Asylum
Tags: cult

Plot synopsis:
The young Dr. Martin goes to a job interview at a psychiatric hospital. Thinking he would meet Dr. Star, he instead meets with his assistant Dr. Rutherford. Dr. Martin is confused until he finds out that Dr. Star can not interview him because he has just gone insane! Dr. Star is now a patient instead of the director.
Dr. Rutherford wants Dr. Martin to interview several patients as a test of his competence for the position. Rutherford is behaving oddly but Dr. Martin complies with the test. The first patient is Bonnie and her tale in this anthology is called "Frozen Fear". Bonnie is having an affair with a married man named Walter. His wife, Ruth is aware but is not letting him go. So, Walter takes her to the basement and kills her with his ax and freezes her as he wishes her to rest in pieces. Then he calls Bonnie to tell her that the deed is done. They are going to take a plane and then they decide to take Ruth's frozen pieces along to dispose of them. Oh but there is a problem. Ruth's pieces escape and she gets her revenge by choking Walter to death and her head and other parts send Bonnie over the edge and into the Asylum in a very creepy sequence. Of course Ruth made sure that Bonnie was framed and left scarred forever.
The next patient is named Bruno and his tale is the "Weird Taylor" and he tells it to Dr. Martin as he is sewing a garment. Bruno is in danger of being evicted and losing his tailoring business. As his and his wife's fear and stress mount, a stranger (Peter Cushing) arrives, offering a large sum for an unusual job. Bruno works on the suit of strange material, and then delivers it at midnight as instructed to. He travels to the large mansion to find that his customer is broke so they must wait for his son to return for the tailor to be paid. Then Bruno learns that the stranger's son is a corpse and the two begin to fight. Peter Cushing drew a gun and of course was killed, like he is in all of his movies. Bruno returned home after taking a rare book as payment. Bruno's wife puts the suit on a mannequin. When the couple fights over the murder of the stranger, the mannequin comes to life and settles the score. Next the Dr. visits with Barbara and she her story, " Lucy comes to stay". Barbara's brother George, and his assistant Miss Higgins bring her home from the mental hospital and are quite controlling. Then Miss Higgins' mother is ill so she and George leave to see her. Barbara stays home and that is when Lucy appears. The beautiful Lucy greets Barbara and shares her plan. Lucy is adventurous and mischievous and proves that as she cuts the phone lines and manipulates Barbara. Much to Barbara's shocking dismay, Lucy did not just use the shears to cut the lines, but she buried them into George's chest. And Miss Higgins who has just returned, is next. Who was Lucy? Was she a ghost, a villain , or a second personality? You must watch to unravel this one.
The last patient is a man that calls himself Baron. He tells the tale of "The Deadly Mannequins".
Baron claims to be a Dr. and tells Martin that Rutherford is a liar.Dr. Martin has seen enough and is disgusted with how the hospital is run and how no attempts to bring the patients back is made. As Martin lectures Rutherford, Baron and Dr. Star, unleash a surprising but deadly force to destroy Rutherford. Which Dr. or Drs. meet their doom? The answer is hidden in the absolutely chilling and outstanding conclusion brought to you by Dr. Star! Of course, now Star is ready for his next interviewee.

Review: 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.
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.
Although, unlike the other Amicus anthologies, the linking story is much more prominent and as such acts as a fourth.The movie starts with Robert Powell as a young doctor driving to an Dunsmoor Asylum, an asylum for the incurable insane.
But Barry Morse should be given recognition for giving the performance of his career as the somewhat nervous tailor trying hard to get the suit finished in time.The third story sees Charlotte Rampling returning home after a stay in a mental hospital.
Short, but effective and creepy with a terrific ending even if we are required to suspend disbelief quite a bit in a few scenes."The Weird Tailor": a tailor desperate for money agrees to, at the request of an unusual elderly customer (played by Peter Cushing), to make a special suit out of a very strange type of fabric.
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 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.
The success of "Asylum" is not simply due to it's terrific cast -- Peter Cushing (who appeared in nearly all of Amicus's portmanteau films), Herbert Lom, Patrick Magee, Richard Todd, Britt Ekland, Barbara Parkins, Charlotte Rampling, Sylvia Sims, Robert Powell, Barry Morse and the undersung Geoffrey Bayldon -- or its intriguing stories by American author Robert Bloch (who also scripted "Torture Garden" and "House that Dripped Blood"), but also the down-to-earth direction by Roy Ward Baker.
