Asylum (I) (1972) User Reviews

Entertaining British horror anthology.

[Snake-666 · 7/10 · 2 February 2004]

Roy Ward Baker directs this horror anthology from the pen of macabre master Robert Bloch. Dr. Martin (Robert Powell) is a psychiatrist who wishes to work at an asylum for the incurably insane. In order to gain employment he is set a task by the house chieftain Dr. Rutherford (Patrick Magee) whereby he must discover the identity of a former doctor-turned-patient. 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. The film (produced by Amicus studios and now available in the UK in a wonderful box set) has a distinct feeling of a Hammer Horror production to it. The emphasis is on the story and artistic merit rather than cheap shocks and Roy Ward Baker does an excellent job throughout the production of building tension so that each shock has a desirable effect on the viewer. Each segment benefits from a marvellous cast which features the undeniable talents of the legendary Peter Cushing in ‘The Weird Taylor’ and the beautiful Britt Ekland in ‘Lucy Comes to Stay’. Britt Ekland would go on to co-star as the seductive landlord’s daughter Willow in the classic British horror ‘The Wicker Man’ just one year later.

The various segments themselves vary in quality, although not too dramatically. The opening segment, ‘Frozen Fear’ is a deliciously campy story about a man whose murdered wife seeks revenge on him and his lover. This particular segment may be a little too silly for some horror fans but it works as a perfect mood setter for the rest of the movie. The directorial style is what makes this segment worth watching. There are some wonderfully flowing shots which seek to give the short segment a distinctly unsettling edge despite the short falls of the script and story. 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. He enlists the help of Bruno (Barry Morse), a taylor desperately in need of money, to make for him a suit to specific instructions. This segment is possibly the weakest of the four yet remains enthralling as the viewer cannot help but wonder just where this particular story is headed. Once again Roy Ward Baker’s direction during this segment is powerful as he creates a dark and despairing atmosphere despite the limitations of time and the story. Cushing’s performance is certainly memorable as is Barry Morse’s. The climax of the story is well portrayed but is unfortunately harmed by an air of unnecessary camp. Still, ‘The Weird Taylor’ is entertaining nonetheless but may be off-putting due to its overly slow nature.

Up next is ‘Lucy Comes to Stay’ which tells the story of a young girl (Charlotte Rampling as Barbara) who apparently has been recently released from a mental institution for her schizophrenia. She is still haunted by her imaginary friend Lucy (Britt Ekland) who soon makes an appearance and convinces her to leave the safety of her brother’s house. Murder and mayhem follow and the despairing Barbara reaches breaking point pretty quickly. This particular segment works more on the basis of the storyline rather than direction as there is little in the way of atmospheric build-up. Britt’s on-screen presence is commanding and powerful and her portrayal of a horror villain is so good that one wishes this segment had been made into an entire feature length movie as opposed to the short segment that it is. The shock scenes are blended into the story seamlessly with a superb accompanying soundtrack. This is my favourite of all the segments.

The film finally finishes with ‘Manikins of Horror’ where a former doctor believes that he can make and control little dolls. This segment takes place wholly back in the asylum and unlike the previous three stories there are no flashbacks to past events. This segment is possibly the most original of the stories and could even be possible influence for ‘Child’s Play’ (1988). Unfortunately, the story falls short as it becomes hard for one to suspend their disbelief yet the segment works as an excellent precursor to the genuinely surprising and shocking ending. Undeniably camp yet strangely intriguing this is a fitting ending to a generally entertaining horror film. For those who like horror anthologies and Hammer-style productions, one cannot go too far wrong with this entertaining British horror film. The film fails to maintain quality from start to finish but does not fail to entertain, surprise or shock. To sum up - an entertaining piece of horror anthology fare with some excellent direction, beautifully atmospheric scenarios and accompanying music and a strong cast who all give credible performances. My rating for ‘Asylum’ (1972) – 7/10.

A lost classic

[lucky_dice_mgt · 7/10 · 12 February 2007]

Very good photography, acting, dialog set this horror anthology above most others. There is a clever beginning which then evolves into 4 separate stories of individuals inside an asylum. The 1st story is the most gruesome. The 2nd story is the most intriguing and also has Peter Cushing in it doing a excellent job as usual. The 3rd story is the weakest and the 4 th story ties into the twist ending. With each story only lasting an average of 15 minutes, they keep the viewers interest. This also has a nice soundtrack { something almost totally missing from todays horror crap,remkaes and sequels} . For those of us who like style, originality and solid acting in our horror films, this deserves a look.

