ThiefHott Too much of everything

Redwarmin This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

Rio Hayward All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Zlatica One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

spencergrande6 I'm a sucker for an anthology film. More horror for less I guess. This one sounded pretty interesting, with a surprisingly effective wraparound story that is more than just filler.The first segment, "Frozen Fear", is a typical wronged spouse revenge story but with a nice beyond the grave twist. There are some creepy scenes involving animated body parts (creepy AND funny, I should say).The second, "The Weird Tailor, despite having Peter Cushing in it, is weaker than the first. It's mostly goofy and none too scary.The third, "Lucy Comes to Stay", is easily the best segment. It's about a woman with a split personality that manifests itself as another person, and while it's mostly a scenario that's been played out before, this one at least has good fun with it and never pretends the audience isn't in on the twist.The fourth, "Mannikins of Horror", actually evolves out of the wraparound segment in a neat little surprise. An absolutely baffling, but strangely compelling premise is completely undone by a poorly paced ending. Watching that mannikin walk around the hospital was some kind of torture (even the laughs subside long before the scene does).The wraparound keeps your interest and resolves like you expect, however it's effective for what it needs to do. This is a solid anthology film, with the usual ups and downs, but most of them right around the median.

Mark Burden I had the pleasure of seeing this film at The Odeon Cinema in Horsham (with the obelisk outside - anyone remember it?) in February 1973, when I was taken by my brother and sister in law. Asylum played second feature to Steve Spielberg's classic debut Duel. This was the first X film I saw at a cinema; and at the age of 15 (OK, so cinema staff weren't too vigilant in those days - and anyway I was tall enough to pass as an 18 year old!) My fondest memory was the giggle that went up from the audience when Richard Todd finishes assembling Sylvia Syms' neatly wrapped body parts into the newly installed chest freezer before smirking and saying: "Rest in pieces". I also think the diagrams in Peter Cushing's special book which explains how to reanimate a corpse are very well - um - executed - as an o level student of tech drawing at the time I especially liked the diagrams of the suited skeletal corpse with dimension arrows added. Electronics company Toshiba may have borrowed this idea for their mid 1980s advert voiced by Alexei Sayle to the tune of his recent hit single "Hello John, Gotta New Motor?" reworded "Hello Tosh, Got A Toshiba?" Geoffrey Bayldon perhaps lets the film down at the end with his maniacal lunatic laughter - but, like Bloch's Psycho, the whole thing is meant to be a bit of an outrageous giggle and not something to be remotely real or possible.