Baker manages to keep his, Bloch's, and his actors' tongues all out of their cheeks, and the film is all the better for it.The framing story concerns a new doctor (Powell) interviewing at a remote asylum, and being challenged by the doctor in charge (Magee, a brilliant Shakespearean actor who all too often ended up doing inferior horror films) to identify the former director of the place, who is now an inmate.
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.
Linking story: this was one I had for some reason missed out on a number of times on TV, and I'm certainly glad I've watched it now in this definitive DVD edition; it has perhaps the best linking narrative of the three Amicus anthologies in the set, with Moussorgsky's "Night On Bald Mountain" music (to say nothing of a remarkable sequence of shots where the protagonist, and us with him, is mesmerized by a number of disturbing illustrations that are lined up on the walls along the asylum staircase) effectively setting the scene for its rather weird psychological concept that someone can 'hide' in the person of another (actually recalling the original story that THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD [1951] was based on, though I wonder how intentional this was...then again, John Carpenter's 1982 version was still ten years away, so perhaps Robert Bloch thought that an idea discarded by Howard Hawks was certainly good enough for him!); anyway, the cast is pretty strong even for a mere 'device' such as this sequence appears to be (alas, the one with John Bryans and John Bennett for THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD [1970] doesn't quite cut it in comparison though, as in that film, the fourth story here is effectively integrated with the scene-setting narrative), led by a fresh-faced but credible Robert Powell, a surprisingly subdued Patrick Magee and the characteristically Machiavellian figure of Geoffrey Bayldon."Frozen Fear": while no one individual episode particularly stands out from the rest, all are played for what they're worth by a succession of fine performers starting with Barbara Parkins, Richard Todd and Sylvia Syms in the first story; the central idea of dismembered limbs taking a life of their own is preposterous really (though I guess it can be explained by the mystical amulet worn by the Sylvia Syms character) but quite cleverly done actually (and it's certainly not a first - or last - for Amicus themselves); it does, however, give a distinctly surrealistic flavor to the scene that kind of offsets its inherent grimness and sensationalism."The Weird Tailor": the second story is also the longest and, in a way, most effective one; Barry Morse dominates this segment as the pitiful tailor asked by the mysterious and typically fussy Peter Cushing (who gets a memorable entrance here) to make him a suit from a rare and very special fabric; the center-piece takes place in Cushing's mausoleum-like mansion, where the grief he shows over his dead son is all too real for the actor himself - having lost his beloved wife of many years only a few months before (in fact, I'm surprised Cushing accepted such a role); the final twist is quite effective, and also looks forward to the fourth episode in the film."Lucy Comes To Stay": there is some consternation regarding this segment because it is said to slow down the film (allegedly it was originally intended as the opening story but producer Milton Subotsky changed the order of the scenes in Robert Bloch's script around) but I really didn't feel that it affected the overall pace of the film in any major way; if anything, it's the most 'realistic' of the four episodes (preceding the last, and perhaps most fanciful, tale) with fine performances by all concerned but especially, of course, Charlotte Rampling and Britt Ekland - whose relationship to one another (misleadingly hinting at lesbianism throughout) is a bit too close for comfort; the final revelation is not particularly startling in this case, but subtly handled nonetheless."Mannikins Of Horror": its 'soul transference' concept tying up to a degree with the main idea of the film, this bizarre installment is taken as far as it can go without crossing the boundary into the ridiculous; the robots on display here are clumsy, unattractive machines but their 'supernatural' connotations (echoes also of the superb "Sweets To The Sweet" story from THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD) certainly make for an effectively nasty climax, and Herbert Lom is persuasive in his small but incredible role; as in THE BEAST MUST DIE (1974), by the end we have to guess the true identity of one of the characters we got to meet during the course of the film - this one is not too difficult perhaps, but the sudden burst of violence that it produces (not to mention an ironic conclusion) gives the whole an unsettling power that is hard to shake off!
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?