Adapting Robert Bloch

[Space_Mafune · 7/10 · 27 December 2003]

4 short story adaptations of Robert Bloch stories. I will look at them in order they appear...

"Frozen Fear": short story of a man who attempts to cut himself off from a loveless marriage in order to take up with his mistress by a rather inventive means of murder only some things don't seem to want to stay dead. 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. Only when he delivers it, he discovers the elderly customer actually has no money to pay and even more shocking is the true purpose of this bizarre suit. This is the best of these tales. However, to be honest, I much prefer the adaptation from the "Thriller" series.

"Lucy Comes To Stay": a tale of psychosis as Lucy (Charlotte Rampling) returns home from the mental hospital, presumed cured, only it seems the naughty girlfriend who landed Lucy in trouble to begin has started to visit her in secret as well. Actually this is not at all bad, it just runs a little too long for my liking. Still there's some quality about Charlotte Rampling I find irresistible.

"Mannikens of Horror": the framing story for the others in the series as a new doctor visits a mental hospital and discovers that the Doctor who called him there is now a patient in the ward. He's told he can have the job if he can identify which patient upstairs is that Doctor. Finally he comes to believe the individual is a strange fellow who makes small lifelike figures, into which he plans to place his conscience and use as his means of escape. A number of startling twists here, fine stars like Patrick Magee and Herbert Lom, make this both entirely unpredictable and honestly quite good.

Very entertaining horror anthology with a first rate cast.

[Infofreak · 18 February 2004]

'Asylum' holds a special place in my heart as watching it on TV as a kid in the 70s is one of my earliest horror memories, along with Rod Serling's almost forgotten series 'Night Gallery' and the underrated Cushing/Lee movie 'The Creeping Flesh'. I watched 'Asylum' the other day for the first time in oh, twenty years at least, and while it wasn't anywhere near as scary as I remember it to be, it's still one of the better horror anthologies of the period. 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' has a few flaws sure, but it's still a very entertaining film, and horror buffs will enjoy it.

Creepy and diverge horror stories in an appropriate setting. Great Amicus-fun!

[Coventry · 7/10 · 4 May 2004]

Guided by a genuine musical score, a young doctor is driving towards an asylum for the `incurably insane'…This is the fourth horror omnibus by the specialist production company Amicus. `Asylum' is determined and effective horror, done without too much humor or decoration elements. Fairly new and definitely creative about this anthology is the narrative. The so-called wraparound story involves a young applicant-psychiatrist put to a test by the director of the asylum. Through listening to the stories of 4 patients, he has to make out which one of them is the previous director gone mad! This little extra, interactive elements gives more tension to the film and, as a viewer, you're automatically searching along. The stories themselves vary from simple to ingenious, climaxing in a cheerfully gruesome finale. The first story isn't exactly original and covers the well-known matter of adultery and revenge. Some nice over-the-top scenery in this tale, as well as some pretty good acting. The second tale is a lot better already and features Peter Cushing! Cushing often shows up in these Amicus productions and this time, he plays a mysteriously occult man who approaches a tailor with a strange request. This chapter is very atmospheric, stressing the poverty and the desperate need for money by the tailor (Barry Morse). The premise is silly and not well worked out, but the tension and chills triumph. I didn't care at all for the third story as it's just a lame variant on the `schizophrenic'-theme. It's obvious from the beginning and I wonder why they even bothered to show it as a mystery. The only aspect that made this chapter even bearable was the presence of England's fines female beauties! Charlotte Rampling was rather gorgeous around the time Asylum was shot and the absolute siren in this film is the ravishing Britt Ekland. If you're not familiar with her, run out to the nearest videostore and get yourself a copy of `The Wicker Man' now!! The fourth and final story is close to brilliant and actually takes place IN the wraparound story, which is pretty unique. Veteran actor Herbert Lom stars in this tale that enlightens a whole new kind of `voodoo'. It has blood-thirsty, lifelike manikins and it's bloody good fun. A creepy highlight and an appropriate closure to a good film. Sure as hell recommended for the British horror fans amongst you! 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.

If I may proclaim some shameless promotion: Asylum recently got re-released in a worthy Amicus Box Set! The set is uniquely shaped like a coffin and contains – besides Asylum – other highlights such as `The House that Dripped Blood', `The Beast Must Die', `And now the Screaming Starts' and `Dr. Terror's House of Horror'. Trust me, it'll look great in your collection.

