Asylum of Satan (1972) User Reviews

Fear evil with this terribly made bloodboiler!

[emm · 3/10 · 26 March 1999]

Get this title into your mind right now: ASYLUM OF SATAN. Why? Because the 70s was known for tons of low budget movies about the worst of both worlds: crowded asylums and Satanic possession. Before watching the movie trailer, I saw the full-length feature. What you get is absolute nonsense. This, being made a couple of years before THE EXORCIST, helped bring in numerous offerings about the Devil. Here, it's same old, same old. Cheap special effects are the excuse for a rotten-apple horror chiller, with rubber snakes and toy bugs taking toll on two innocent lives. Now, I've just seen the trailer, and I would have been better off giving a donation of twenty dollars to film preservation. An interesting note: the warning label on United's copy of the film is mistakenly misleading. Movies such as ASYLUM OF SATAN are junk food for your head. Just add a television set.

Extremely boring Satanic 'horror'

[The_Void · 4/10 · 27 July 2009]

William Girdler made his directorial debut in 1972 with the surprisingly decent exploitation flick Three on a Meathook, and since then basically everything he's directed has gone on to become notorious - though mostly that's because his films are so low quality, not because of any content. That is certainly the case with Asylum of Satan; a mind numbingly bad horror film which features nothing that would shock an audience of young children. The film focuses on a woman who wakes up in asylum, despite her feeling that nothing is wrong with her. The doctor is adamant that she must stay...and it son transpires that there's more to this medical centre than meets the eye. The film is very short; running at under eighty minutes and I am really glad it wasn't longer as the majority of the duration is mind-numbingly boring. The plot basically just plods along for the entire film and the 'twists' to the story do nothing to make the film any more interesting and it gets tiresome quickly. The title does promise an appearance from the dark lord, and the film doesn't disappoint in that respect. It takes a long time to get there, but the ending is at least hilariously campy - the appearance of Satan is memorable for all the wrong reasons, however. Overall, this really is a horrible film and I would recommend it only to hardcore William Girdler fans...if there are any.

Satanists, insane asylums, and William Girdler

[lazarillo · 26 March 2005]

In the 70's there were many films about Satan ("The Exorcist, "The Omen") and many films about insane asylums ("One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest", "The Ninth Configuration"). It's no surprise then that someone would combine them. But it's a testament to the prescient genius of William Girdler--the man, the myth, the legend--that he did so in 1971! Of course, this film is completely inane, but so were all Girdler films, even the ones with big budgets and big stars.

A woman has a nervous breakdown and wakes up in an asylum. She finds it strange (although not nearly as much as she ought to) that all of her fellow patients are dressed in white-hooded robes. Meanwhile, her boyfriend, who looks like "Meathead" from all in the family and is garbed in some of the worst 70's fashions ever witnessed, is trying to rescue her. After being turned away the first time, he comes back with a police detective and discovers that the asylum is abandoned and the doctor he spoke to, Dr. Spector, has been dead 20 years. He's very alarmed, however, when he finds out that the supposedly dead Dr. Spector "was picked up several times for worshiping Satan" (what's the police code on that--a "666"?). Several minor characters are killed for no other reason than to show off some ridiculous-looking special effects (paper bugs, rubber snakes, etc.). As in "Three on a Meathook" there's also a long romantic flashback interlude set to music (because horror fans, of course, are suckers for romantic interludes). Finally though, a guy in a VERY unconvincing Satan mask shows up and we learn that it's not good to offer Satan a non-virgin in a virgin sacrifice (he apparently hates getting beaten to the punch by a guy who looks like "Meathead").

Obviously, this movie is pretty bad, but it almost sneaks into so-bad-it's-good territory. I'd definitely recommend it for fans of satanism, insane asylums, and William Girdler.

Laughably awful, but enjoyable

[willywants · 2/10 · 10 December 2004]

A young woman finds herself held against her will in an eerie mental asylum by the sinister "Dr. Specter" and his masculine-looking assistant, Martine. She begins to suspect that the visions of horror she experiences are not nightmares and that she is due to be sacrificed to The Evil One. A laughably awful film if I've ever seen one, "Asylum of Satan" is highly enjoyable, cheesy trash. Bad acting from everyone, especially the lead actress, a terribly dated score, and the fakest-looking Satan you'll ever see make this steaming pile one worth checking out if you like bad movies. Oh, and the death scene are a stitch! (Apperantly people can die from cockroaches crawling all over them...) My rating for "Asylum of satan"--2/10.

