Cubussoli Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

SpuffyWeb Sadly Over-hyped

SnoReptilePlenty Memorable, crazy movie

InformationRap This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

moonspinner55 Psychiatrist is called to an asylum for a job interview, finds the institute's staff as strange as the patients. Long-winded, slowly-mounted cycle of scary stories from horror-house Amicus Productions and the pen of original "Psycho" author Robert Bloch. Tales include an adulterous man and woman who become the target of revenge from his wife's dismembered corpse; a tailor who receives oddly specific instructions on the construction of a haunted suit; a disturbed girl (Charlotte Rampling, with freckles), either the victim of delusion or illusion, who is charged with a double-homicide that she says was committed by a woman who doesn't exist; and a patient who has made a robot doll in his own image and believes he can will it to life. Shuddery episodes of murder and insanity produce a few shivers, but no standout moments or performances. *1/2 from ****

Leofwine_draca Yet another slice of early '70s British horror, once again in an anthology format, and from who else but Amicus, who were responsible for lots of films like this. ASYLUM has a powerful Gothic atmosphere which literally oozes off the screen in the opening moments, when the mansion appears and a loud, Gothic score plays out. There is another good scene where Powell looks at a number of classic paintings of insane people while the music again plays loudly, this is reminiscent of the opening titles of BEDLAM. The film benefits from being written by Robert Bloch (the man who wrote PSYCHO).The first story is a typical tale which looks like it was filmed on the same set as the Terry-Thomas segment from THE VAULT OF HORROR. It would be an interesting if oversimplistic tale if it wasn't for the amazing special effects which are really striking when first seen. The severed, animated limbs are all moved ingeniously and you can never quite work out how they are moved. The use of the crinkly brown paper on the soundtrack is also effective, and quite simply these moving body parts are some of the best special effects ever to be seen in a '70s British horror film.The second story has a more complex plot and is once again enlivened by some original special effects. The horrors of the landlord demanding money and the moving dummy are nicely juxtaposed throughout the story, which makes you really feel for the poor tailor involved in the hassle. Peter Cushing is once again on top form as the man who wants to bring his deceased son back to life, giving a moving performance of grief, anguish and finally desperation. The special effects are mainly involved in the climax where a shop dummy comes to life, and take the form of a shimmering, shiny suit. The effects are quite startling as the colours twist and fade in quick succession and it's definitely different. A bit of originality goes a long way in these films.Of course there had to be a dud somewhere in the film and the third story is it. It's a little tale of psychological trauma, and, while it has its interest, it doesn't really fit into the formula which these films have. Charlotte Rampling puts in a good performance as the tortured Barbara, while Britt Ekland and James Villiers lend solid support, but they can't do much with the bland story which has been addressed many times before, and an ending which you can spot a mile off. It's definitely not one to write home about and has no redeeming qualities at all really, apart from the fact that its thankfully short.Happily, if you manage to sit through the third story, the fourth story is just about the best of the bunch. Herbert Lom puts in an excellent performance as Doctor Byron, a man who's created life in his own image. The story also ties in nicely with the wraparound story involving Powell and Magee, and the scenes in which the doll comes to life and makes its way downstairs are genuinely spooky, helped by the return of the Gothic music which played over the opening credits. The ending is also unexpected and a classic twist. Patrick Magee puts in a solid performance and Robert Powell is a charismatic lead.All in all, ASYLUM is an excellent example of the anthology film at its best, and definitely one of the best films that Amicus put out. With a superb cast, excellent special effects and three out of four stories also being good, it really is unmissable entertainment for those of us who enjoy classic British horror.

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.

Phil Hubbs 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