I never realized how hot Britt Ekland is!

[lee_eisenberg · 7/10 · 22 May 2007]

I must admit that when I read the box and saw the cast of "Asylum" includes Peter Cushing, Britt Ekland and Herbert Lom, I thought to myself "Dr. Van Helsing, Peter Sellers's ex, and Insp. Clouseau's boss in a horror flick. Whoa." It turns out that while parts of the movie come out a little flat, it's some pretty cool entertainment. 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. Ah, but wait until you find out who the former doctor is! Not that this really relates to anything, but I never realized how hot Britt Ekland is! I've seen her in a few movies, but in none has she sent my hormones as wild as she did here. Of course, I just go crazy for any of those blonde actresses from the '60s (others include Barbara Eden and Elke Sommer).

So, this movie isn't any kind of masterpiece, but it doesn't pretend to be. Just nice, silly entertainment. Also starring Patrick Magee (the wheelchair man from "A Clockwork Orange") and Charlotte Rampling.

Who Is Dr. B. Starr?

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 1 November 2016]

The young psychiatrist Dr. Martin (Robert Powell) comes to an isolated mental institution for a job interview with Dr. B. Starr; however his associated Dr. Lionel Rutherford (Patrick Magee) tells that the chief doctor had a mental breakdown and now is an inmate. Dr. Rutherford proposes Martin to interview four inmates to find who Dr. Starr is; if he succeeds, he would have the position. He goes upstairs and is received by the nurse Max Reynolds (Geoffrey Bayldon).

1st Interview: Bonnie ("Frozen Fear"): The inmate Bonnie (Barbara Parkins) tells that her lover Walter (Richard Todd) and she have plotted to kill his wealthy wife Ruth (Sylvia Syms), who studies voodoo with a powerful priest, and hide her body in a freezer. Walter dismembers her body and wraps the pieces; however Walter and Bonnie will have a dreadful surprise.

2nd Interview: Bruno ("The Weird Tailor"): The tailor Bruno (Barry Morse) is completely broken and needs money to pay the rent to his landlord Stebbins (John Franklyn-Robbins); otherwise, his wife Anna (Ann Firbank) and he will be evicted. He accepts a weird request from the mysterious Mr. Smith (Peter Cushing) to make a suit for his son. But when the suit is ready, Mr. Smith tells that he has no money to pay for his work and there is a tragic consequence.

3rd Interview: Barbara ("Lucy Comes to Stay"): Barbara (Charlotte Rampling) is released from an asylum under the custody of her brother George (James Villiers) and he brings her home to be nursed by the nurse Miss Higgins (Megs Jenkins). Out of the blue, her best friend Lucy (Britt Ekland) visits her and invites Barbara to flee with her. What will Barbara and Lucy do?

4th Interview: Byron ("Mannikins of Horror"): Dr. Byron (Herbert Lom) explains that he has built organic toys to transfer soul to it. Who might be Dr. Starr?

"Asylum" is a British cult-movie from the 70's divided in four segments. It is good to see Charlotte Rampling and Britt Ekland in the top of their beauties and the always creepy Peter Cushing among others again. Unfortunately this type of sophisticated British horror film is no longer made and remains only in the memory of mature audiences. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "O Asilo do Terror" ("The Asylum of the Horror")

ASYLUM (Roy Ward Baker, 1972) ***

[Bunuel1976 · 7/10 · 22 October 2006]

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!

Now to the disc itself and the accompanying extras: like the other entries in this Collection, we get a very good transfer indeed under the circumstances. The Audio Commentary is a well-balanced talk with director Roy Ward Baker producing the factoids, while cameraman Neil Binney handles the more technical aspects of the production; Jonathan Sothcott efficiently moderates the discussion. The featurette "Inside The Fear Factory" is a fun little documentary that takes a peek into the Amicus filmography; unfortunately, it is rather short for its purpose and the footage it presents is restricted to the films on offer in this Box Set (which seems to indicate, regrettably, that Anchor Bay UK do not currently have a follow-up set in the pipeline!). Film notes, bios and a poster/stills gallery are typical of the stuff that comes with each disc in the Collection.

Another superb horror anthology from Amicus!

[manchester_england2004 · 10/10 · 31 July 2009]

ASYLUM is the fifth in a series of seven Amicus horror anthologies. If THE MONSTER CLUB is included as part of the series, this would make eight movies. Although, that movie is very different from the others.

