hyped garbage

Good concept, poorly executed.

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Now I just got done watching this off of Netflix and felt the need to say a few words on it. It isn't a bad film, but it isn't a film I'd say you have to go out and buy. If I had bought this on DVD and spent more than 5 dollars on it I would have been a bit disappointed in myself, but its not a bad film to watch if you happen to go passed it or just on something like Netflix. Robert Patrick, plays a detective, good at going undercover and uncovering hidden truths, after the death of a friend at a mental institution, he uses his deep rooted suicidal tenancy to commit himself in hopes of finding out who killed his friend. Robert plays the role well, he is certainly the highlight of the film and the reason I felt invested in the film. The film itself plays with your head a bit, it can be slow moving at times and really picks up when the 3rd act begins. There is another patient in the film, a woman, who seems to be abused by hospital staff. that Robert's character seems to really wanna protect more than anyone else. The only other thing I can really comment on this film is that it has some star power. Besides Robert Patrick, who is best known for T2: Judgment Day and Die Hard 2: Die Harder, we also have Sarah Douglas, who is best known for Superman, Superman II(both cuts)and Conan the Destroyer and Malcolm McDowell, who is known for Clockwork Orange and more recently Rob Zombie's Halloween and Halloween II.

Slightly maladjusted, due to a troubled childhood, private investigator Robert Patrick (as Nicholas "Nick" Tordone) is suspicious when his psychiatrist, Peter Brown (as Frank Meyers), is reported to have hanged himself. Mr. Patrick thinks his shrink, who happened to have been a good friend of his suicidal father, was murdered. So, Patrick goes undercover at the "Fallbrook" insane asylum where Brown worked. There, he meets mental Malcolm McDowell (as Sullivan Rane aka "Doc"), crazy costumed Jason Schombing (as Tommy aka "Captain Destructo"), and Deborah Worthing (as Amanda aka "Mary Pickford").Patrick (as "Magnum") teams up with Mr. Schombing to solve the mystery. Institution head Henry Gibson (as Edward Bellichek) and patient doctor Sarah Douglas (as Emily Hill) are among those considered to be sane. James Seale's "Asylum" seems curiously unattended - patients are free to wander around without much supervision. Additionally, the building has been equipped with loose, human-sized vents for easy escape, spying, or travel - even in a solitary confinement room. This is all more laughable than suspenseful, but the scene where Patrick goes to the edge of the roof is nicely done. Passable on late night TV.**** Asylum (5/6/97) James Seale ~ Robert Patrick, Malcolm McDowell, Jason Schombing, Henry Gibson

If you're the kind that likes watching bad movies (for instance, if you enjoyed "The Postman" in only the most ironic sense), this is a keeper. A ridiculous script is only the start, and you also get Robert Patrick staying in the laxest insane asylum in the world (undercover in the guise of a patient, he seemingly has no problems at all finding access to the staff's private fax machines, computers, satellite dishes, etc.), develops a drippy camraderie with a fellow inmate that leads to some of the more strained, "heartfelt" moments of the film, and a ridiculous character by Acting's own Prince of Ever-Diminishing Returns, Malcolm McDowell. Reviewing this film makes me feel like I'm admonishing the dog for peeing on the rug. "For shame! Bad, bad, bad..."

Cool movie. Robert Patrick is awesome as a suicidal detective who must find his shrink's murderer by going undercover in a psych hospital. Performances were above average for this kind of B-thriller and there were some genuinely creepy moments -- although it could have used a few more. Much more of a drama than a horror film, but a lot better than the usual straight-to-video fare. *** out of ****