Session 9 (2001)

Tensions rise within an asbestos cleaning crew as they work in an abandoned mental hospital with a horrific past that seems to be coming back.

Director:

Brad Anderson

Writers:

Brad Anderson, Stephen Gevedon

Stars:

David Caruso, Stephen Gevedon, Paul Guilfoyle

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
David Caruso	...	Phil
Stephen Gevedon	...	Mike
Paul Guilfoyle	...	Bill Griggs
Josh Lucas	...	Hank
Peter Mullan	...	Gordon Fleming
Brendan Sexton III	...	Jeff
Charley Broderick	...	Security Guard (as Charles Broderick)
Lonnie Farmer	...	Doctor (voice)
Larry Fessenden	...	Craig McManus
Jurian Hughes	...	Mary Hobbes (voice)
Sheila Stasack	...	Wendy (voice)

Storyline

An asbestos abatement crew wins the bid for an abandoned insane asylum. What should be a straightforward, if rather rushed, job, is complicated by the personal histories of the crew. In particular, Hank is dating Phil's old girlfriend, and Gordon's new baby seems to be unnerving him more than should be expected. Things get more complicated as would-be lawyer Mike plays the tapes from a former patient with multiple personalities, including the mysterious Simon who does not appear until Session 9, and as Hank disappears after finding some old coins.

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Plot Keywords:

abandoned asylum | lobotomy | coin | mental institution | baby | 

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Taglines:

Fear Is A Place.

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and brief strong violence

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 September 2001 (Italy)

Also Known As:

A 9a. Sessão

Filming Locations:

Supino's Restaurant, 250 Newbury St, Danvers, Massachusetts, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$76,493, 12 August 2001, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$378,176

Company Credits

Production Co:

USA Films, Scout Productions, October Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The vintage magazine clipping on the wall of one of the rooms at the Danvers Hospital was featured on the website www.yourprops.com after it was rescued from the building before the building was torn down. However, most of the other photos and clippings on the walls couldn't be salvaged because they were destroyed by mold and humidity.

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Goofs

A CVS brand baby wipe container is in clear view when we are introduced to Carusso and Mullen in the van. A few moments later the baby wipes container is turned sideways.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Phil: Gordy? You look tired, man. You look beat. Your turn to feed Emma?

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Alternate Versions

The US DVD contains an additional subplot that was removed from the final cut of the film. A homeless woman resides in Danvers State Hospital, and watches the crew go about their business. Initially presented as a menacing "being", shown as collecting objects (rubbish, leaves, insects) in threes in a room, she then becomes more and more human through the film. The crew observe things to give her presence away. She witnesses their murders, and becomes scared. She then kills Gordon at the end in retribution. Unfortunately, it is badly cut, and shows at several points during the film.

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Connections

Referenced in Villmark 2 (2015)

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Soundtracks

Trailer Trash
FirstCom
Composed and written by Lino Alessio and Stu Saddoris

User Reviews

Flawed but frightening thriller

SESSION 9

Aspect ratio: 2.39:1

Sound format: Dolby Digital

Five professional contractors are hired to strip asbestos from an abandoned asylum where they're haunted by the building's horrific legacy.

Notable as the first 2.39:1 movie shot in high-definition video - the same process used by George Lucas for STAR WARS EPISODE II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES the following year - SESSION 9 is described by director Brad Anderson as an exercise in 'creeping dread', filmed at the deserted Danvers Mental Institution in Massachusetts, whose crumbling interior suggests nothing less than the hellish Marsten House of Stephen King's 'Salem's Lot'. Anderson favors long, deliberate camera movements and wide-angle shots which transform the Institute's vast empty spaces into an oppressive, tomb-like structure, using the widescreen format to impressive visual effect.

A terrific ensemble cast is headlined by David Caruso (TV's "CSI: Miami") and Scottish actor-director Peter Mullan (MY NAME IS JOE), both of whom give committed performances as men on the edge of despair, and strong support is given by Josh Lucas (THE DEEP END), Brendan Sexton III (WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE) and co-writer Steven Gevedon as the hapless co-worker who stumbles on a series of audio tapes which contain ultra-creepy psychiatric sessions involving a former patient suffering from split personality disorder. Memorable sequences include Lucas' unscheduled late-night visit to the Institute, where he finds himself sharing the darkness with... something that shouldn't be there; and the inevitable moment when Sexton - who had earlier declared his morbid fear of the dark - finds himself trapped in the bowels of the building just as the lights go out...

Two endings were filmed, one of which involves a subplot that was dropped from the final assembly, but in truth, neither one of them lives up to expectations. The combination of tragedy and horror will still take many viewers by surprise, but one is left with the distinct impression that few of the participants were interested in making a REAL horror film, even if the movie ends up being one anyway, in spite of itself. Beautifully judged for the most part, and genuinely frightening in places, SESSION 9 is worth a look, despite minor reservations.