Asylum (1972)

 

In order to secure a job at a mental institution, a young psychiatrist must interview four patients inside the asylum.

Asylum (also known as House of Crazies in subsequent US releases) is a 1972 British horror film made by Amicus Productions. The film was directed by Roy Ward Baker, produced by Milton Subotsky, and scripted by Robert Bloch (who adapted four of his own short stories for the screenplay)

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  4) A man who builds tiny toy robots with lifelike human heads.

The doctor makes his last house call.

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.  I previously reviewed the film "Torture Garden" which also was all Bloch stories. 

"Frozen Fear": 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.  This story was pretty good.  A nice opening story.  

The hot-blooded beauty in the cold freezer.

"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 my favorite story in the film..  It has Peter Cushing in it so how could it go wrong. 

Don't fuck with Peter Cushing

"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.  This story runs kind of long but it's not that bad.  

You have nothing to lose but your mind.

"Mannikens of Horror" Powell meets a seemingly calm rational doctor, played by Herbert Lom.  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. This one is good as well and has this crazy little mother fucker running around.  

See the little mother fucking metal man and his big knife.

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.

Overall, I was very surprised by this film, as I had very low expectations.  There are lots of great special effects and solid acting across the board. This seems to be a classic which has gone on to influence later "asylum" oriented films. I really enjoyed it.  

A polite warning: This House is Not a Home!

Trivia:

Shot in 24 days.

Vermicelli was used for the robots' insides

Richard Todd has stated in interviews that he regrets making this film.

Herbert Lom was only booked for one day, and ended up shooting his cameo in half a day.

Peter Cushing filmed his part in two days.

The movie started shooting in early April of 1972 and was playing in West End cinemas 15 weeks later.

Arthur Grant was booked as director of photography but three weeks before shooting discovered he was terminally ill and had to reluctantly drop out. Denys N. Coop stepped in at short notice.

Shit Happens

Appropriately enough, the story "The Weird Tailor" had first been published in the magazine "Weird Tales".

"The Weird Tailor" was previously shown on Boris Karloff's Thriller: The Weird Tailor (1961), which aired on October 16, 1961.

Geoffrey Bayldon was cast at the 11th hour to replace Spike Milligan who dropped out before shooting began.

In segment 3, "Lucy Comes to Stay," there is no rearview mirror in the Jaguar XJ6 driven by George when he first brings Barbara home.

Peter Cushing (Smith) and Herbert Lom (Byron) both played Professor Van Helsing in films starring Christopher Lee as Count Dracula: Cushing in "Horror of Dracula (1958)," "Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972)" and "The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973)" and Lom in "Count Dracula (1970)." Cushing also played the role in "The Brides of Dracula (1960)" and "The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires (1974)," in which Lee did not appear.

Keith Barron, Ralph Bates, Tom Adams, Michael Jayston, and Martin Jarvis were considered for the role of Dr. Martin, which went to Robert Powell.