Other stories have Charlotte Rampling and Britt Ekland as murderous alter-ego's; Peter Cushing making a small guest appearance in a story concerning bringing the dead back to life with a special set of clothes; and Herbert Lom as the mad creator of small living voodoo dolls.
The first story is about a wife's dismembered corpse getting revenge on her cheating husband and his lover; the second has Peter Cushing commissioning a down-and-out tailor to create a special suit; the third (and by far least impressive) has two unbalanced females conspiring against their captors; and the fourth is, well...have you seen the Twilight Zone episode entitled "The Invaders"?
He hears stories about 1) the revenge of a murdered wife, 2) a tailor who makes a suit with some highly unusual qualities, 3) a woman who questions her sanity when it appears that her brother is conspiring against her, and 4) a man who builds tiny toy robots with lifelike human heads.With direction from Roy Ward Baker and with stories adapted from the work of Robert Bloch ("Psycho"), how can you go wrong?
Even taking its tendency towards predictability into account, it's highly enjoyable stuff.The young Dr. Martin (Robert Powell) is interviewing for the top job at a mental asylum; the man who seems to be in charge, Dr. Rutherford (Patrick Magee), tells him that if he can answer a riddle, he will get the job.
Bruno desperately needs a paying customer like Mr. Smith in order to pay his rent, but he'll find that there are worse things than losing one's place of business, as the job of manufacturing a suit from the strange material provided by Smith has macabre consequences.The story of Barbara (Charlotte Rampling) is related in "Lucy Comes to Stay".
Barbara has gotten out of a mental hospital, and must take the bad with the good as her reckless "friend" Lucy (Britt Ekland) does what she feels is best for Barbara.Finally, we and Dr. Martin are introduced to Herbert Lom's Dr. Byron in "Mannikins of Horror".
Dr. Byron has created some intriguing little robotic figurines, one in his own likeness, that supposedly contain organic matter inside.The last story is brief as Dr. Martin (incorrectly) then thinks he's figured everything out, and has it out with Dr. Rutherford, disgusted by his methods, only to have everything go bad quite quickly.The resolution is delicious (with our antagonist breaking the fourth wall before the end credits begin rolling), and a peerless cast makes the most of the material, written by Robert Bloch of "Psycho" fame.
I saw several films that contain several short stories in themselves.Films like FOUR ROOMS,NEW YORK STORIES were directed by a number of directors.Woody Allen's EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT SEX * BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK was a one director film.All of these films disappointed me and I therefore have a slight problem with this kind of movie.Only THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD was good,but still not a classic.ASYLUM is a film that also contains several short stories that all have different actors.The only enjoyable story is the second one with the English horror master Peter Cushing,he saves this film from total destruction.The rest of the stories are so far fetched that it becomes hilarious.
Besides Peter Cushing the other good performance comes from Patrick Magee(A CLOCKWORK ORANGE)as the head of the asylum.The opening and end credits score was quite brilliant but I'm not sure that it is an original composition,I've heard it somewhere before but I don't know where.For good English horror don't watch this movie,there are several numerous better examples like the brilliant horror classic DRACULA of 1958.
ASYLUM: Director: Roy Ward Baker (Amicus Productions)This timeless quartet of torrid tales comes from the pen of the master-of-macabre, Robert Bloch, each superbly told by the inmates of an English mental institution for the criminally insane.
Although it's not in the same league as "The Vault of Horror", this gem of a movie still presents some enjoyable stories with Robert Powell as a young psychiatrist who must interview four patients inside the asylum in order to find out which one is Dr. Starr, in order to get the job on offer..
Really it's not the tailor that is so weird - it's more the man that ordered the suit that is odd (played wonderfully by Peter Cushing).The third story, "Lucy Comes to Stay", is about a woman who thinks her brother is plotting against her and wonders if she's gone insane.
Roy Ward Baker directed this horror anthology set in a mental asylum, as a new doctor is introduced to the back stories of four inmates: 'Frozen Fear' - A man is terrorized by his murdered wife.
"Asylum" features some very effective direction from Roy Ward Baker, a playful and quite ingenious script from Robert "Psycho" Bloch, an excellent score by Douglas Gamley, and a sicko surprise ending that I doubt anyone will see coming.
