Back when video stores were open you’d find all sorts of
unknown movies on their shelves, in particular plenty of horror films that had
no chance to be found at most multiplexes. These films were made with heart,
zero funds and in some cases knowing that their best bet was going straight to
video. Some companies made their money off of movies made for the video market
and others got their start that way. The movies were usually not that great,
featured plenty of gore/effects and were enjoyed more for their entertainment
value than their cinematic achievements.
One such movie had the promise of being something that
gorehounds were going to adore. The cover featured the staples of movies of
this sort, a combination of a malformed murderous killer and women in bikinis.
Those two items alone meant that teens and horror fans knew the film would
contain all the elements that they were looking for while perusing the aisles
and shelves of mom and pop’s video store. Yes, DOOM ASYLUM provides everything
you expect.
The movie opens with lawyer Mitch Hansen (Michael Rogen) and
his girlfriend Judy LaRue (Patty Mullen) cruising down the road celebrating his
latest victory that landed her millions. While celebrating he ignores that road
and looks up to see another car coming and crashes resulting in his being badly
hurt and Judy dead. The bodies taken to the morgue the coroner and his
assistant begin to do their autopsy on Mitch when his body twitches and he sits
up. Disfigured both by the wreck and the already started autopsy and driven mad
by the death of Judy he kills the pair.
Fast forward 10 years to a group of teens are driving down
the same road in search of good time. The group consist of Kiki the daughter of
Judy (both roles played by Petty Mullen), her dim boyfriend Mike (William Hay),
Dennis (Kenny L. Price) a baseball car collecting nerd, Darnell (Harrison
White) our token black actor and obviously the first to be killed following
slasher film doctrine and Jane (Kristin Davis) the philosophy spouting psych major
who analyzes everything. And yes, Jane is played by THE Kristin Davis who went
on to fame in SEX AND THE CITY. The group is heading to visit the site of
Kiki’s mother’s demise to help her get over her past. But they are the least
sympathetic group one can find. Mike is unable to make a decision, Jane just
complains, Darnell is just out for a good time and Dennis is just card
obsessed.
They show at the asylum where the coroner used to operate.
Legend has said that it’s haunted and that the man who killed the coroner and
his assistance still roams the halls. What they find instead is a female punk
rock trio practicing in the building led by shrieking vocalist Tina (Ruth
Collins). Yes, somehow the power is still running through this condemned and
run down building. The two groups are more combative that comingled with the
exception of the drummer being attracted to Darnell.
Kiki’s group picnics on the grounds, gets water bombed by
the punk trio and Darnell sets out to tell them off and get some face time with
the drummer. Which of course he does so alone setting him up to be the first
kill of the film. Yes, Mitch is still roaming the halls, scarred with chunks of
skin missing and tendons exposed in what looks more like a mask than individual
pieces of makeup. From there the stereotypical moves take place with
individuals walking off on their own in spite of the danger to look for those
who went off before. The body count rises and the inevitable face time between
Mitch and the Judy lookalike Kiki happens close to the end.
So is the movie good or bad or so bad it’s good? The answer
is yes. It’s bad in that the acting on display here for the most part is
terrible but how could it be any better with the dialogue provided. The effects
offer an incredibly watered down blood and obvious looking stand ins for
appendages. It’s good in that some of the terrible dialogue being spoken is
hilarious. The jokes work on a lower level (including one subversive punk
rocker being killed admitting she voted for Reagan) and the performance by
Rogen is so over the top as to be amusing. The movie also doesn’t take itself
seriously as if all those involved knew this was not going to be a great movie
but decided to throw everything at the wall anyway. The movie is not quite one
of those so bad it’s good films but comes incredibly close. Honestly it’s a bit
better than those types of films. It takes the checklist for slasher films and
knocks off each item on that list one by one. The movie is textbook slasher and
fans of the genre will not care if the dialogue is Shakespeare like or not. The
movie is made for fun, not enlightenment.
Arrow Video is releasing the film to blu-ray for the first
time. Unsurprisingly they’re presenting it in the best possible way ever which
they do on a consistent basis. The movie looks great with a brand new 2k
restoration from the original camera negative. If that wasn’t enough the film
is presented in two formats, a 1:85:1 ratio or a 1:33:1 version which means
pillarboxed or theatrical size on your screen. Extras include archival
interviews with producer Alexander W. Kogan, director Richard Friedman and
production manager Bill Tasgal, MORGUES AND MAYHEM a brand new interview with
special make-up effects creator Vincent J. Guastini, MOVIE MADHOUSE a brand new
interview with director of photography Larry Revene, TINA’S TERROR a brand new
interview with actress Ruth Collins, a brand new audio commentary track with
screenwriter Rick Marx, a stills gallery, a reversible sleeve featuring
original and newly commissioned artwork by Justin Osbourne and for the first
pressing only a fully illustrated collectors booklet featuring new writing by
Amanda Reyes. As I said, Arrow offerings always seem to provide more bang for
the buck than you would expect even exists for movies like this.
Fans of video stores and horror hounds need to pick this one
up. Gorehounds need to add this to their collections. And everyone else might
want to give this one a look and just have fun with it provided you start with
low expectations. Doing so means you just might get a laugh or two out of the
film and have some fun.
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