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ASYLUM (1972)
Directed by Roy Ward Baker
Dark Sky Films DVD
Reviewed 07.20.06
Review by Joseph A. Ziemba
THE FILM
There it is. The sound of "welcome"
chimes brushing against an ancient
shoppe door. When I hear that ring,
I know where I am. This is an Amicus
anthology. The bells sustain. I'm
ready to relax.
Listen, I could walk over to the
bookshelf, grab Fenton and Flint's
Ten Years of Terror: British
Horror Films of the Seventies,
and spout off a laundry list of
facts related to Asylum.
But I won't. When you're lying in
bed on a dark night, pondering the
fulfilling time you've just spent
with this film, what thoughts do
you want your mind to humor? Will
it be, "Wow, it sure is interesting
that Robert "Psycho"
Bloch wrote the script. I should
really take that into consideration..."
Or perhaps, "Damn, I can't
stop thinking about how morbid,
absurd, and all together supreme
Asylum was. I feel great."
Well?
Good choice.
You need to know two things (and
only two things) about this film
before watching it. The rest will
fall into place quite naturally.
First, Asylum was Amicus'
fifth UK-produced anthology film,
kicking off a string of defining
omnibus horror outings (including
their biggest cash cow, Tales
From The Crypt, which was released
nearly simultaneously three months
earlier) that would conclude with
the equally entertaining From
Beyond The Grave in 1974. Second,
Asylum is a consummate
champion in the horror-anthology
playing field. It's great. Accept
it. Clear out your thoughts, prop
your feet, and let the film do the
talking. You'll like what you hear.
Since Asylum's fun 'n'
games truly lie in not knowing what's
going to hit you next, I'll offer
only a small plot-line taste. On
a clammy day, young Dr. Martin applies
for a new job at an ominous, rural
insane asylum. He's greeted by wheelchair-bound
Dr. Rutherford (Amicus face Patrick
Magee), who offers up his own brand
of fun 'n' games. If, after a series
of interviews, Doc Martin can guess
which patient is the former head
of the asylum, he gets the job.
Voodoo classes, killer mannequins,
a sinister freezer, pill-poppers,
and endless good times ensue.
The set-up is bizarre. The finales
are marvelously cracked. The tight
acting (Peter Cushing, Britt Ekland,
the great Herbert Lom), booming
photography, and tense direction
(check out the wacko line-drawing
introduction) spell success ten
times over. Asylum corrects
the pacing of previous Amicus snores
like Torture Garden, ups
the quality control, spreads out
the mean-spirited violence, and
sets a creative standard that's
hard to beat. None of the segments
come close to overstaying their
welcome. Refreshment and wild spooks
are guaranteed. No translation needed.
I'm on my way to dreamland and the
chimes are still echoing. Normally
I'd be annoyed, but not tonight.
AUDIO AND VIDEO
Asylum has been all over
the place on both VHS and DVD, but
I've never owned a copy. The wait
was worth it. This print, presented
in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen,
is literally flawless. You could
skip a stone over the picture's
clarity. Colors are bright and flowing.
The mono sound tended to favor the
music's volume over dialogue at
times, but I just reached for the
knob. English subtitles are also
included.
EXTRAS
The centerpiece of the supplements
is a nice 20 minute featurette called
"Inside The Fear Factory".
Join Amicus co-founder Max J. Rosenberg,
director Freddie Francis, and director
Roy Ward Baker as they open up about
the history of the UK studio. Highlights
include the philosophy of the anthology
film, the work of Amicus' other
co-founder, Milton Subotsky, Amicus'
working relationship with Mad Magazine's
Bill Gaines, and lots of disagreeing
opinions.
Next up is a full length commentary
track with director Roy Ward Baker,
camera operator Neil Binney, and
moderator Marcus Hearn. It's low
key, slow paced, and a bit tedious,
mostly covering technical aspects
and work conditions of the shoot.
The talk is spattered with occasionally
hip tidbits (Robert Bloch's involvement,
in particular), but you've got to
wade through plenty of holes to
get there. Stick with the featurette
if you're looking for facts. Or
a good book.
Also included are three Amicus trailers,
(theatrical for Asylum,
60 second TV spots for And Now
The Screaming Starts and The
Beast Must Die, which are also
out on DVD from Dark Sky), a healthy
photo gallery (posters, lobby cards,
stills), and an informative insert
written by Christopher Gullo, which
contextualizes the film quite nicely.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Whether you're an Amicus expert
or dunce,
Asylum is the place to
be. The film compiles everything
that's worth celebrating in the
world of quaint-yet-ominous 1970s
horror anthologies. Buy, rent, whatever;
just as long as you see this film. |
Heya, Pete
Sinister sisters
Freeze-chop
Cute lil' guy
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