With a title like INSANITARIUM you would think it’s just another run of the mill insane asylum movie that has either a ghost story plot or a plot which involves crazies on the run. Well, it does involve crazies on the run, but it also has a Dr. Frankenstein kind of story to it as well. No, I’m not talking about a man building a monster from human body parts but more or less a man trying to perfect a serum that will make his patients even crazier than they already are.
IF you took movies like Frankenstein, Re-Animator and 28 Days Later put them in a blender and mixed them all around, you’d pretty much end up with INSANITARIUM. The story starts off with a guy named Jack ( Jesse Metcalfe) whom acts crazy in an attempt to get himself committed into a local insane asylum where his sister is being kept for trying to kill herself. He is going to try to attempt to break her out because he believes there is something not right with the place. He’s right. A crazy doctor (Peter Stormare) is conducting experiments using a form of super drug on his patients, the problem is that the side effects of the drug make them crazy flesh eating killers. Now Jack and sister must try to escape the asylum before they are subjected to the same fate as the rest of the patients.
I get a lot of direct to video horror films sent to me for review each year, usually the only reason why they go direct to video is because they are not good enough to garnish a theatrical release, but every once in a while we do get a good one, and INSANITARUIM is one of those rare treats. it does have it’s corky and cheesy moments; but the script is very well written and the plot flows very well. The character development is decent, mainly with the lead characters. Some of the supporting cast could of been developed better, but for the most part, the film got it’s point across, even with the plot twists and generic ending.
The films acting is pretty decent, nothing great; but not that bad. Jesse Metcalfe delivers a decent performance in the lead role of Jack. The film also stars screen veteran Peter Stormare as the deranged doctor, His performance was decent as well, but the actors who really stole the show for me in the supporting roles; Especially Molly Bryant who played the mean and crazy Nurse Henderson and Armin Shimerman who played the Hannibal Lector type role of Hawthorne.
In terms of production value, one might say that it all looks pretty basic, and even some scenes in the insane asylum might have a B-movie kind of feel to them, but in a very high class B-movie way. For the most part the sets where pretty much on location ones, dressed up like your normal everyday hospital, however there is one set which was like a area of sorts for the insane where they were in glass cells that almost made each patient seem like lab rats in cages. That was a very unique and unsettling looking set that screamed there was more going on than a bunch of Looney’s being locked up for being nuts. In terms of effects, the film has a lot of blood and gore to go around and there are some scenes that are very violent. I think gore fans will appreciate this one for its violent content and 28 DAYS LATER like scenes.
Overall, INSANITARUIM is probably one of the better direct to DVD films I’ve seen so far this year. The film was written and directed by Jeff Buhler who also wrote the screenplay for THE MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN. For a first attempt at directing, I see a lot of promise in this guy. The DVD is also full of man special features such as a bonus digital copy of the film which can be downloaded for you PSP or on your desktop, deleted scenes, Three featurettes about the making of the film and interviews with the cast and crew, and a Storyboard Gallery and a lot more…. Well worth checking on DVD when it hits rental and retail shelves on on July 15th.
– Horror Bob
- Interview with J.R. Bookwalter - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
