Try to contain your shocked gasps, but we just got word of another horror remake coming our way. The latest “remake of the week” will be of DON’T LOOK IN THE BASEMENT, the 1973 institution shocker about a nurse who starts working at a sanitarium where the head doctor has been murdered. The crazy patients torment and harass her at every turn, eager to keep any new outsiders out. It’s actually not too bad a premise and could make for a fun update.
And the man looking to revise this sick puppy is indie horror maestro Alan Rowe Kelly (THE BLOOD SHED). I must admit, the dude does seem pretty passionate about it. Here’s what he said to Fango: “The opportunity arose, and surprisingly no one had yet attempted a re-adaptation. We thought it appropriate to remake this low-budget gem as it was intended, by keeping it a low-cost feature. Of course, our treatment warranted many updates to make it current and believable in today’s age, but we didn’t want to lose the main focus of the storyline. Fresh characters have been added, and excellent twists will be incorporated to give new shocks to the film without losing the original’s flavor. In this version, the basement will become a very prominent part of the story. The original is a favorite among many horror fans who dig trashy genre cinema, and we want ours to remain as true to its spirit as possible. Of course the word ‘remake’ stirs many a groan among fans, but we love DON’T LOOK IN THE BASEMENT so much that we can’t help but be true to its roots in grindhouse schlock cinema. We’ll simply do our best to make the creepiest film possible!”
Well, there’s no denying that Kelly has the right attitude. I know that many of us are guilty of emitting groans whenever the word “remake” is mentioned within our horror community. However, when I stop and think about the different remakes that have come out, it’s really not all that bad. The only ones that really tend to suck for the most part are the J-Horror remakes (SHUTTER, THE EYE, THE GRUDGE 2). The new PROM NIGHT blew because it was pandered to tween-age girls. However, what about R-rated fare like ROB ZOMBIE’S HALLOWEEN, THE HILLS HAVE EYES, TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, THE THING, even the underrated (in my opinion) BLACK CHRISTMAS? I’m guessing that Mr. Kelly is looking to work more within the lines of those films.
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