Asylum

I must admit that when I read the box and saw the cast of "Asylum" includes Peter Cushing, Britt Ekland and Herbert Lom, I thought to myself "Dr. Van Helsing, Peter Sellers's ex, and Insp. Clouseau's boss in a horror flick. Whoa." It turns out that while parts of the movie come out a little flat, it's some pretty cool entertainment. Portraying a neophyte doctor coming to an insane asylum and having to guess which patient is the former head doctor, they know how to do most things right.

The vignettes show two people plotting to kill a woman who, unbeknownst to them, practiced voodoo; a tailor having to make a most unusual suit; a woman and her "friend"; and a mannequin maker. Ah, but wait until you find out who the former doctor is! Not that this really relates to anything, but I never realized how hot Britt Ekland is! I've seen her in a few movies, but in none has she sent my hormones as wild as she did here. Of course, I just go crazy for any of those blonde actresses from the '60s (others include Barbara Eden and Elke Sommer).

So, this movie isn't any kind of masterpiece, but it doesn't pretend to be. Just nice, silly entertainment. Also starring Patrick Magee (the wheelchair man from "A Clockwork Orange") and Charlotte Rampling.

Another in the line of 70's hammer horror, Asylum is yet again a gloriously camp and cliched horror flick complete with manic characters, incredibly OTT acting, mansion/haunted castle type locations, and of course, fog.

Asylum follows a young new qualified psychiatrist called Dr Martin, dryly played by a very young Robert Powell. He's applying for a job at an asylum and the interview is a far more bizarre one than any applicant for a new position would be used to.

He is greeted by Dr Rutherford, who appears to be the chairman figurehead of the asylum, who will interview him to establish his suitability.

However, it turns out there is a twist here, because in order to get the new job, Dr Martin is told he must successfully identify who is Dr Starr, the head of the institution. Simple you might think. Unfortunately Dr Starr is now a patient after attacking Rutherford and paralysing him from the waist down. Martin will be given a tour of 'upstairs' by Reynolds, the asylum orderly, and be taken round each case in order to see if he can identify which one really is Starr.

This leads to compendium style stories as we look back into the past of each patient - which one of these stories is actually true?

It must be said the whole cast appear to be having a whole heck of a lot of fun, and star turns from the likes of Patrick Magee, Peter Cushing, Brit Ekland and Charlotte Rampling ensure there's a quality behind the lunacies.

Daft in places? Of course! Archaic? Without a doubt! Fantastic fun and satisfying? Indeed!

Well worth seeing.

Guided by a genuine musical score, a young doctor is driving towards an asylum for the `incurably insane'…This is the fourth horror omnibus by the specialist production company Amicus. `Asylum' is determined and effective horror, done without too much humor or decoration elements. Fairly new and definitely creative about this anthology is the narrative. The so-called wraparound story involves a young applicant-psychiatrist put to a test by the director of the asylum. Through listening to the stories of 4 patients, he has to make out which one of them is the previous director gone mad! This little extra, interactive elements gives more tension to the film and, as a viewer, you're automatically searching along. The stories themselves vary from simple to ingenious, climaxing in a cheerfully gruesome finale. The first story isn't exactly original and covers the well-known matter of adultery and revenge. Some nice over-the-top scenery in this tale, as well as some pretty good acting. The second tale is a lot better already and features Peter Cushing! Cushing often shows up in these Amicus productions and this time, he plays a mysteriously occult man who approaches a tailor with a strange request. This chapter is very atmospheric, stressing the poverty and the desperate need for money by the tailor (Barry Morse). The premise is silly and not well worked out, but the tension and chills triumph. I didn't care at all for the third story as it's just a lame variant on the `schizophrenic'-theme. It's obvious from the beginning and I wonder why they even bothered to show it as a mystery. The only aspect that made this chapter even bearable was the presence of England's fines female beauties! Charlotte Rampling was rather gorgeous around the time Asylum was shot and the absolute siren in this film is the ravishing Britt Ekland. If you're not familiar with her, run out to the nearest videostore and get yourself a copy of `The Wicker Man' now!! The fourth and final story is close to brilliant and actually takes place IN the wraparound story, which is pretty unique. Veteran actor Herbert Lom stars in this tale that enlightens a whole new kind of `voodoo'. It has blood-thirsty, lifelike manikins and it's bloody good fun. A creepy highlight and an appropriate closure to a good film. Sure as hell recommended for the British horror fans amongst you! Asylum is well written by Robert Bloch (who adapted his own stories) and solidly directed by Roy Ward Baker, who also did some good work for the famous `Hammer' corporation.

If I may proclaim some shameless promotion: Asylum recently got re-released in a worthy Amicus Box Set! The set is uniquely shaped like a coffin and contains – besides Asylum – other highlights such as `The House that Dripped Blood', `The Beast Must Die', `And now the Screaming Starts' and `Dr. Terror's House of Horror'. Trust me, it'll look great in your collection.

