Coventry 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.

kita117 I am surprised I did not fall asleep on this movie at all. This movie is very very very very boring, and it does not make sense that you are able to see the obscene phone caller so so soon. Please don't buy this movie, and don't rent it either. You would think since these were the makers of Don't Look in the Basement that it would be good. Please take my advice.

Flixer1957 **Possible Spoilers Ahead**Young heroine Mandy (Susan Bracken) gets the message that her grandmother is about to kick the bucket. She moves into Grandma's house to take charge of things and the terror begins. Murky sub-plots involve various dirty old men, the murder of Mandy's mother, obscene phone calls and a scheme by one villain to acquire the family heirlooms for a museum. The ending is way too abrupt but the movie offers good camera work, eerie atmosphere, and a typically strange score by Brownrigg's resident composer Robert Farrar. Onscreen members of Brownie's film-making family include Rhea MacAdams, Anne MacAdams, Hugh Feagin and the incomparable Gene Ross. Adding to the weirdness are some grotesque dolls, so ugly that they make Cabbage Patch Kids look almost human. This is easily the most obscure of Brownrigg's features, a film so elusive that even some of its own actors haven't seen it.

joboyle Well, Scream ripped this movie off. Mother killed by slasher... check. Phone Calls... check. Stalking of daughter by killer... CHECK. Totally ripped this lame piece of s**** off!!!!! Grrrrrrrrr! I mean really, Scream was lame... but in a different way. This movie is worth watching for laughs only, no scares here, no horror. But if you like cheese and the eighties, find it and try to get it cheap! Try Dollar Video.