Asylum (DVD)

Not to be confused with the 1972 movie of the same name which was an Amicus horror movie. Set in the late 1950's to the early 1960's Hugh Bonneville stars as his usual stuffy self playing the character of Max Raphael, he has recently been selected to carry out an important role within an acclaimed hospital for the people with mental illness. Taking with him his wife Stella (Natasha Richardson) who is quickly identified as someone with unusual mental leanings herself; and their son Charlie (Gus Lewis). Max is all about impressions and thrusts Stella into life organizing things in and around the institution. Less than happy with her role Stella turns to chain ...

Imagine it’s the 1950s and you have gone to live at a remote mental institution with your husband and son. One of the inmates, known for his sick and brutal crime, as well as his present instability (we’re talking “psychotic with intense jealousy”, makes a pass at you. Do you a) remind yourself that he is a potentially violent and dangerous man, then get the hell out of there, or b) think that he’s actually quite tasty and proceed to have a full-blown affair with him? Hmm. I wonder… Well, the heroine of this film goes for the latter option, obviously. This is the plot of Asylum, which was directed by David Mackenzie and came out in 2005. Set mostly in or ...

As soon as Mussorgsky’s “St John’s Night On The Bare Mountain” starts to play you know you’re in for something cheesy – and I’m not talking about that piece of old cheddar left in your fridge. Popularised by the American-owned Amicus studio in the 70’s, the anthology, or portmanteau film was an attempt to breathe fresh life into the genre, and Asylum is typical of the budget horror flicks being churned out during this period. From the beginning the ominous sound of Mussorgsky sets the scene – a car travels down a long, gravel driveway and pulls ...