Asylum (2008/IV)

Director:

David R. Ellis

Writer:

Ethan Lawrence

Release Date:

15 July 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Once you're in, you can never get out.

Plot:

Six college students discover their dorm was once an insane asylum that conducted gruesome lobotomy's on its teenage inmates during the 1930's.

Plot Keywords:

Asylum | Suicide | College Student | Janitor | Trauma

Cast

Sarah Roemer	...	Madison
Jake Muxworthy	...	Holt
Mark Rolston	...	The Doctor
Travis Van Winkle	...	Tommy
Ellen Hollman	...	Ivy
Carolina Garcia	...	Maya
Cody Kasch	...	String
Lin Shaye	...	String's Mother
Joe Inscoe	...	Mackey
Gabe Wood	...	Kelso
Randall Sims	...	Rez
Andrea Powell	...	Carol
Pete Burris	...	Lloyd
Caroline Kent	...	Madison At 11
Brantley Pollock	...	Brandon At 12 (as Brantley Pollack)
Crystal Coney	...	Dorm Clerk (as Crystal McLaurin-Coney)
Benjamin Daniele	...	Brandon (as Ben Daniele)
Cody Hanford	...	Young Mackey
Bridget Gethins	...	Tommy's Mother
Ron Clinton Smith	...	Ivy's Father
Juan-Carlos Guzman	...	Rudy
Jamie Moore	...	Campus Cop #1
Charles Cabaniss	...	Campus Cop #2 (as Charles T. Cabaniss)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Aaron Blomberg	...	Barbwire Boy (uncredited)
Jerry Cashman	...	College Professor (uncredited)
Montrey Gordy	...	Dorm Clerk (uncredited)
Jamie Hill	...	Trendy Girl (uncredited)

Directed by
David R. Ellis

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ethan Lawrence

Produced by
Patrick Aiello	....	executive producer
Ashok Amritraj	....	producer
Jessika Borsiczky	....	producer
Tawny Ellis	....	co-producer
George Parra	....	executive producer

Original Music by
David Hamilton

Cinematography by
Gary Capo

Film Editing by
Howard E. Smith

Casting by
Craig Fincannon
Jennifer L. Smith
Tricia Wood

Production Design by
Jaymes Hinkle

Set Decoration by
Tricia Schneider

Costume Design by
Alexandra Welker

Makeup Department
David LeRoy Anderson	....	special makeup effects designer
Mark Ballou	....	special makeup effects technician: AFX Studio
Judith H. Bickerton	....	key hair stylist (as Judith Bickerton)
Jamie Kelman	....	special makeup effects artist
Patricia McAlhany Glasser	....	key hair stylist (as Patricia McAlthany-Glasser)
Nicole Michaud	....	special effects hair: AFX Studio
Rick Pour	....	makeup department head
Dave Snyder	....	special makeup effects artist
Jason Willis	....	assistant makeup artist

Production Management
Janet Muswell	....	post-production supervisor (as Janet Muswell Hamilton)
George Parra	....	unit production manager
Marsha L. Swinton	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Karen Estelle Collins	....	second assistant director
Jennifer Deigl	....	second second assistant director
Nicholas Fitzgerald	....	second assistant director: second unit
James Giovannetti Jr.	....	first assistant director
Oakley Lehman	....	second unit director

Art Department
Kip Bartlett	....	set dresser
Michael T. Booe	....	constructor
John B. Clarey III	....	carpenter
George W. Harding III	....	first assistant props (as George Harding III)
J. Lauren Jackson	....	art department intern (as Jacelyn Lauren Jackson)
Scott Johnson	....	on-set dresser
Tom Jones Jr.	....	construction coordinator
Randy Kenan	....	gang boss
Aaron Longstreth	....	set dresser
Alicia Lowe	....	art department coordinator
Paul Oliver	....	charge scenic
Mark Paton	....	art department production assistant
Roger Scruggs	....	general foreman
Amber Leigh Smith	....	art department production assistant
Bob Smith	....	lead man
Greg Spencer	....	foreman
Richard Waldrop	....	property master
Rod Honeycutt	....	set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department
Javier Bennassar	....	sound designer
Javier Bennassar	....	sound effects editor
Jocelyn Caron	....	foley recordist
Jenny Elsinger	....	cable person
Guy Francoeur	....	foley artist
Alan Freedman	....	adr mixer
Travis MacKay	....	adr recordist
Marshall McGee	....	additional boom operator
Marshall McGee	....	additional sound mixer
Chris Navarro	....	adr mixer
Jay Petach	....	adr recordist: Cincinnati
Drew Ponder	....	boom operator
Carl Rudisill	....	sound mixer
Eric Thompson	....	adr mixer
Matthew Woolley	....	foley editor