Nigel P 'Asylum' is an anthology film from the Amicus Company, based on stories by Robert Bloch. It has the distinction of proving more popular than the Hammer films of the time. The bombastic strains of 'Night on Bald Mountain' by composer Modest Mussorgsky accompany Dr Martin (Robert Powell) as he drives towards an imposing, mist-drenched asylum where he is to attend a job interview with Doctor Rutherford (Patrick Magee). This 1867 score is used again as Martin explores the corridors of the stately building – to be honest, the music is certainly rousing, but is too much to accompany what is after all, a man looking at some pictures, no matter how unsightly the images of early psychiatric treatments may be.Rutherford sets Martin a task. If he can identify former medical specialist Dr Starr amongst the inmates, the position is his. He has to visit a selection of cases – first, guided by the orderly Reynolds (Geoffrey Bayldon, in a role for which Spike Milligan was also considered), he meets Bonnie (Barbara Parkins). What follows in 'Frozen Fear', is that Walter (Richard Todd) and Bonnie agreed to dismember Walter's wife, occult practitioner Ruth (Sylvia Syms) and live off her money. Despite this, she escapes from the freezer into which her various body parts have been stored, and her assorted limbs, head (which is still breathing) and torso, carefully wrapped in brown paper and string, attack first Walter and then Bonnie … apparently (we see this in flashback, and it is one of this film's greatest and most effective scenes. It is intentionally horrific and hilarious, perfectly balanced). This is Bonnie's story, but she has no proof, only gaping wounds on her face where she axed her alleged attacker/s. Chances are, if you have seen this film, then the scene of the dismembered limbs scuttling across the floor is what will stick in your mind.'The Weird Tailor' is next. Barry Morse plays Bruno, a struggling tailor who accepts an order from 'Mr Smith' (Peter Cushing) to create a suit made from special material, and to work on this at specific times over four nights. Smith promises a great deal of cash, but when the suit is delivered, is revealed to live in a house empty of furniture: Smith is penniless. Both actors are at a peak here and ably supported by Ann Firbank as Bruno's wife (Bruno is a lot more sympathetic here than in Bloch's original story and our sympathies are with him throughout as a result). Even the (enjoyable) silliness at the end of the episode doesn't detract from its deep sense of melancholy and longing. Directed often in close-up, the squalidity of the two men's desperation is expertly conveyed. This is not only my favourite segment from 'Asylum', but from any Amicus production.Any tale that follows that would be hard pressed to match it, and sadly 'Lucy Comes to Stay' (originally planned as the first instalment, but moved to third place at Producer Milton Subotsky's insistence) is the weakest of the three. This is by no means a bad story, the climax nevertheless shares similarities with 'Frozen Fear'. It contains a terrific cast including James Villiers, Charlotte Rampling, Megs Jenkins and Britt Ekland.Another Doctor – Doctor Byron – features next. Played by the always brilliant Herbert Lom, Byron has created tiny mannequins based on former colleagues of his. 'These are not ordinary figures', he explains, and goes on to explain that each figure is living and perfectly capable of functioning. He can bring them to life with his 'conscious', and his final model is based on himself. Absurdly (the viewer has to go along with this for it to be effective), this last mannequin travels downstairs and kills Doctor Rutherford, who is responsible for Byron's incarceration.And yet who is the elusive Dr Starr? The answer is brilliantly directed by stalwart Roy Ward Baker. It is the Bayldon's orderly. Starr killed the original Reynolds, and does the same to Dr Martin. We finally see him as he truly is, frighteningly deranged, holding a stethoscope to Martin, cackling furiously, an insane child-like laughter. Bayldon is terrific throughout. Often a player of secondary characters, he is unassuming and courteous – and that is why the reveal is so very effective.Finally, another candidate for the job arrives at the asylum and is greeted by Bayldon, echoing an earlier line about closing the door and keeping out the draughts. 'As Dr Starr used to say' he remarks with a knowing glance to the audience. Witty and unnerving, this is my favourite Amicus film.

GL84 Upon arriving at Dunsmoor Mental Asylum, a new charge is told that one of the patients under its care is the former doctor in charge of the asylum, and that to keep his job he must find him based only on the stories told.The Good Story(s): Bonnie's story-Growing tired of his wife's goody- goody nature, her husband decides one day to kill her and store her in the freezer downstairs for safekeeping so that his affair with his mistress can continue. Agreeing to run off together, however, something in the basement keeps stirring and making him feel uneasy while he's waiting. This one is one of the more obvious Hammer-inspired tales in here, and the atmosphere drenched up is quite nerve-wrecking. The sequences in the basement are some of the most ingenious and creepy moments ever. It's also got a real great ending to it that plays off quite nicely so while it tends to move along a little slowly waiting for the inevitable when it occurs there's a lot to like with this one.Byron's story-While he makes little figurines on the side, a doctor creeps people out with his attention to detail and his constant raving that the creatures are alive. When he gets tired of people not listening to him, he sets the creatures free and they proceed to terrorize the non-believers. Overall, this was a pretty straightforward tale which is mostly helped with some fantastic special effects and a clever twist that for once actually works for these, as the previous ones didn't really have that great of a twist. As well, the simple storyline allows this to be more violent than the other tales which also doesn't really hurt either, even if the story could've been told a little better without making its conclusion so obvious.The Bad Story(s): Bruno's story-Down on his luck, a suit-maker is given an assignment from a mysterious stranger who requests a suit made for a child. He also makes some strange requests about making it, but promises to make and deliver it when finished. When arriving at his mansion to pick it up, he makes a shocking discovery. This was a pretty boring affair, mostly, with only one real surprise that could be seen coming along a mile away. At the time, it might've worked, but the shock doesn't register for today's audiences, who have seen it countless times since and can guess it quite easily. The rest of the time here is spent with this one following the creation of the suit itself which is just flat-out boring and devoid of any interest.Barbara's story-A woman and her brother arrive at their country home for a rest and relaxation where he warns her of a friend who has been troublesome in the past. When a series of murders occurs around the house, all the signs point to his twisted friend despite her repeated claims of innocence. Just like many of the segments before it, all the signs in this one point to a twist ending that is pretty obvious and not at all creepy or ingenious. It's been done too often to have an effect on viewers. I also doubt it would have much effect on viewers then which is so dismal that it really lowers this one considerably.Today's Rating-PG: Violence.