'Asylum' holds a special place in my heart as watching it on TV as a kid in the 70s is one of my earliest horror memories, along with Rod Serling's almost forgotten series 'Night Gallery' and the underrated Cushing/Lee movie 'The Creeping Flesh'. I watched 'Asylum' the other day for the first time in oh, twenty years at least, and while it wasn't anywhere near as scary as I remember it to be, it's still one of the better horror anthologies of the period. It's helped considerably by having Robert Bloch adapt his own stories, Roy Ward Baker ('The Vampire Lovers', 'Dr Jekyll and Sister Hyde') as the director, and it features a first rate cast including horror legends Peter Cushing, Patrick Magee, and Herbert Lom. The most effective stories for me were the two in the middle - the one with Barry Morse as a tailor with a mysterious client (Cushing), and the other with a fragile Charlotte Rampling being led astray by the sexy Britt Ekland. 'Asylum' has a few flaws sure, but it's still a very entertaining film, and horror buffs will enjoy it.

Roy Ward Baker directs this horror anthology from the pen of macabre master Robert Bloch. Dr. Martin (Robert Powell) is a psychiatrist who wishes to work at an asylum for the incurably insane. In order to gain employment he is set a task by the house chieftain Dr. Rutherford (Patrick Magee) whereby he must discover the identity of a former doctor-turned-patient. Dr. Martin speaks to four different patients in an attempt to discover who used to be the psychiatrist and each patient relates to him their own particular terrifying story.

Robert Bloch, the man responsible for writing the novel of one of horror’s greatest movies, ‘Psycho’ (1960), writes for us four intriguing and pleasurable short horror pieces bound together wonderfully in the confines of an asylum. The film (produced by Amicus studios and now available in the UK in a wonderful box set) has a distinct feeling of a Hammer Horror production to it. The emphasis is on the story and artistic merit rather than cheap shocks and Roy Ward Baker does an excellent job throughout the production of building tension so that each shock has a desirable effect on the viewer. Each segment benefits from a marvellous cast which features the undeniable talents of the legendary Peter Cushing in ‘The Weird Taylor’ and the beautiful Britt Ekland in ‘Lucy Comes to Stay’. Britt Ekland would go on to co-star as the seductive landlord’s daughter Willow in the classic British horror ‘The Wicker Man’ just one year later.

The various segments themselves vary in quality, although not too dramatically. The opening segment, ‘Frozen Fear’ is a deliciously campy story about a man whose murdered wife seeks revenge on him and his lover. This particular segment may be a little too silly for some horror fans but it works as a perfect mood setter for the rest of the movie. The directorial style is what makes this segment worth watching. There are some wonderfully flowing shots which seek to give the short segment a distinctly unsettling edge despite the short falls of the script and story. A wonderful performance from Barbara Parkins of ‘Valley of the Dolls’ (1967) fame in the role of Bonnie caps the segment exquisitely and the climatic scene back in the asylum following the story give the segment an overall horrific nature.

This segment is followed by ‘The Weird Taylor’ which stars Peter Cushing as a devastated father who turns to the occult to resurrect his deceased son. He enlists the help of Bruno (Barry Morse), a taylor desperately in need of money, to make for him a suit to specific instructions. This segment is possibly the weakest of the four yet remains enthralling as the viewer cannot help but wonder just where this particular story is headed. Once again Roy Ward Baker’s direction during this segment is powerful as he creates a dark and despairing atmosphere despite the limitations of time and the story. Cushing’s performance is certainly memorable as is Barry Morse’s. The climax of the story is well portrayed but is unfortunately harmed by an air of unnecessary camp. Still, ‘The Weird Taylor’ is entertaining nonetheless but may be off-putting due to its overly slow nature.

Up next is ‘Lucy Comes to Stay’ which tells the story of a young girl (Charlotte Rampling as Barbara) who apparently has been recently released from a mental institution for her schizophrenia. She is still haunted by her imaginary friend Lucy (Britt Ekland) who soon makes an appearance and convinces her to leave the safety of her brother’s house. Murder and mayhem follow and the despairing Barbara reaches breaking point pretty quickly. This particular segment works more on the basis of the storyline rather than direction as there is little in the way of atmospheric build-up. Britt’s on-screen presence is commanding and powerful and her portrayal of a horror villain is so good that one wishes this segment had been made into an entire feature length movie as opposed to the short segment that it is. The shock scenes are blended into the story seamlessly with a superb accompanying soundtrack. This is my favourite of all the segments.

The film finally finishes with ‘Manikins of Horror’ where a former doctor believes that he can make and control little dolls. This segment takes place wholly back in the asylum and unlike the previous three stories there are no flashbacks to past events. This segment is possibly the most original of the stories and could even be possible influence for ‘Child’s Play’ (1988). Unfortunately, the story falls short as it becomes hard for one to suspend their disbelief yet the segment works as an excellent precursor to the genuinely surprising and shocking ending. Undeniably camp yet strangely intriguing this is a fitting ending to a generally entertaining horror film. For those who like horror anthologies and Hammer-style productions, one cannot go too far wrong with this entertaining British horror film. The film fails to maintain quality from start to finish but does not fail to entertain, surprise or shock. To sum up - an entertaining piece of horror anthology fare with some excellent direction, beautifully atmospheric scenarios and accompanying music and a strong cast who all give credible performances. My rating for ‘Asylum’ (1972) – 7/10.