Special Effects by
Larry Dean Bivins	....	special effects foreman
Ray Bivins	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Daniel Birnbaum	....	digital compositor
Chris Bond	....	visual effects supervisor: Frantic Films
Vanessa Cheung	....	matte painter
Tim Christensen	....	compositor: Frantic Films
Rachel Clement	....	digital cleanup artist
Nick Fredin	....	visual effects animator
Julius Friede	....	digital intermediate colorist
Chris Harvey	....	cg supervisor: Frantic Films
Erik Henry	....	visual effects supervisor
Jan Huybrechs	....	3D scanning: Eyetronics
Mike Jahnke	....	animator
Sean Konrad	....	lead compositor
Cynthia Maurer	....	texture artist
Allan McKay	....	visual effects technical director
Janet Muswell	....	visual effects producer
Nicholas Nakadate	....	visual effects technical director
Robert Schajer	....	visual effects producer: Frantic Films
Alex Scollay	....	visual effects artist
Jane Sharvina	....	compositing supervisor: Frantic Films
Martha Soehendra	....	compositor
Daniel C.J. Todd	....	visual effects artist
Allen Tracy	....	visual effects editor: Frantic Films Los Angeles
Charles Trebino	....	visual effects artist: Frantic Films
Robert Ward	....	visual effects artist
Jeremy West	....	3D prop modeler
Denise Woodward	....	render wrangler: Frantic Films
Radost Yonkova	....	visual effects compositor: Frantic Films

Stunts
Alina Andrei	....	stunt double
Alina Andrei	....	stunts
Stanton Barrett	....	stunt double
Annie Ellis	....	stunt coordinator
Cheyenne Ellis	....	stunt performer
John Gilbert	....	stunts
G. Grant Jewett	....	stunts
Teddy Martin	....	stunt production assistant

Camera and Electrical Department
Brad Baker	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
Monica Barrios-Smith	....	second assistant camera
Patrick Borowiak	....	assistant camera
Cheyenne Ellis	....	still photographer
Frank Godwin	....	camera operator
Adam Hinson	....	rigging gaffer
Mike Jones	....	best boy electric
Teddy Martin	....	camera production assistant
Erik Murphy	....	best boy rigging grip
Alan Newcomb	....	film loader
Cristiano Palermi	....	lighting technician
Brad Peterman	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Mark J. Rainsford	....	grip (as Mark Rainsford)
Doug Robinson	....	electrician
Art Schultz	....	best boy rigging electric
Christian Shonts	....	second assistant camera
Jennie Shope	....	camera production assistant
Henry Tirl	....	Steadicam operator
Sean Yaple	....	second assistant camera

Casting Department
Tona B. Dahlquist	....	extras casting
Tara Feldstein	....	casting assistant
Jamie Hill	....	extras casting assistant
Jennifer Ricchiazzi	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Yvonne Battistelli	....	set costumer
John Bromell	....	charge dresser
Jennifer Dozier	....	costumer
Janet Melody	....	head ager/dyer

Editorial Department
Mindy Elliott	....	first assistant editor
Alexander J. Harper	....	post-production production assistant
Dennis Little	....	digital intermediate production coordinator
Jon Pehlke	....	on-line editor
Sarah Priestnall	....	production supervisor Digital Intermediate

