Michael_Elliott Don't Go in the House (1979)** (out of 4) Donny Kohler (Dan Grimaldi) is a troubled man suffering from various mental issues due to the abuse by his mother when he was a child. After the mother dies the man's mental state takes a turn for the worse and his obsession with fire leads to him kidnapping various women and burning them.DON'T GO IN THE HOUSE has quite a bit in common with Bill Lustig's MANIAC, although that film was released after this one. You have to wonder if Lustig and star Joe Spinnel had seen this one because there's no question that the two of them cover a lot of similar ground in regards to the impact of child abuse and the ending, which I won't spoil, is also similar. With that said, I still think the Lustig film is the masterpiece while this one here is interesting but flawed.If you're looking for a bunch of sleaze then you're going to be disappointed because there's really not too much. We do get a burning victim, which was a well-shot sequence but outside of this a lot of the action takes place off screen. With that said, sleaze isn't what the film is going for and instead it's more of a character story about this very troubled man. The majority of the running time is devoted to him, his mental state and how he acts out because of it.Thanksfully Grimaldi gives a good performance and helps carry the film. Without it then we would have been left with a complete bore. The problem with DON'T GO IN THE HOUSE is the fact that it suffers from some weak direction and at times the film beats a dead horse so to speak. I say that because the film needed more to it. Perhaps showing more of the murders? Or perhaps just playing up the sleaze a tad bit more? I think just about anything would have worked and the supporting characters are all rather weak and add very little to the picture.DON'T GO IN THE HOUSE deserves some credit for tackling the child abuse story line. The good lead performance helps and horror fans will still want to check the movie out.

Scott LeBrun Donny Kohler (Dan Grimaldi) is a disturbed young man plagued by memories of his mother (Ruth Dardick). It seems that Mrs. Kohler was convinced that the only way to rid her son of sin was to burn it out of him, by holding his arms over an open flame on the stove. The old lady kicks the bucket, and this sends Donny completely over the edge. He begins to stalk various unfortunate young women, and slaughter them inside the family home. Here Donny has built a special room where victims are stripped naked, doused with gasoline, and set ablaze by the flamethrower that Donny just happens to have."Don't Go in the House" is about on a par with William Lustigs' "Maniac", in its portrayal of an unbalanced person with vivid memories of child abuse, and who has turned to murder as an adult. It's great trash, but is also definitely disturbing. Donny is not 100% unsympathetic, as he tries to repress his urges; he accepts the overtures of friendship from co-worker Bobby Tuttle (Robert Osth) and turns to his priest (Ralph D. Bowman) for help. The entire portion of the movie wherein Donny selects his first victim (Johanna Brushay) and proceeds to immolate her is pretty damn creepy. There is good atmosphere, a notable primary location (with strong echoes of "Psycho"), and an appreciable low budget, independent, gritty feel to everything. Richard Einhorns' music is excellent; two people on the crew who went on to bigger things are editor Jane Kurson and cinematographer Oliver Wood. The makeup effects by Tom Brumberger (who also has a small role) are adequate. And the nightmare sequence halfway through is a good one.The acting is passable from most of the cast. Grimaldi, the only cast member who had a pretty good career after this (including a part on 'The Sopranos' years later), is the main reason to watch. He truly gives it his all.In conclusion, it must be said that no review of this movie would be complete without mentioning that awesome disco soundtrack. You'll have that "Boogie Lightning" song in your head long after the movie is over.Eight out of 10.

TheBlueHairedLawyer A pyromaniac snaps after the death of his abusively religious mother and begins kidnapping women to burn up and add to his macabre collection. He lives in a huge mansion and is able to hide his secret, however he wants to have friends and goes out to a disco with a co-worker, only to reveal his psychopathic urges. This movie was made during the Disco craze, so the soundtrack featured a ton of great retro disco songs, the two most prominent being 'Shocked by Boogie Lightning' and 'Late Night Surrender'. The acting was all relatively good, and the plot is original; rather than your typical ax-wielding slasher, Donald the pyromaniac puts on a huge Safe-Suit and kills with a flamethrower. It's a pretty good movie, great to watch on a Friday night or at a party.

manjodude A quite spooky movie.I think what creeps you in the movie is not the house, although it seems that's the central character here. It's actually Dan Grimaldi as Donald who essays the role of a man tormented by his scarred past down to the t. Besides him, the only other significant characters are Robert Osth as his work buddy Bobby and Ralph Bowman as Father Gerritty.The house looks eerie only on the outside. That's a minus but can be forgiven thanks to Dan who brings the fear alive by moving effortlessly between being crazy, scared and vicious.One aspect which looked so out of the place are the bodies of the dead. They are supposed to look badly burnt instead it seemed as though someone just dumped lots of dark mud on 'em! Verdict: Still an engaging movie to watch, especially with lights off and alone at home...