Mansion of the Doomed (1976) – Eye Transplants, Daddy Issues, and Early Full Moon Chaos

Lizzy’s Take:

Before Full Moon Features leaned into puppets and pervy fairy tales, they gave us Mansion of the Doomed—a horror film that basically asks, “What if science, but deeply unethical and drenched in eyeballs?” Michael Pataki (yes, that Brando impersonator from Last Foxtrot in Burbank) directs this messy, bloody descent into madness.

👉 Recommended if: You love gritty ’70s horror, eye trauma, and watching a respected actor like Richard Basehart slowly unravel in a basement full of screaming victims.

🚫 Skip it if: You need your science ethical, your visuals restrained, or your eyeballs inside their sockets.

The “First” Full Moon Film, Before It Was Cool

While technically pre-dating the official founding of Full Moon Features, Mansion of the Doomed is often retroactively referred to as the first Full Moon film—and it shows. Directed by Michael Pataki (who we’ve just seen doing Brando impressions in Last Foxtrot in Burbank), this movie sets the tone for the gruesome, low-budget madness that would later define the studio.

This time around, Pataki steps behind the camera instead of in front of it, giving us a story that feels like Frankenstein meets Ophthalmology Monthly.

Plot: Science, But Make It Horrific

Richard Basehart stars as Dr. Leonard Chaney, a brilliant surgeon whose daughter Nancy is left blind after a car accident. Naturally, he does what any rational father would do: starts harvesting eyes from unwilling victims to try and give her sight again.

Each failed transplant leaves Nancy more disfigured, with mangled facial scars that reflect both her suffering and Chaney’s spiraling morality. As the surgeries pile up and the results worsen, the doctor goes from desperate to deranged—and his “volunteers” start being less voluntary.

It’s campy, cruel, and completely on-brand for what Full Moon would eventually become.

Henriksen Before the Fame (And the Madness)

One of the standout aspects of Mansion of the Doomed is a young, pre-Aliens Lance Henriksen playing Dr. Dan Bryan—Nancy’s love interest and Chaney’s morally conflicted assistant. Henriksen brings a gritty realism to the role, grounding a film that otherwise thrives on shock and gore.

Of course, things go south quickly, and the relationship dynamics shift into full-blown horror territory. It’s like Grey’s Anatomy, if Grey’s Anatomy had underground cells full of blind captives.

The Gore, the Grind, and the Groans

This movie is not shy about its brutality. From the moment Nancy opens her stitched-up eye sockets, you know you’re in for something special. And by special, I mean horrifying. The effects are crude, but surprisingly effective for the era, with that unmistakable ‘70s horror grit that makes you want to take a shower afterward.

Should You Watch It?

If you’re into early exploitation horror, enjoy medical horror done with zero chill, and want to see Full Moon’s baby steps into grotesque storytelling, this is absolutely worth a watch. Just maybe don’t eat anything beforehand. Especially grapes. Or peeled eggs.

Final Verdict:

A disturbing grindhouse gem that doubles as a cautionary tale about what happens when you let science and daddy issues run unchecked.