Doom Asylum

DOOM ASYLUM is one of those movies that looks and feels like it was made up while being filmed. It's as if those responsible were out driving, saw the crumbling "asylum", and said "Hey! I know, let's make a movie!". So, we get the spooky location, littered with annoying characters, stalked and slaughtered by a disfigured killer. Said killer's face resembles a pan of baked ziti.

The bare bones script just manages to keep things together, making it semi-endurable. It does have a wacky sort of mindless charm, and gorehounds will slobber over the "drill-to-the-forehead" and "saw-to-the-face" sequences. Kristin Davis and Patty Mullen definitely add to the enjoyment! Recommended for those who require very little story...

As a boy growing up in NJ I had the privilege of knowing one of the crew of this film and living 20 minutes from Essex County where this now demolished asylum once stood. Back in 1987 we got to see them filming the part where they were praying in the chapel of the asylum. I remember the killer Mitch scared the bejesus out of me as a kid and I think I even had some nightmares. That old asylum was damned creepy and there was a lot of supernatural presence. Today my brother and I still have the autographed photograph of the actor who played the killer. I'm 26 now and I'm a die-hard fan of the genre for those that want to talk horror movies, you know how to reach me!

Dave

Yeah, it's pretty horrific. The killer is one of the most irritating ever, but Kristen Davis. Damn. Spending the bulk of the film in a skin tight swimsuit and big dorky glasses, she is worth the price of admission on her own.

What a smoker. Actually this movie was pretty funny. The acting and make up job was so bad that you couldn't help but slap your knee and giggle like a third grader. This isn't a film that will scare you, or win an Oscar for that matter, but it's totally Friday night entertainment.

Filmed on location at the long-abandoned (and since demolished) Essex County Sanitorium in Verona, NJ. The film boasts some incredibly creepy atmosphere. The asylum itself is the real monster here, enormous, labyrinthine, scarred by neglect and vandalism, and scary even when filmed in broad daylight. This could have been the perfect locale for a low-budget horror classic. Give the producers THAT much credit. All that great scenery is squandered on another witless rundown of '80s slasher cliches. The special effects are nothing special either. As for Essex County Sanitorium, you may have seen some of the smaller buildings were used in episodes of the Sopranos. For a far better, but far from perfect abandoned asylum flick, see Session 9 with David Caruso.