D V D C R Y P T

DON'T GO IN THE HOUSE

Directed & Written by Joseph Ellison
Music by Richard Einhorn
Cast: Dan Grimaldi, Robert Osth, Ruth Dardick, Charlie Bonet, Bill Ricci & Eileen Hammill

1980/82 mins/Color/Mono
1.85:1 anamorphic/English/US/NTSC Region 1

Review from Shriek Show/Media Blasters DVD

Donald Kohler (Dan Grimaldi) is a disturbed young man, who one day comes home from his job, as a garbage incinerator, to find his mom dead. When, he was a child, she used to be very abusive to him, always using fire to burn him as punishment. But now with her dead he falls deeper into his dementia and begins to bring home pretty girls… to chain up in the steel room he has made and immolate them alive with his blowtorch.

This is a nasty, disturbing film that is totally cruel and unflinching in it’s portrayal of this sick individual. Donny is a clearly insane from the very start of the film, and since he is the lead character of the film, it ends up being very much in the same vein as MANIAC. Despite it being vile and, perhaps, misogynistic in its nature, it is actually still a smart, and powerful horror film.

The cast does a good job here, but it is Grimaldi who really holds it together. He gives a truly searing and powerful performance. The movie also features a truly beautiful score by Richard Einhorn, as well as being very horrific and mean-spirited. And to top it all off there are lots of pretty girls, with at least one being nude.

Shriek Show has delivered a pretty nice DVD, for film that is decidedly anything but nice! The blacks are strong and rich and with some good colors. At times there are minor pops and a few scenes are washed out, but for the most part it does look quite good. The sound, though mono, is crisp, clear, and loud. And it works perfectly for the film’s great score.

In the extras department this film comes with a few goodies. “Playing with Fire: Interview with Dan Grimaldi” is, well exactly that! Said interview is cool, but a bit short, as he says that he does not like horror films, about the role, and about working on the actual film.

“Show Matte” shows two unmated scenes. They reveal a little more. Like the scene with the nude girl about to be burned alive. Unmated the film reveals her bush way before the widescreen version ever does.

There is also an Easter egg that is found in the extras menu that shows two add sheets for the film.

The commentary by lead star Grimaldi is quite good. It is very straightforward and has some great stories and interesting facts. He is really good at recollecting things that happened during the filming of the movie. He has awesome observations and incite into the film, themes, and the characters. And, he complements things that deserve it, like the acting, the music, and the hotness of Donny’s victims. And although, some of the stuff he talks about is mentioned in the his short interview, both are definitely worth checking out.

The disc also comes with two trailers for the film, itself, as well as trailers for: ONE DARK NIGHT, DEVIL DOG, ANTHOROPOPAGUS, and THE BEING. It is broken up into 12 chapters and has static menus, with music. It comes in a keep case with a cool cover of the original poster artwork and a booklet marked as Media Blasters Fall 2005 releases. There are no listings of the chapters of the film.

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