Here we have the classic anthology film written by Psycho author Robert Bloch and produced by Amicus.
Dr. Martin arrives at Dunsmoor, an asylum for the incurably insane, to attend a job interview. He is met by the wheelchair-bound Dr. Rutherford, who presents him with a challenge. The previous head of the asylum, Dr. Starr, had a mental breakdown and has since become a patient in his own asylum. He tells Martin to interview four patients and determine which of them is Dr. Starr. If he correctly guesses, then Rutherford will consider him for the job. Martin then proceeds to interview the patients, who each tell him the story of how they came to be at the asylum.
It’s your traditional Amicus anthology movie. If you’re not familiar with Amicus, I’ll give you a little rundown on them. Founded by two American producers in the early 60s, Amicus competed with Hammer in the British horror market. Although they mainly featured modern-set anthologies as opposed to the gothic horror Hammer became famous for, Amicus also made use of big Hammer stars such as Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, and Michael Gough, along with other known British actors such as Joan Collins and Patrick Magee. They even had Donald Sutherland and Vincent Price.
In Amicus anthologies, they tended to bring a group of characters together who told individual tales about their lives. Asylum is no exception. The four characters share their unrelated stories about the traumatic events that led to their current incarceration. The mystery is the identity of the doctor, who we don’t even know the gender of, taking away information that could narrow it down, which I thought was interesting. The idea is that Martin must decide based on the character’s personality.
The first story is one of love, murder, and voodoo. You know, that old chestnut. Told by Bonnie, she recalls her affair with a wealthy married man.
The second story is undoubtedly the best, since it stars Peter Cushing. A tailor is approached by a man to make him a suit out of an unusual fabric, which he can only work with after midnight.
The third is told by Barbara, who had been released from an asylum just before the incident in her story. Her friend, Lucy, played by Wicker Man actor Britt Ekland, shows up and causes all kinds of problems.
The fourth and final interview by Martin is with Dr. Byron, who has created a small mannequin in his own likeness. His plan is to “will” it to life to do his bidding. You know, like Puppetmaster.
The movie concludes with Martin returning to Rutherford to make his decision about who he thinks Dr. Starr really is. I won’t say anymore, except that it’s a real doozy.
As horror anthologies go, it’s not necessarily the best in the Amicus library, but it has interesting writing from Robert Bloch, with his mystery elements that served so well in Psycho really shining through. Peter Cushing is always a welcome addition to any movie, and Dr. Martin, who was played by British actor Robert Powell (best known for his role in the British medical drama Holby City), does a good job at keeping the film flowing from patient to patient. It’s a shame horror anthologies aren’t as big now. Amicus disbanded in 1977, but one of the founders continued to make movies, including the 1992 movie Lawnmower Man, which was an adaptation of Stephen King’s short story.
Where to watch: Justwatch
Linsey Loves Horror 