Don't Look in the Attic

Don't Look in the Attic was directed by Carlo Ausino, a filmmaker who got his start in the film industry as an uncredited assistant on the set of The Organizer and made his debut as a director in L'ora della pietà.[1] Ausino made a few attempts at science fiction films in the 1970s until his film Double Game which was released in 1977.[2][3] Don't Look in the Attic was filmed in 1980 when Ausino made a deal with the French film distribution company Felix Film to use some French actors in mid-1980.[2] The film was written in a few weeks by Ausino with Annarita Grapputo in the lead, who had previously acted in Double Game.[2]

Filming began in June 1980 under the title La stirpe dei dannati and was shot in four weeks in Turin.[1][2] The film's score credited to Stelvio Cipriani is compiled form a catalogue of his older work, including Un'ombra nell'ombra .[4]

Don't Look in the Attic had its premiere on September 30, 1981 in Turin as La villa delle anime maledette.[2] Wider distribution of the film in Italy was only available on 14 May 1982.[1][4] In Italy, the film was released on home video by the GVR label.[4] Outside of Italy the film was released as House of the Damned which was mistitled as House of the Danned in the titles and Don't Look in the Attic.[4]

The villa of the title is located in Candia Canavese (info by the Dizionario del Turismo Cinematografico)

In Italy, Leonardo Autera gave the film a negative review in Corriere della Sera, noting poor script, direction and photography.[4][5][6] Autera continued that the story was "extremely deranged, developing despite any logic."[4][6]

• Don't Look in the Attic at IMDb