Asylum Reviews

The best of the horror anthologies from Amicus was written by Bloch (from his own stories) and has a surprisingly effective framing story. Set in a madhouse, the movie begins as a new doctor (Powell) receives his first assignment: to identify one of the doctors, who has recently gone mad, from the patients. As he interviews the inmates, their terrifying stories unfold. In the first episode a man (Todd) dismembers his wife and wraps the pieces in paper, which he then places in the freezer. Soon the parts come to life and crawl around seeking revenge. The second story stars Cushing as a grieving father who brings some special cloth to a tailor (Morse) for a suit that will bring his dead son back to life. The third is a tale of schizophrenia, featuring Britt Ekland as the evil half of Charlotte Rampling. And in the final chapter Lom plays an insane inventor who makes tiny robot dolls that murder at his command. The twist ending of the framing story is truly a surprise and makes a great capper to the four eerie tales presented here. Buoyed by a distinguished cast of horror veterans, Bloch's well-written script, and Baker's deft direction, ASYLUM is the most satisfying of the horror anthologies of the 1970s.