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Written and Directed by Starring Presented by 89 minutes |
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INSANITARIUM Review
At first glance, INSANITARIUM looks upon another in the line of Direct To DVD zombie virus movies that try to send a message but in the end just spill a lot of blood and guts for the sake that they can. Upon closer look, it is a very fun and well paced film that will satisfy horror fans, and especially gore fans. Jack (Jesse Metcalfe) has been caring his mentally ill sister but it becomes to much to bear for him. When she attempts suicide, he saves her but she is sent to a mental institution. He soon suspects something is strange as he is denied visitation rights. His solution: pretend to be crazy by being committed himself so he can break both he and his sister out of the asylum. He cuts his chest with a razor and challenges police, where he is arrested and the first part of his plan works to perfection, and we’re only five minutes into the film. Once inside, he is subjected to a doctor (the always excellent Peter Stormare) who is injecting his patients with some kind of super drug that turns them into cannibalistic killers. As more and more patients are turned, it proves more of a struggle for Jack to get his sister out alive. While not necessarily scary, INSANITARIUM is a lot of fun, a modern hybrid of the mad scientist and zombie virus movies that works in several areas. It builds up well and establishes characters, even the patients locked up, very well. As Jack, Jesse Metcalfe is a good lead but does go over the top at times, showing that he does truly care for his sister, who is also well played by Kiele Sanchez. Stormare is a great delight as the mad doctor, showing shades of Christopher Lee as he manipulates his way into conducting these experiments. Stormare has really proven to be an actor who can play a most memorable villain, and while this doesn’t rank amongst FARGO, it’s still an enjoyable and chilling performance. Amongst the patients, Lisa Arturo is good as my ex-girlfriend (literally) and Armin Shimerman very good as a serial killer confined to the hospital, already a cannibal before the experiments (which makes for some very interesting moments). All are game for the material and rise above it, even though there are some silly and over the top moments. The script and direction (his debut) are by Jeff Buhler, who wrote the upcoming THE MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN, and he shows promise as a director, mixing some intense visuals (but not clichéd) with some bright cinematography. The special effects in particular are done well and the blood does indeed fly. There are some scenes that seem out of place (the beheading and mutilation of a cat while in a small park outside the asylum seems weird) but for the most part, the film flows well. The final act of the film in particular kicks ass, supplying the right amount of gore, tension, and thrills. The DVD includes, with other Sony movies, a digital copy for download onto your PC or PSP, and this is one that horror fans wouldn’t mind having in their digital collection. There’s also two featurettes; one focusing on star Metcalfe and writer/director Buhler, the other strictly on the different patients inside the asylum. There is also a nice storyboard gallery comparing the original boards to the final shot. A commentary is missing but not very necessary, as the featurettes provide enough information needed. In all, INSANITARIUM is a fun film that will enjoy a lot of horror fans. Its low budget shows, but this could’ve had a good run in theaters as a balls out, enjoyable horror film which mixes enough sub genres to make it original and interesting. This is a very pleasant surprise and one to check out on DVD. INSANITARIUM: 7 Out Of 10 Maggots
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