Transportation Department
Tina Del Castillo	....	driver
Rick Parkinson	....	transportation captain
John Rice Sr.	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Allyson Abernethy	....	production secretary
Lisa Arnone	....	script supervisor
Prince Bagdasarian	....	film and high definition coordinator
Richard S. Bellina	....	construction medic
Erik Bright	....	unit publicist
Chris Buchanan	....	production assistant
Anthony Cam	....	accounting clerk
Michael Ceorgoveanu	....	stand-in
Cody Chandler	....	accounting intern
Kathleen Durkin	....	assistant to director
Shawn Gillespie	....	production accountant
Will Griffin	....	production assistant
Bass Hampton	....	location manager
Brian A. Hoffman	....	set production assistant
Jennifer Irvine	....	production coordinator
Bevin Jett	....	assistant production coordinator
Jess L. Johnson	....	location assistant
Jenne Lee	....	set production assistant
Teddy Martin	....	office intern
Teddy Martin	....	set intern
Teddy Martin	....	stand-in: male
Janet Melody	....	textile artist
Robert A. Mitchell	....	post-production accountant
Kelley Newman	....	unit publicist
Tarah Phillippi	....	assistant accountant
Janet Place	....	production accountant
Stefan Rand	....	set production assistant
Jacqueline Roberts	....	payroll accountant
Kirsten Short	....	assistant accountant
Kara B. Still	....	script supervisor: second unit
Michelle R. Thomas	....	assistant to producer
Ryen W. Thomas	....	set production assistant
Arturo Lopez Uscanga	....	scanning manager
Dylan Hunt	....	stand-in (uncredited)

Thanks
Eddie Dubose	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Hyde Park Films (as Hyde Park Entertainment) (presents)
• Mad Scientist Productions

Distributors

• ARM Distribution (2008) (Taiwan) (theatrical)
• Cascade Film (2008) (Russia) (theatrical)
• Cinestar (2008) (Philippines) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2009) (Australia) (DVD)
• Blue Sky Media (2007) (Czech Republic) (all media)
• FS Film Oy (2009) (Finland) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2008) (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• RCV Home Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Special Effects

• AFX Studios

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  dollies
• Film Finances  completion guarantor
• Hollywood Intermediate  digital intermediate services
• Image Resources  trailer editing
• Pivotal Post  Avid editing equipment provided by
• Widget Post Production  adr recording facilities
• Wilshire Stages, The  ADR recording facility

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for strong horror violence and terror, disturbing images, language and brief nudity

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color | Color (technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Certification:

USA:R | Germany:18 | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | UK:18 | Australia:R | Singapore:M18 | Netherlands:16 | Finland:K-18 (self applied)

Filming Locations:

South Carolina, USA

Company:

Hyde Park Films

Quotes:

Doctor Burke:[repeated] Give me your suffering!

Movie Connections:

References Jaws (1975)

A Nightmare on Campus

From director David R. Ellis (whose prior credits include "Final Destination 2" and "Snakes on a Plane") comes "Asylum," a psychological horror film in which a group of college students come to find that their campus was once the spot where a mad-doctor practiced his own twisted brand of medicine. A Freddy Krueger type whose patients eventually turned on him, the doctor still haunts the halls, preying on the students and tapping into their deep-seeded emotional scars.

The film hinges on an assortment of clichés, but that's not to say that some enjoyment can't be milked from it. While you can see nearly every moment coming from miles away, the film gets by with a bit of style and energy, courtesy of Ellis. Its story is really "A Nightmare on Elm Street"-lite, but fans of the 80's franchise (as well as other similar films from the era) may just get some thrills from seeing a film pay tribute to or at least attempting to live up to its legacy (they'll also appreciate a role by Lin Shaye as the mother of one of the students).

The true weakness of the film is in its paper-thin script and characters and its over-reliance on gross-out gore over suspense. You might squirm in your seat during a scene where a character gets his lips ripped off and his tongue cut-out, but you won't necessarily care about the character himself, which is always a bad thing for a horror movie. Also, the final act reaches some ridiculous territory and will no doubt leave your eyes rolling. Go into "Asylum" with low-expectations of some fluff-horror, and you might just appreciate what the film has to offer.