I look upon the Amicus anthologies with great memories as I used to love them when I was in my teens. My feelings for them today are just as strong.

ASYLUM may no longer be my favourite of the Amicus horror anthologies. But it is the first one I saw and as such holds a special place in my heart.

There are three identifiable stories in this movie. 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. The opening credits play over his journey with the famous "A Night on Bald Mountain" used for the score. With a magnificent example of classical music being used to score the movie, I knew it was going to be an enjoyable experience.

When Powell arrives at the asylum, he finds out that the head of the institution, Dr. Starr, has himself now become an inmate. His associate, Dr. Rutherford, sets Powell a test to judge his ability to take the job. The test - meet the inmates and identify which one is Dr. Starr.

Powell then goes up to meet the inmates and is introduced to the orderly, played by Geoffrey Bayldon. I loved Bayldon's performance here and consider it to be one of the best of his career. At 85 and still going strong, I wish him a happy life in the remainder of his retirement.

Each of the three stories begins with Powell introducing himself to the inmates.

The first story involves Barbara Parkins who has made plans to run off with her lover, played by Richard Todd. Unfortunately, Todd's wife, played by Sylvia Syms, stands in the way. Todd decides to kill his wife, dismember her body and wrap each part up neatly in brown paper. The body parts are then left in a freezer in the cellar. Unfortunately, Todd's wife won't let him leave quite so easily! This story moves along slowly at times but features good performances by the three actors.

The second story involves Barry Morse as a tailor facing eviction from his shop because he can't afford to pay the rent. A sinister customer, played to perfection by the late great Peter Cushing, asks him to make a suit from unusual material. Cushing tells him that the suit is a gift for his son. But it turns out his son is dead! I will spoil no more but I will state that I really enjoyed this story and fail to understand why it is so heavily bashed by IMDb users. The story is worth seeing just for Cushing's performance alone. 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. Her brother, played superbly by the great professional, James Villiers, acts caring for his sister but has a sinister side that makes the audience question his loyalties. Anyway, Rampling sees her friend, Lucy, played by Britt Ekland, after taking some pills. Ekland persuades Rampling to run off with her and leave her brother behind. This story takes a series of twists and turns before reaching its disturbing conclusion. Rampling's performance as a young woman with a seemingly split personality is easily one of the best in the movie.

The remainder of the movie takes place in the asylum and this constitutes the final story. Powell meets a seemingly calm rational doctor, played by the great Herbert Lom, one of my all-time favourite actors. Lom has created a series of mechanical figures, including one of himself. He tries persuading those around him that he can bring the figure to life but everyone thinks he's crazy. But could he be right? Watch and see.

The linking story works so well due to the superb performance delivered by Robert Powell. His performance as a seemingly confident yet naive young doctor was genuinely believable and he held my attention in every scene he was in.

Patrick Magee should not be forgotten either. His performance as the aging experienced doctor was believable because he was seen to have flaws that remind us all that experience is not something to be relied upon as a sole strength when dealing with tough challenges.

Roy Ward Baker directs the movie and many of his styles are evident here. He makes excellent use of "A Night on Bald Mountain" to score the movie, ensuring it fits with the somewhat Gothic setting. His other choices of music have an orchestral Gothic style that ensure consistency and help build suspense and tension, something particularly evident in the final story. Baker makes excellent use of camera angles to hook the audience with something quirky or sinister, draw them in slowly and then deliver a sudden shock out of nowhere. These styles were also used on many of his other movies but it is here where it works best.

The scripting is carefully put together so the movie distances itself from its four predecessors. The choice of using part of the linking story to act as the final story was a wise decision since it's actually better than the other three.

Overall, ASYLUM is a must-see for fans of the Amicus anthologies, fans of other Amicus movies or fans of portmanteau horror movies. If my summary provides the movie with enough appeal in your eyes, check it out. You'll enjoy it!

Pretty good horrifying anthology movie from England featuring top-notch stars

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 28 December 2020]

Thrilling and creepy Onnibus movie formed by four seemingly unrelated tales of craziness dealing with a doctor : Robert Powell searching for a job. This doctor visiting the asylum tells each flick. Concerning the chilling and strange stories the following ones : A killer's victim, Sylvia Sims, seeks retribution . A taylor : Barry Morse pursued by a creditor seems to be collecting his bills. A woman plagued by a doppleganger . Finally, an amazing climax with a man : Herbert Lom, who makes dolls.

