Asylum [Blu-ray]

Director: Roy Ward Baker Roy Ward Baker

Overview

Four short stories by master of macabre Robert Bloch are related by the inmates of a mental institution. In the first story, Richard Todd murders his wife and cuts her body into little pieces -- but that doesn't stop her from seeking revenge. In the second, Peter Cushing orders crooked tailor Barry Morse to weave a coat from a magic fabric in order to bring Cushing's son back from the dead (this one was previously dramatized on the TV series Thriller). The third story stars Charlotte Rampling as a schizophrenic whose "doppelganger" is manifested in the person of Britt Ekland. The final tale involves demented toymaker Herbert Lom and his army of killer robots. Robert Bloch himself adapted his original source material for the screen. Asylum was also known as House of Crazies.

Product Details

Release Date:	12/19/2017
UPC:	0663390002049
Original Release:	1972
Rating:	NR
Source:	Severin
Language:	English
Time:	1:29:00
Sales rank:	19,909

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Peter Cushing	Mr. Smith
Barbara Parkins	Bonnie
Britt Ekland	Lucy
Charlotte Rampling	Barbara
Patrick Magee	Rutherford
Richard Todd	Walter
Sylvia Syms	Ruth
Herbert Lom	Byron
Barry Morse	Bruno
Robert Powell	Dr. Martin
James Villiers	George
Geoffrey Bayldon	Max
Ann Firbank	Anna
John Franklyn-Robbins	Stebbins
Megs Jenkins	Miss Higgins
Herbert Lomas	Actor
Douglas Gamley	Composer

Technical Credits

Robert Bloch

Roy Ward Baker	Director
Milton Subotsky	Producer
Max J. Rosenberg	Producer,Producer
Gustave Berne	Executive Producer
Robert Bloch	Screenwriter
Norman Bolland	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

Asylum is a textbook example of the skill that Amicus Productions showed for producing entertaining horror anthology films. Robert Bloch's script is built on an ingenious hook -- it has a psychologist listening to patients' stories so he can identify which patient is the asylum's former head doctor -- and this approach allows the stories to flow together in a natural manner. Some of the stories are stronger than others (the one revolving around Charlotte Rampling is probably the weakest of the bunch), but the clever framework ensures they all work together as a piece. Director Roy Ward Baker helms the proceedings with subtle style, giving them moody lighting and artful camera movements that enhance the spooky mood without ever overdoing it. Another key aspect of Asylum's appeal is that, like most of the Amicus anthologies, it has a star-studded cast that is fun to watch. The scene stealers here include Richard Todd as a scheming husband, Peter Cushing as a customer who makes odd demands on his tailor, and Herbert Lom as an asylum patient with the unusual habit of making small mannequins. It all adds up to an old-fashioned blast of horror-movie fun. Thus, Asylum is a solid choice for genre fans in search of some old-fashioned chills.

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