Asylum: Therapie Mord

If you're the kind that likes watching bad movies (for instance, if you enjoyed "The Postman" in only the most ironic sense), this is a keeper. A ridiculous script is only the start, and you also get Robert Patrick staying in the laxest insane asylum in the world (undercover in the guise of a patient, he seemingly has no problems at all finding access to the staff's private fax machines, computers, satellite dishes, etc.), develops a drippy camraderie with a fellow inmate that leads to some of the more strained, "heartfelt" moments of the film, and a ridiculous character by Acting's own Prince of Ever-Diminishing Returns, Malcolm McDowell. Reviewing this film makes me feel like I'm admonishing the dog for peeing on the rug. "For shame! Bad, bad, bad..."

The private investigator Nicholas "Nick" Tordone (Robert Patrick) is a man with a childhood problem since he saw his father committing suicide. His friend Dr. Frank Meyers (Peter Brown) works in the Fallbrook mental institution and was a great friend of his father. He helps Nick since he lost his father. When Dr. Meyers is found dead in the clinic after committing suicide, Nick does not believe and decides to investigate his death. He goes to Fallbrook as if he has amnesia and is interned in the clinic. Soon he finds that four patients are missing and his further investigation shows that all of them were suicidal inmates. He also discovers that the dangerous criminal Dr. Sullivan Rane (Malcolm McDowell) is hidden in the clinic. What is happening in Fallbrook?

"Asylum (1997)" is an entertaining low-budget thriller by James Seale. The plot is not original but well written, with funny moments and good performances. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "O Limite da Loucura" ("The Limit of the Madness")

Cool movie. Robert Patrick is awesome as a suicidal detective who must find his shrink's murderer by going undercover in a psych hospital. Performances were above average for this kind of B-thriller and there were some genuinely creepy moments -- although it could have used a few more. Much more of a drama than a horror film, but a lot better than the usual straight-to-video fare. *** out of ****

'Asylum' didn't have a hard time selling me on giving it a go. A big Robert Patrick fan after T2, I'd sit thru any of his DTV titles available. Having played 'Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger', I also enjoyed that Malcolm McDowell was involved. This doesn't pull any punches, but it also doesn't offer you much reward for sitting thru it.

A private detective (Patrick) with his own mental baggage enters an insane asylum / mental hospital undercover in the hopes of getting to the bottom of who murdered his doctor friend. Of course it was labeled a suicide, but he believes differently. Amongst the patients is the cooky Doc Rane (McDowell) and soon more bodies start to pile up. Can the PI get to the bottom of things before he becomes the next victim.

With a simplified plot description such as that perhaps it's no shock that things proceed pretty much as you expect dealing with mental crazy business and obvious red herrings. The air of believability isn't high, but there is adequate atmosphere. If your a fan of either actor it's an okay watch and Debra Wilson (MadTV) makes a brief appearance as well.

Not the first thriller to take place in a mental institution, but one of the better. Leading man Patrick does a nice job as an unstable P.I. who goes undercover to find the killer of his shrink. Nice mix of suspense and humor - might have been better without all the laughs.

Malcolm McDowell is fun to watch as a murderous patient named Rane. Is he the killer or does he hold the secret to the mystery?? Good acting outshines the slick camerawork. Nice surprise thriller.