Creepy and eerie horror movie with magnificent color work and lighting efffects , as well as suitably sombre acting from an exceptional casting . Dealing with four stories of madness that are perfectly interwoven, being written by notorious Robert Bloch of Psycho and finely interpreted by a top-drawer cast . These stories deal with grisly killings in which body scraps having own life, a young girl plagued by a double, leading to a nail-biting spotlight with a man who makes voodoo toys, only to become one after that. A grotesque and terrifying movie, not as humorless as American terror pictures. This is one of several compilations produced by Amicus : Max Rosenberg , Milton Subotsky that abounded in the Engllish cinema of the 60s and 70s . The cast is frankly magnificent , delivering usual grim-faced support with a large plethora of prestigious and mainly British actors, such as : Richard Todd as a punished murderer , Patrick Magee giving a prominent role , Herbert Lom as a maker of living dolls , Sylvia Sims , Charlotte Rampling , Britt Ekland, Barbara Parkins, James Villiers and the great Peter Cushing in fine form as well .

This first-rate horror anthology with nice photography by Denis Coop was compellingly directed by Roy Ward Baker, creating competent atmosphere in evoking the horror . Baker provides a solid framework more chillingly effective than in any other Anthology films . He was a craftsman and expert on terror movies, such as : "And now the Screaming starts" , "The Monster Club", "Dr Jekill and Mrs Hyde" , "Scars of Dracula" , "Seven Brothers meet Dracula" , "Vampire Lovers" , "Vault of Horror", among others. Rating : Better than average.

Mechanically directed horror film.

[gridoon · 5/10 · 19 November 1999]

"Asylum" is a four-part horror / anthology film that fails to satisfy the viewer. The first story is a familiar, one-note revenge tale. The second begins intriguingly but gets increasingly predictable. Still, it's the one that stands out, mainly due to Peter Cushing's delightful performance. The third story is clearly the worst: slow-paced, tedious, devoid of interest. The fourth and final story is perhaps the most original in its conception, but it's too short and the possibilities never get developed. Aside from a genuine surprise at the end, the scripting is generally unimaginative, and the mechanical direction gives a routine feel to the whole production.

A surprisingly good horror film.

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 25 June 2009]

This film is from Amicus Productions, the same people that made another film with a similar structure and style (THE VAULT OF HORROR, 1973). In VAULT, the stories are all told by people about their own deaths. There is a very strange story that connects the four stories that make up ASYLUM. A young doctor comes to a mental institution because he wants a job. The head of the hospital makes the doctor a bet. If he can interview four patients and determine which one is Dr. Starr, then he gets the job! Pretty strange. When I worked at such a facility many years ago, my job interview was nothing like that! The first story is told by a woman (Barbara Parkins). It involves an affair she is having with a married man. He decides to kill the wife, but serious complications ensue.

The second is about a tailor (Barry Morse)who is told he'd be given a huge sum to make a suit made of a special fabric the customer (Peter Cushing) brings with him. It turns out this suit is part of some macabre spell to revive the man's dead son.

The third stars Charlotte Rampling and is about her returning to the home she shares with her brother. Apparently she'd been in some sort of hospital and she has a nurse assigned to watch her. However, after being sent to bed with a sedative, the nurse gets a phone call saying her mother took a fall and is in the emergency room. So, assuming Rampling would take a long nap, she leaves. Immediately after, Rampling's friend (Britt Ekland) comes and says she is the one who phoned the nurse and that Rampling should stop taking "those pills" and "just leave everything up to me".

The fourth is about a man named Byron (Herbert Lom), who introduces himself as a physician. He is working on making little robot-like creatures that he swears will become living things--when he wills his consciousness into them.

Overall, I was very surprised by this film, as I had very low expectations. After all, VAULT OF HORROR was not a particularly good film. However, because of the freshness of the four stories and sick (but cool) way that the main plot was handled, I am very glad I tried this film. Satisfying from start to finish.

Anthology Perfection?

[gavin6942 · 7/10 · 18 October 2014]

A young psychiatrist interviews four inmates in a mental asylum to satisfy a requirement for employment. 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? You simply cannot. The highlight of the anthology is "The Weird Tailor". Not just because it has Peter Cushing, but because the story has the best potential. And, even in short form, it was done quite well.

Amicus was the greatest British horror studio and their anthologies are unmatched. This is one of the better ones, and well worth watching.

