Madhouse (2004)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

William Butler

Writers:

William Butler (story)
Aaron Strongoni (story)

Release Date:

30 July 2004 (Italy)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Let the insanity begin.

Plot:

A young psychiatric intern unearths secrets about the mental health facility in which he works.

Plot Keywords:

Ghost | Medication | Escaped Patient | Psychiatry | Electrocution

Cast

Joshua Leonard	...	Clark Stevens
Jordan Ladd	...	Sara
Natasha Lyonne	...	Alice
Lance Henriksen	...	Dr. Franks
Dendrie Taylor	...	Nurse Hendricks
Leslie Jordan	...	Dr. Morton
Patrika Darbo	...	Betty
Christian Leffler	...	Drake
Newell Alexander	...	Dr. Douglas
Dan Callahan	...	Dr. Hendricks
Mark Holton	...	Mr.Hansen
Aaron Strongoni	...	Carl
Todd Stites	...	Trannie
Rosemary Alexander	...	Grace
Muffy Bolding	...	Polly Bond

MPAA:

Rated R for strong horror violence/gore and some sexuality.

Runtime:

Germany:91 min (Fantasy Fim Fest) | UK:87 min (DVD)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Norway:15 | Malaysia:18SG | Iceland:16 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:18A (Ontario) | Canada:R (Manitoba) | Ireland:15 | Australia:MA | Finland:K-15 | Philippines:R-13 | Singapore:M18 | UK:15 | Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Bucharest, Romania

Company:

Lakeshore Entertainment

Trivia:

The drug "Risperdex" mentioned in the movie is reference to the real drug "Risperidon". However, Risperidon is an antipsychotic and not an antidepressant.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Clark reaches out for the bell at the very beginning, he does so with his left hand. In the next shot, he hits it with his right hand.

Functional, if predictable.

There is a twist to this horror tale; all modern horror films seem to be required to have a story twist. I won't tell what it is, but I will say careful viewers will have no trouble figuring it out.

A young grad student arrives at a mental institution to begin his internship and from the start notices that the hospital is not up to standard. Patients are not given proper (sometimes not even humane) treatment, doctors and staff seem uninterested, facilities are nearly defunct, and (of course) the place just might be haunted.

The movement of the film is nice and brisk, with scare scenes coming at a fairly steady pace. The cast is capable and it's nice to have a couple horror regulars on board (Lance Henrickson and Jordan Ladd). The scripting is also adequate, but lacks punch; most everything seen here can be seen elsewhere. And then there is the twist, which while not a 'deal-breaker' will still influence your opinion of the film as a whole.

For some decent and classical scares this works just fine, just don't expect anything new or unique.

7/10