Product Details

• Actors: Paulina Porizkova, Jürgen Prochnow, Judd Nelson, Larry Drake
• Directors: Gregory Gieras
• Format: NTSC, Import, Dolby, Subtitled
• Subtitles: Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Run Time: 93 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B001RBBWAS
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #612,940 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Asylum is a taut psychological thriller about a deranged fearsome killer running lose in an abandoned high security Asylum. Pitting the county psychiatrist Dr. Maggie Belham against the psychotic maniac, Dr Belham is trapped in a maze of corridors, and her only help is the janitor, Quitz who may in fact be a forgotten asylum inmate.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An Entertaining By-The-Numbers B-Movie, November 26, 2005

By 

Robert Meeks (Winchester, KY United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dark Asylum (DVD)

DARK ASYLUM bills itself as a taut psychological thriller. If you are looking for such in this movie, then you will be disappointed. I was looking for nothing more than a slasher type b-movie and DARK ASYLUM delivered the goods. DARK ASYLUM has a basic plot where a serial killer known as the Trasher (Larry Drake) is captured by the police, sustaining a gunshot injury, and is taken to the Crestwood Asylum, which is in the process of being closed down and has only one other patient still left. Maggie Belham (Paulina Porizkova) is called in to do an evaluation of the Trasher before the feds come to pick him up at midnight. The Trasher, however, is not through with his reign of terror as he effects an escape. Being that the floor of the asylum being used has emergency lockdown, Maggie finds herself trapped in an otherwise abandoned asylum with the Trasher on her heels and no one to depend on except for the one patient, the janitor (Judd Nelson), left at the asylum. They must try to survive until the feds arrive, escape, or destroy the Trasher. DARK ASYLUM has strong and weak points. Its strength is in Gieras' taut direction and Drake's portrayal of the Trasher, a character who is a large, menacing killer who is also more than capable of outsmarting his prey. Its weaknesses are a basic plot with nothing more to add and some, at best, half-hearted performances. While Drake and Porizkova deliver on their performances, Nelson performs his role but really does not bring anything to it, other than comic relief. DARK ASYLUM has several edge of your seat moments, doses of humor, and a pace which keeps it moving. If you are looking for an intense and intelligent psychological thriller, you will not find it here. If you just want to sit back and enjoy a by-the-numbers b-movie, then DARK ASYLUM delivers.--Bob

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars good entertainment, May 19, 2010

By 

B. E Jackson (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dark Asylum (DVD)

Dark Asylum is *exactly* as advertised- a woman is trapped inside an insane asylum while a huge overweight crazy man continues to hunt her down.

The entire storyline deals with the woman either trying to escape or attempt to stop the lunatic through somewhat elaborate planning strategies.

Of course since the woman is the star of the film, this means the crazy man never actually kills her immediately unlike all the other poor unfortunate people who happen to step in his way.

Will she survive all the danger she encounters? You have to watch it to find out!

Even though the movie is over 10 years old, it has actually dated pretty well. It doesn't look old or anything. Perhaps the acting skills could have been improved somewhat though. It *does* feel low budget at times with unexceptional conversations taking place more often than not between the main characters. Some of the word choices on the part of the main characters is a bit cheesy.

Is this a solid "edge of your seat" thriller? I'd say so, yeah. Perhaps the lunatic could have been even *crazier* which is what I was expecting. He's still pretty nuts though, don't worry!

I recommend this movie to all action fans.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Just OK........, February 28, 2006

By 

S.M. "horror buff" (Louisiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dark Asylum (DVD)

I bought this movie first, because it claims to be a horror movie and also I love any movie about insane asylums. I've seen much worse movies but this one isn't great by no stretch of the imagination. I must admit that Larry Drake does play the role of a deranged psycho pretty good. He has that psycho look.... bald, evil looking, wearing a straight jacket and all. We find him loose in the asylum with a female psychiatrist trapped there in a maze trying to hide from the psycho! She finds aid in the janitor, played by Judd Nelson ( who is weird himself! ) only to find out he was also an inmate of the looney bin. Not a slasher or gore film. At times, a bit boring, at times not. I'd suggest just Rent it only!!