Nowhere Near The Best Anthology Movie

[Theo Robertson · 4/10 · 18 July 2004]

A lot of people have been praising ASYLUM as one of the best horror anthology horror movies they`ve seen . I must disagree with this popular point of view . It`s by no means the worst anthology movie ( The contenders for that accolade are far too many to speak of here ) ever made but it`s by no means the best when you compare it to THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD or VAULT OF HORROR . I remember seeing this for the first time as a teenager in the early 1980s and I could remember very , very little about it unlike many of these type of horror films . I guess that should have been a good thing since I watched it on TV last night and couldn`t remember the shock twists . After seeing the entire movie again I now know why I could remember little about it - It`s so forgettable

!!!! SPOILERS !!!!

Story 1 ) As in every other movie of this type there`s a story about an unhappily married couple which always leads to disaster or in the case here murder . I`ve never understood why any of the characters don`t resort to opening a joint bank account with their spouse then do a runner with their bit on the side . The story itself is rather daft and features a major goof of a hand physicaly shoving Ruth`s parceled arm around which is either an editing mistake or a revealing mistake

Story 2 ) Peter Cushing is wasted in a walk on part while the story itself is so silly it has to be seen to be believed . DOCTOR WHO was much better at making showroom dummies come to life

Story 3 ) The screenwriter of ASYLUM is Robert Bloch who also wrote the original novel of PSYCHO . I knew this before I watched the movie and even if I hadn`t I would have been slightly reminded of PSYCHO watching this story . You can work out well in advance how the story ends

Story 4 ) Well I do give some credit to Bloch for making the framing story a story in its own right , but again it falls apart when you think about in any great detail , and can anyone name a movie where a character played by Robert Powell survives to the final credits ?

Rather disappointing stuff . Four out of Ten

Huge fun

[Danny_G13 · 18 July 2004]

Another in the line of 70's hammer horror, Asylum is yet again a gloriously camp and cliched horror flick complete with manic characters, incredibly OTT acting, mansion/haunted castle type locations, and of course, fog.

Asylum follows a young new qualified psychiatrist called Dr Martin, dryly played by a very young Robert Powell. He's applying for a job at an asylum and the interview is a far more bizarre one than any applicant for a new position would be used to.

He is greeted by Dr Rutherford, who appears to be the chairman figurehead of the asylum, who will interview him to establish his suitability.

However, it turns out there is a twist here, because in order to get the new job, Dr Martin is told he must successfully identify who is Dr Starr, the head of the institution. Simple you might think. Unfortunately Dr Starr is now a patient after attacking Rutherford and paralysing him from the waist down. 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? Of course! Archaic? Without a doubt! Fantastic fun and satisfying? Indeed!

Well worth seeing.

Typically entertaining British Horror anthology film.

[Wilbur-10 · 6/10 · 29 June 2000]

Another horror anthology where the framing device is better than the stories themselves. Powell is a young doctor going for a job at a mental home. His rather odd interview assessment involves deducing which one of four inmates is the previous holder of the position, who went insane.

The setting of a gloomy old Victorian asylum is strong, as are the scenes where Powell visits the room of each lunatic to hear their story. The first tale with dismembered body parts coming back to life to terrorise their murderer is the best, though it loses some of its credibility with an over-the-top finale. 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.

As with similar films, the conclusion of the framing story - in this case discovering the identity of the mad doctor - neatly wraps up the film. The weakness of the stories themselves though ( only the first and last are above average ) does undermine the film as a whole, and while it rates higher than 'Torture Garden', it doesn't rival 'Dr Terror's House of Horrors'.

underwhelming anthology

[Jonny_Numb · 7/10 · 4 June 2003]

"Asylum" is a woefully unbalanced anthology of horror stories, as a young psychiatrist pays a visit to four unbalanced eccentrics, all with their own tales to tell. 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"? What starts with a certain creativity and excitement runs out of steam as the third patient is interviewed, and despite noble efforts from Cushing, Herbert Lom, and Patrick Magee, the film wallows in mediocrity...it could've benefitted from a bit more violence and less of the booming, intrusive musical score. On the plus side, the settings are effective and atmospheric, some closing twists are well-executed, and Peter Cushing gives another refined, somewhat comical performance that makes you wish he was the star of "Asylum."

5/10

A solid wraparound story, with three moderate central stories.

