Review of The Cellar Door

Okay, for a film that was shot in just fifteen days I don't think this is all that bad and I never did, I think they got a lot out of the little that they had to work with. One of the few things about it that does bug me is the girl's nightmare scenes, they look really cheap and tacky and it takes me right out of the film and makes me very aware that what I'm watching is low budget, not that it's by any means the most rotten- looking low budget I've ever seen. I think when constrained by such a budget a horror movie should really at least be able to deliver on the things that it can and in my opinion this is one that does. It is rather held back by the few set pieces, which are only about three maybe, but the story's done with just the right amount of action and suspense, and it's all about the tense mood and characters. What I most enjoy about it is that it's very much a character-driven horror film that doesn't rely on gore effects or big jump scare moments to get its shocks across to the audience. And no way is it a 'torture-porn' flick, there's no torture in it. Unless you count the psychological kind... I thought the interplay that they managed to get going between the two leads was pretty terrific. The scenes between them which form the main bulk of the plot create an effectively claustrophobic atmosphere of unease that gets under the skin a little because of the cruel and humiliating nature of the imprisonment, as well as the forced intimacy of the situation. She's got no choice but to engage with and get to know this man a little if she's ever going to be in a position where she can prey upon his weaknesses, and which leads to the interesting back-and-fourths and mind games that drive this film. I thought James Dumont's performance was brilliant, and he alone makes this picture worth viewing. He truly embodied the part, he actually looked like the type of man who would have to kidnap and tie up beautiful women before he'd ever get any attention from them, like one of those creepy sneaking types of people that you'd never notice in a million years but when you'd catch one observing you it'd give you that tingly feeling at the back of your neck. But even though his character was portly skulking and loathsome, Dumont also manages to make him somewhat sympathetic at points, because he was so pitiful. I liked his eyes, he had this really great, wide-eyed almost child-like stare of mock naiveté that you could imagine how it'd work on your mind if you were ever this freak's prisoner! I found the part where he lets her go hungry as a way of punishing her fairly disturbing. I don't know if anyone on hear has ever had to starve for an extended period of time, but after enduring that for long enough you will be ready to apologise for just about anything. I uh, I really love when he kills the Mormans! It's so funny because they pick the very worst time possible to land their little visit! Those people creep me out, they're always so damn attractive and too..nice! It ain't natural! He's better than her, but it's very much a double-act picture, they play-off each other excellently, and for me it's both of their performances that keep it afloat, entertaining and enjoyable. And in good classic tradition the movie reaches its conclusion and ends, and it's pretty-dang satisfying when "Rudy" finally takes control after suffering some kind of surreal mental break at the sight of her friend being slaughtered by "Herman", and she becomes the twisted bride of his sick dreams to trap him with his own repressed lust for her by luring him into his wooden cage of tricks and then proceeding to completely shred his crotch with a many-spiked implement that I fail to recognise and then leaving him to bleed out and throwing away the key - yeah! Go women!!! And I just love the closing macabre image and notion of a demented blood-splattered bride strolling downtown in broad daylight. Being L.A., I bet hardly anyone looked at her twice! I always liked this film, and overall I find it an engaging and straightforward film that while it's definitely not great, is very good for what it is. Oh, hopeless romanticism...the downfall of every man!