Product Details

• Actors: Claudio Brook, Arthur Hansel, Ellen Sherman, Martin LaSalle, David Silva
• Directors: Juan LĂłpez Moctezuma
• Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: Mondo Macabro
• DVD Release Date: February 22, 2005
• Run Time: 88 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0007GP6S8
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #99,847 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "The Mansion of Madness" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Like Jodorowsky's EL TOPO, which features many of the same cast and crew, MANSION is a wild, psychedelic nightmare, imbued with the freewheeling vibe of the late 1960s.

Based on a story by famed horror writer Edgar Allan Poe, the film is set in a kind of kingdom of madness - a huge insane asylum presided over by notorious brigand, Raul Fragonard. He has locked up the institution’s director and set the lunatics free. A visting journalist uncovers the secret behind the Mansion of Madness, but soon finds himself on trial before a host of crazed lunatics - whose ultimate aim is world domination. EXTRAS: Featurette on the film's director (15 mins)

Interview with director Guillermo del Toro (Blade 2; Hellboy) who talks about the film, its director and star Claudio Brook (12 mins)

Original theatrical trailer (4 mins)

Audio options include a Spanish language version with optional English subtitles and an English language version An image gallery consisting of the original material used to promote the film in the US, including posters and stills

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Surreal Entertainment, January 27, 2005

By 

B. M. Kunz (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Mansion of Madness (DVD)

The first entry in the short film career of director Juan Lopez Moctezuma, The Mansion of Madness is a fine example of South of the Border Surrealism, and as such, shares more of a kinship with the works of Alejandro Jodorowsky and Fernando Arrabal, than with Moctezuma's later film (also on DVD) Alucarda. Based in part on Edgar Allan Poe's The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Feather, The Mansion of Madness tells the story of Gaston (Arthur Hansel) who, having recently returned from abroad, travels to an asylum nestled in the heart of a secluded forest. During the opening voice over, Gaston reveals that it was in this remote asylum that his father died, and under the guise of meeting with the head of the institution (a doctor named Maillard who employs unorthodox methods of treatment for patients) Gaston hopes to uncover the mystery shrouding his deceased father. However, this initial motivation is quickly abandoned once Gaston is given a grand tour of the sanitarium by the infamous "Dr. Maillard" (played with psychotic abandon by Claudio Brook) resulting in the discovery that the lunatics are actually running the asylum, and that the real Maillard and his staff are being held captive.
Unlike Alucarda, the premise of The Mansion of Madness provided Moctezuma with a concept in which to explore his Surrealist inclinations, and let his crazed imagination run wild. The film also reveals Moctezuma dabbling with absurd humor, the results of which are quite funny, and again help solidify his association to Surrealism. Although this film marked his directorial debut, Moctezuma's direction seems confident, his artistic vision clear, and he does not display many of the telltale signs of a novice director. In addition, the cinematography is of a high caliber, as are many of the performances from a very large cast. In this type of a story the mise-en-scene is crucial and thankfully the locations are wonderful, helping to create a palpable atmosphere of decay, and yes, madness. Perhaps due to the freewheeling nature of the narrative, the film does tend to lag on occasion. However, there is enough going on throughout to hold the viewer's interest, and the final fifteen minutes (highlighted by inmates performing a synchronized chicken dance) are well worth waiting around for.
This is another fine release from Mondo Macabro, featuring a great film transfer and a Spanish audio track with English subtitles. The handful of extras include - a director bio, the U.S. trailer, an interview with director Guillermo del Toro (also on the Alucarda disc) who discusses Moctezuma and actor Claudio Brook, an essay on the film, a director filmography, and a Mondo Macabro trailer highlighting past, present, and future releases.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars "Euro lunacy and mayhem abound!!!!", April 3, 2009

By 

Stephen Hunt "movofoyo" (Dallas,TX, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dr Tarr's Torcher Dungeon (DVD)

Trapped in the back of every sane fool's mind are visions of insane asylums in the 18th century.Yea right! Well, anyway here it is in full view for everyone to see, and in dull but beautiful color. You know like all those weird dreams you used to have when you ate too much pizza the night before.This ones got a little bit of something for everyone - fist flying , damsels in distress , caged animals that resemble carny nuts, and a mad psychiatrist too ,throw in a midget or two and there you go ! Really fun stuff for the whole family.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Cult Film To Be Treasured And Revered..., September 6, 2010

By 

4-Legged Defender "Anthony C. Rubbo" (ATL. GA.) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Mansion of Madness (DVD)

I can't begin to tell you how much I enjoyed this flick, or how I could have missed it back in the 70's. (I'm betting that US distribution was limited, if indeed it was released here). It's one of those 'Midnight Movies' that should have been playing in Greenwich Village every weekend. It's equal parts (early) Terry Gilliam, A.Jodorowsky, Fernando Arrabel, Luis Bunuel and Ken Russell, with a dash of Fellini added as seasoning. Indelible imagery, acid-psych soundtrack, magnificent lunacy that's as surreal as a Carlos Casteneda novel from the same time period. A peyote-influenced fever dream to be ingested again and again. I enjoyed it a lot more than his other work from Mondo Macabro,'Alucarda', and I did enjoy that one as well. Visit 'The Mansion Of Madness', but don't let the door slam behind you.