[b_kite · 7/10 · 29 September 2019]

While Tales from the Crypt and Vault of Horror will always be my two favorite Amicus anthologies. This one comes close primarily because it has one of the best wraparound segments of any anthology made. The three central stories aren't as memorable, but, there still good enough to give this a solid recommendation.

Highly entertaining.

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 6 February 2012]

The company Amicus were absolute masters of the horror anthology in the 1960's and 1970's, and "Asylum" is a fine and typical example of the work they did. Now, granted, it's hard not to just laugh at some of the things here, but the filmmakers could well have been going for tongue in cheek the entire time anyway. Never really scary, but certainly creepy on occasion, the movie nevertheless maintains a high fun factor. 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. The riddle is, who among the patients to whom he will be introduced used to be the head doctor, a person named Starr?

He first meets Bonnie (Barbara Parkins), whose story is told in "Frozen Fear". Planning on running away with married lover Walter (Richard Todd), she is forced to deal with the results when Walter chops up his wife Ruth (Sylvia Syms) and puts her body parts in the freezer. Turns out, Ruth was into studying voodoo...

Then it's on to Bruno (Barry Morse) in "The Weird Tailor". Which is actually inaccurate, as it's Bruno's customer, the mysterious Mr. Smith (Peter Cushing) who is the weird one. 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. The movie gets off to a great start with Modest Mussorgsky's "A Night on the Bald Mountain" on the soundtrack, letting us know we're going to be in for a good & ghoulish time. Genre pro Roy Ward Baker is in the director's chair, and does his usual efficient work. All in all, "Asylum" is a worthy viewing for any fan of the horror anthology.

7/10

Arguably Amicus's Best Film

[m2mallory · 8/10 · 2 February 2007]

From the mid-1960s through the mid-1970s the British-based film studio Amicus was a rival to the more famous and productive Hammer Films. Amicus didn't go in for Gothics, as a rule, but they mastered the art of the so-called "portmanteau" film, where four or five short stories are presented within a linking framework. They also mastered the art of hiring noted(and often very fine) British actors for only a day or two's worth of shooting, so that the final product ends up with an all-star cast. "Asylum" followed 1965's "Dr. Terror's House of Horrors," which was immensely fun, if incredibly cheap; 1967's "Torture Garden," 1970's "The House that Dripped Blood," and 1972's "Tales From the Crypt," and one can argue that it is the best of the lot ("The Vault of Horror" and "From Beyond the Grave" followed in 1973, and the mini-genre wrapped up in 1980 with "The Monster Club," but all of those were somewhat inferior to the earlier films). 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. As Powell interviews the various inmates, the different stories ensue. For horror film fans, the best story is the first one (which was not the first one in the script, but was elevated to that position over Bloch's objections); while not giving the plot away, suffice to say that it takes a story device that could have been rendered very cheesily and makes it wonderfully effective and creepy. Amicus buffs, meanwhile, will recognize the linking story as probably the most effective and logical of any in the portmanteau series of films. The remaining stories are all fine, with the most outré being the one that Cushing stars in.

"Asylum" is definitely worth, uh, checking into.

Come to the Asylum....to get killed!

[TheFinalAlias · 7/10 · 24 March 2009]

Whenever a studio is successful, it inspires knock-offs; of style or of films. And, generally speaking; those knock-offs aren't usually very good. But every now and then one knock-off will find it's own distinctive voice and emerge with somenthing worthy of competing with it's originator. Such was the case with Milton Subotsky's Amicus films. They may not have been able to beat Hammer in their heyday, but in their twilight years they certainly did in quality. While Hammer grinded out repetitious monster flicks with only the occasional gem like the Karnstein trilogy or 'Dr. Jekyll & Sister Hyde' to show a spark of what once was, Amicus made increasingly intelligent little anthology films; and although overrated by some; this is one of their best.

On some foggy moor in England in a place which more than likely is miles away from the nearest town; Handsome young psychiatrist Dr. Martin(Robert Powell) arrives at the local mental institution which resembles a Gothic castle rather than an institution. Martin expects to get a job after being given a proposition by the Head doctor, B. Starr. 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. , and given that the fourth segment actually ISN'T a segment; but a continuation of the opening story is either bound to delight you OR infuriate you for not getting four segments; but it's still worth watching for the image of it's clunky, almost cute robot stabbing someone in the neck. Cheers.~

"One of the best horror anthologies"? Really?

