Asylum (1972)

The Solitary Review

Asylum (1972) is a British anthology movie comprising four stories related to a psychiatrist by the asylum's residents. The opening story is Frozen Fear, in which an adulterous husband murders his wife, dismembers her, wraps the pieces in brown paper, and stores them in the freezer. The frozen pieces proceed to exact revenge on the murderer and his lover. This segment is followed by Weird Tailor, featuring the venerable Peter Cushing as a father devastated by his son's death who delves into the occult to resurrect his child. Our third story is Lucy Comes to Stay which introduces us to a young woman recently released from an institution whose imaginary friend drives her towards murder and mayhem. We finish with Manikins of Horror wherein a former doctor believes he can construct and control tiny robots.          All four of the segments are done very well. The actors are good. The direction is good. But none stands out from the others. If I had to pick a favorite, it would be Lucy Comes to Stay. Britt Eckland's turn as the imaginary friend is perfect.          Horror anthologies like Asylum can succeed or fail based on the premise used to introduce the stories. Asylum stands out with a premise that actually allows the stories to be told rather than forcing the stories into a framework. In the sub-genre of horror anthologies I believe Asylum ranks near the top and fans of this type of movie should most certainly include this one on their watch lists.

MOVIE INFO 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, and 4) a man who builds tiny toy robots with lifelike human heads. Rating: PG Genre: Horror Directed by: Roy Ward Baker Written by: Robert Bloch In theaters: Nov 17, 1972 On DVD: Jul 25, 2006 Runtime: 88 minutes Studio: Amicus Productions Links: IMDB Rotten Tomatoes My Rating: 6.00 / 10.00

ACTOR	ROLE
Barbara Parkins	Bonnie (segment: "Frozen Fear")
Richard Todd	Walter (segment: "Frozen Fear")
Sylvia Syms	Ruth (segment: "Frozen Fear")
Peter Cushing	Smith (segment: "The Weird Tailor")
Barry Morse	Bruno (segment: "The Weird Tailor")
Ann Firbank	Anna (segment: "The Weird Tailor")
John Franklyn-Robbins	Stebbins (segment: "The Weird Tailor")
Britt Ekland	Lucy (segment: "Lucy Comes to Stay")
Charlotte Rampling	Barbara (segment: "Lucy Comes to Stay")
James Villiers	George (segment: "Lucy Comes to Stay")
Megs Jenkins	Miss Higgins (segment: "Lucy Comes to Stay")
Herbert Lom	Byron (segment: "Mannikins of Horror")
Patrick Magee	Dr. Rutherford (segment: "Mannikins of Horror")
Geoffrey Bayldon	Max (segment: "Mannikins of Horror")
Robert Powell	Dr. Martin (segment: "Mannikins of Horror")
Sylvia Marriott	Asylum Head Nurse (segment: "Mannikins of Horror")
Daniel Johns	Otto the Dummy (segment: "The Weird Tailor") (as Daniel Jones)
Frank Forsyth	Asylum Gatekeeper (segment: "Mannikins of Horror")
Tony Wall	New Houseman (segment: "Mannikins of Horror")