The house of Amicus productions brings to us a horror anthology directed by Roy Ward Baker and written by "Psycho" scribe Robert Bloch.
Not a bad trick since she was dismembered!.'The Weird Taylor' has Peter Cushing as a grieving father who will do anything to bring his deceased son back to life.'Lucy Comes to Stay' features Charlotte Rampling and Britt Eckland in a murderous spin on the "imaginary friend" angle.'Manikins of Horror' is the last story which stars Herbert Lom as a maker of little robotic dolls that have worryingly realistic faces.All of which leads us to the finale where we get a nice and rewarding twist.
Robert Bloch, who has written the script to Alfred Hitchcock´s all time-classic "Psycho" strikes again: casted with excellent actors as well as the who-is-who of the British horror film featuring Peter Cushing, Herbert Lom, Britt Ekland, Patrick Magee, Charlotte Rampling, Barry Morse, Barbara Parkins, Robert Powell and Sylvia Syms.
A marvellous cast is assembled for one of the last Amicus anthology films (Vault of Horror and Tales that Witness Madness followed a year later).Nevertheless, despite the macabre framework story in the asylum, which is underpinned by suitably sombre contributions from Patrick Magee (possibly his best performance in a horror film!) and Robert Powell, the stories are basically ordinary.The plot, which revolves around a young psychiatrist's puzzle to determine the identity of the Asylum's Director Dr. B.
However, Barbara has a friend named Lucy (Britt Ekland) who, as it turns out, isn't a very nice person................Finally Max introduces Martin to Byron (Herbert Lom) who, like the others, has a story to tell.
This was probably the very first old fashioned horror tale in these anthologies that actually gave me the willies, very creepy.Second patient who is an ex-tailor, tells us of a mysterious man (the mighty Cushing) who orders a fine suit to be made out of a special material.
A well made but somewhat dislikable "Amicus" anthology of Robert Bloch horror stories made to cash in on the success of "Tales From The Crypt".Dr Martin (Robert Powell) arrives at the Dunsmoor Lunatic asylum for a job interview, where Dr Rutherford (Patrick Magee) gives him the task of identifying which of the patients is the former head doctor gone mad.
unfortunately, the creepy wheelchair bound CURRENT head Doctor; Rutherford(Patrick Magee)tells him that Starr has gone insane and is now one of the patients; and that the only way to get the job is to identify the Doctor.So our hero and the deceptively benign orderly; Max(Geoffrey Bayldon) begin interviewing four patients with the the same first letter in their names; Bonnie, Bruno, Barbara and Dr. Byron(Herbert Lom) after hearing the first three's stories involving living severed limbs, magic jackets and an imaginary friend; Martin discovers that the seemingly complacent(at first) Dr. Byron is about to turn his visit to the asylum into a REAL horror story...Although it drags a bit and the twist-ending is so random and messed up(it makes NO sense in the context of ANYTHING) and the stories are all fairly average(each involves somenthing that shouldn't come to life doing just that either literally or figuratively)the film is quite enjoyable, and it's worth seeing for the guest-appearance's by Peter Cushing, Britt Ekland etc.
'Asylum' is an anthology film from the Amicus Company, based on stories by Robert Bloch.
From there, this becomes an anthology like horror film where each of the mental patients stories are told.
During a job interview for the position of senior houseman at an insane asylum, Dr. Martin (Robert Powell) is set an unusual test by Dr. Rutherford (Patrick Magee): after talking to four of the institution's incurably insane patients (played by Barbara Parkins, Barry Morse, Charlotte Rampling and Herbert Lom), he must try and identify which of them was once the asylum's director, Dr. Star.It's got a cool setting, a great cast, and a decent enough director in Roy Ward Baker, but the success of any anthology horror film ultimately lies in the strength of its tales, and this collection of the macabre from Psycho scribe Robert Bloch just isn't quite up to scratch.The first tale, 'Frozen Fear', as recounted by pretty patient Bonnie (Parkins), is probably the best of the bunch and sees her adulterous lover Walter (Richard Todd) turning to murder to escape his marriage, chopping up his wife and storing the pieces in a chest freezer; she doesn't stay dead for long, however, her assorted body parts crawling out to seek revenge.