[armandofox · 3/10 · 20 April 2021]

I tried to give it a fair shake, I really did. But it's not creepy, nor atmospheric, nor startling, nor campy, nor, really, anything. Fine, it was 1972, but it's roughly contemporaneous with THE EXORCIST, which scared the fork out of me and still does. 40 minutes into it I gave up. It elicited no reaction at all, not even a bad one.

Good Old Scary Fun

[karmijo-86273 · 10/10 · 20 April 2020]

I remember seeing this as a 12 year old. The last story scared the living daylights out of me! It's a cult classic with twists and turns and a lot of fun to watch.

Hitchcock would have highly approved.

[KimbleLinda · 6/10 · 23 July 2012]

Admittedly I was somewhat reserved in my ranking on this one. All the stories had more of Alfred's taste in them (I would assume via the director). I will understate my drooling, obvious prejudice over Charlotte Rampling. Anything she is in makes any movie worthwhile. The shorts themselves were all good standing alone in their own right. Trying to tie the last one together was a little loose. I couldn't be sure if this was the writer or the director's issue. At any rate, the movie, as a whole, was worth the watch. Though, I probably won't view it again anytime soon. Also, because I have been a decades long enthusiast of Hitchcock, I felt that the "hair raising" factor was missing in the presentations. One story in particular had really reworked an old endearing plot....you can decide which. At any rate, if you haven't put the popcorn on yet, do so now. Sit back and enjoy and above all else trust no one.......Q(:-}

Asylum

[phubbs · 4/10 · 6 September 2014]

Boy they liked their horror anthology movies back in the 70's didn't they, well Amicus certainly did. This movie actually has a genuinely eerie title that has of course been reused since, and the movies poster is actually quite scary too. Usually these old horrors have cheesy titles with very daft posters but this one breaks that mould somewhat.

So its an anthology movie, therefore as you might have guessed its the same premise yet again with a selection of four short tales sandwiched between a bookend tale usually with a narrator of sorts. This time a young Robert Powell plays a young doctor who is visiting an asylum to apply for a position within. Oddly he is set the task of interviewing all four patients within the asylum to figure out which one used to be the head of the asylum...if he can he gets the job, just like in reality.

First patient and first tale recounts a plot to murder the wife of a wealthy middle aged couple. The murder is planned by the gent of the couple and his bit on the side. The thing is the gents wife studies voodoo, as white middle aged wealthy folk do, and when she is killed off she comes back for revenge. Its a very rudimentary vignette that doesn't really show much imagination methinks, although I must admit it is quite unnerving when the dead wife comes back in the form she does. 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. The catch being this tailor must make the suit under a specific set of instructions that must be followed precisely. Once completed and taken to Cushing in his dark dark residence we discover the suit is for his long dead son. Why you ask? well it can bring inanimate objects to life, not dead but inanimate as we find out when a store mannequin is accidentally dressed in the suit. This is again a simple tale that didn't really grab me, many questions are raised as usual and as usual left unanswered. Not really an issue as I'm used to this with these movies but the ending is very weak with this one, I guess the tailor made it out of the situation alive then, how very unexciting.

The third patient is a female who appears to be suffering from dissociative identity disorder, in other words she has multiple personalities or in this case a second personality. The young woman in question believes she is being told to escape her boring life by another young woman which results in her murdering her brother and a nurse. This whole short is very predictable and really rather unimaginative I think, its pretty obvious the young blonde is a figment of the girls imagination and what follows is bland to say the least.

The final patient is played by the legendary Herbert Lom and his little vignette blends into the bookend story involving Powell. Bizarrely this short story looks like a forerunner to the horror movie franchise 'Puppet Master'...kinda. Lom is creating a little toy robot that is a likeness of himself (why a likeness?), he intends to transfer his mind (somehow) into the toy robot so he can...escape? not too sure actually. I can't quite see how this will benefit this patient if his mind is inside a small slow waddling toy robot but there you go. Plus how on earth did he manage to recreate a miniature working version of his own viscera for the little robot and why would it even need that??! This short offers an intriguing premise but it makes no real sense as I've already pointed out, the final outcome seems coincidental and I'm not even sure if that was the characters actual game plan. It merely serves to run into the bookend story which in itself is weak and ends on a flat note that wasn't setup well in the first place.

Overall I found this anthology tame and very clichéd with stories that have been told a billion times before, there is nothing much on offer here that feels really fresh. Yes the casting is top notch as they tend to be and the visuals/effects are particularly well done this time round but the stories are sooooo routine, there is better out there.

4.5/10