlockmeisters, low budget horror films from the 1970s seem, almost without exception, to be synonymous with bad movie making. The movies of S.F. Brownrigg are not part of that group. Yeah, it's all opinion, but come on, look at his work. Or more specifically, THIS work, lensed in Jefferson TX and utilizing one of the most beautiful Victorian houses I've ever seen. I won't spend much time talking about the story because others have already covered that. A young woman returns to her childhood home (where her mother was murdered 13 years before) to care for her ailing grandmother. She's menaced by an obscene phone caller. That's it. Wait a minute. That's really just a springboard for something deeper. The plot hardly has any twists (or twists you don't see coming), but look at the various aspects of the production. Brownrigg had a dedicated stock company of actors, who gamely took on whatever role he gave them. The acting runs from competent to excellent--there's nary a bad performance in this, or any other Brownrigg movie. He had a penchance for casting gorgeous female leads, and Susan Bracken is no exception. Looking like a BABY DOLL-era Carroll Baker, Bracken is not only lovely, but feisty as well. You can't take your eyes off her. Larry O'Dwyer may have only appeared in this movie, but he turned in a performance that ranks up there as one of the creepiest in all of Brownrigg's oeuvre. It's both icky and believable; anyone who's lived in a small town knows somebody who fits this profile. Despite being filmed in Texas, there's a deep South vibe to this flick, one that lends itself to a suffocating, insane atmosphere. You can almost feel the humidity and deep, dark secrets festering in the shadows of tradition and heritage. And the house . . . Brownrigg utilized The House of the Seasons, an ornate Victorian confection that, as of this writing, is open as a B & B in Jefferson. The house boasts a cupola decorated by a stained glass dome, a setting that plays prominently in one action sequence. Don't think this film is competently made? Check out the tracking sequence that follows Bracken's character as she moves up the stairwell into the cupola. That's not the kind of thing you see in low-budget 1970s horror, and it's not the kind of shot attempted by a no-talent hack. Brownrigg didn't let budgetary contraints put the kibosh on a creative filmmaking. And those dolls . . . is there anything creepier? A real historical society museum and doll museum were used as filming locales, and Brownrigg was savvy enough to use some of the dolls in his title sequence. Accompanied by a harpsichord-heavy score, the sequence, a series of pans across the doll's faces on a black background, is suitable unnerving. I was reminded of Tobe Hooper's opening sequence for THE FUNHOUSE (which of course was filmed nearly 10 years later), in which the creepy automatons emerge from sliding panels. Atmosphere is as thick as the air on a mid-summer's Texas day. Good acting, creative camera angles, ingenious use of locals, a looming sense of dread--what more can I say? Way to go, Brownie!

Don't Open The Door comes from S.F. Brownrigg who made the equally bizarre Don't Look in the Basement which has become a drive-in/grindhouse/cheapie VHS and DVD staple for years. While this film doesn't have exactly the same kind of manic, low budget energy that film has, it has enough charms of its own to make it worth a watch. Don't Open the Door follows a young woman who returns home to the house where her mother was murdered and begins receiving strange, obscene phone calls from a psycho who wants her dead. The acting, much like Basement, is enthusiastic but amateur hour. No one is really awful, but no one is exactly brilliant either. You get the feeling that you're watching the area's most competent community theatre actors having a good time. The concept is solid, but the suspense and scares seem to be put on the backburner until towards the end of the film, which gives us a lot of time to watch the leading lady take a bath or go exploring the house, which isn't terribly exciting. Where Don't Open the Door excels is with the creepy phone calls and the mood. The phone calls are perhaps some of the genre's creepiest and most unsettling. It also manages to produce a fairly haunting ending. With a little more effort put into the script, pacing, and scares, this one could have been a contender, but as is, it's an interesting regional time capsule. It's worth seeing once.

Talk about dull: this southern-made "horror film" seems to reach >its highest peak of unintentional humor when the camera repeatedly zooms in on the killer's hidden face making a phone call to his next victim. Film looks as if it was shot on a $100 budget. Shame, shame, shame.

There certainly were a lot of "Don't …" horror movies made during the 70's and early 80's. If you obey all these titular commands, you're really not allowed to do a lot of things. Don't be afraid of the dark, don't turn out the light, don't look in the basement, don't look now, don't open the door … Another famous one is "Don't Answer the Phone" but, strangely enough, that's an early 80's movie and this gem is a mid-70's one, so the title wasn't taken yet. If I would have been in writer/director S.F. Brownrigg's shoes, I would have named my screenplay "Don't Answer the Phone" because there are lot of ringing phones and practically no doors that need opening. Anyway, that concludes my totally irrelevant rant as I'm sure you couldn't care less what the movie is called and why. Based on my pleasant viewing experience of Brownrigg's other obscure 70's shocker – "Don't Look in the Basement" – I had fairly high expectations for this one too, but sadly it isn't half as refreshingly original and morbidly engaging as the first. One could righteously claim that "Don't Open the Door" is an influential predecessor of stalk-thrillers like "Scream", but the plot itself is already a shameless variation on the quintessential 70's psycho-stalker classic "Black Christmas" and – let's face it – the subject matter is really too limited to revolve a whole movie on. The opening credits raise the (regretfully) false impression this will become a creepy movie with old and broken dolls, but they quickly turn out to be irrelevant scenery in a story focusing on a young woman returning to her town of birth after 13 years. Amanda receives an anonymous call to inform that her grandmother is dying, but when she arrives in the parental mansion she doesn't exactly get a warm welcoming. Two eminent town members, a judge and a doctor, almost refuse to talk to her and another one, the local museum's curator, just behaves plain awkward. Shortly after, Amanda receives creepy phone calls that gradually increase in length as well as in level of perversity. The voice on the other end of the line even claims responsibility for the death of Amanda's mother; a crime that never got solved. "Don't Open the Door" is overall very atmospheric and occasionally even downright frightening. This is largely the courtesy of simple and cheap, yet effective exploitation tricks, like primitive photography and truly moody set-pieces. The phone conversations are long and quite often tedious, but I can't deny the hoarse voice and the slow talking rhythm sounded memorably haunting. Susan Bracken gives away a likable performance as the dame in distress but – as nearly all the other reviewers already pointed out – would it have hurt her to show a little bit of naked flesh? It's just not natural to take a bath in an empty house and keep the towel tight around your waist until the very last second you kneel down in the tub. Personally I much preferred "Don't Look in the Basement" (though admittedly I'm a sucker for horror set in mental asylums) but "Don't Open the Door" is definitely worth seeking out as well in case you're into unexplored 70's cinema. It comes particularly recommended to transvestites, terminally ill grandmothers, paranoid single women, bored museum curators and collectors of mannequin dolls.