Featuring the Devil Costume from "Rosemary's Baby"

[lovecraft231 · 2/10 · 25 March 2008]

Luciana (Carla Borelli) is sent to a mental institution so she can be treated by the mysterious Dr. Spector (Charles Kissinger.) Specter is doing more than just run the hospital though: He also likes to sacrifice his subjects to Satan.

William ("Grizzly", "The Manitou", "Three on a Meathook") Girdler's debut is something of a chore to sit through. With poor lighting (this is a low budget affair), amazingly overwrought acting, amateurish production values, a plot that's not too original-and that is dated even by the standards of the time, and a hilarious looking Satan in the film's climax (it's actually the Devil Suit from "Rosemary's Baby", only with a tacky mask added to it), there seems to be plenty for fans of camp to enjoy, but in reality it's just a bore.

What's really amusing is that this movie was made in 1975. I say this because at this point, movies like this were largely considered old fashioned. Sure, the fact that Satan is involved is obviously due to the influence of "The Exorcist", but the tacky Monster, below sub par production values, and PG rating were old news in the post "Exorcist" and "Texas Chainsaw" world. The whole thing ends up feeling like it belongs more in 1971 then 1975, and I don't mean that in a good way.

Nick Jolley...Superfly Hero for the Superfly '70's

[wyrrred · 2/10 · 23 March 1999]

This movie...where to begin. A heavily mustached Nick Jolley runs around smoking Slim Jims,wearing plaid bell-bottoms, and telling cops how to do their job. Zombies lose their teeth, Dr. Spector has a glued on beard, the "decapitated head" blinks, there's some sort of wormhole at the end of the film taking you to the beginning for a brief moment...one could go on and on. Put bluntly, this movie is one of the most horrid pieces you could ever hope to avoid. But after a while, you kind of start liking it! One might wonder why Nick Jolley wasn't in anything else. This film puts all questions to rest

Nick Jolley: The Man, The Mustache, The Dream

[DoctorForrester · 1/10 · 2 March 2003]

If you enjoy the 70's, bell-bottoms, fake beards, Creepy Crawlers, or shoving a red hot needle in your eye then this is your movie! I, on the other hand, simply enjoy making fun of it.

It is simply bad. If it's not women being attacked by Creepy Crawlers and rubber snakes, it's a zombie who can't keep his Halloween teeth in his mouth. The lighting, sound, and sets are horrible (you can clearly see that Lucina's doctor and Dr. Specter's offices are the same friggin' room!) And the acting... oh the acting!

Of all the "actors" in Asylum, one stands out above the rest. One man whose blandness out-shines all the others. He likes his clothes groovy, his cars mustard yellow, and his hair, side-burns and mustache big... really really big. This man is Nick Jolley. He alone is worth seeing this movie for. I'm not saying he's talented. Far from it. He's just so bad, he's funny.

I would truly recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys watching really bad films and cracking-wise a la MST3K. It hurts, but with a few well-placed jokes and a few good friends to share them with, it goes down much easier.

Tacky PG rated "horror" film

[preppy-3 · 1/10 · 27 August 2006]

Lucina Martin (Carla Borelli) finds herself in Pleasant Hill. It's a sanitarium she was put in after a breakdown she was told happened to her but she can't remember. She find she can't leave--she's locked in her room and the sinister Dr. Specter (Charles Kissinger) won't let her go. Her boyfriend Chris (Nick Jolley) comes to see her but isn't let in. It turns out she's to be sacrificed to Satan...or something. I fell asleep to be honest.

Perfectly boring, stupid horror movie. It's badly acted (Jolley is the worst), directed and edited. Lousy lighting too--I couldn't make out what was going on a few times. The script is just silly too. The special effects are laughable--I got a BIG kick of the obvious fake rubber spiders used in one scene. It all ends up with some idiot in one of the most ridiculous costumes I've ever seen playing Satan! It's padded too, even at just 78 minutes, with a pointless and silly montage of Lucina and Chris to show their "love" for each other. And wait until you see actor Kissinger in drag (!!!) playing Martine! And Jolley wears some of the worst 1970s clothes I've ever seen.

Maybe I'm being a little too hard on this. It was made on no budget and, by all accounts, everybody went out of their way to do as good a job as possible with no money. Still it sadly doesn't work. Director William Girdler did go on the bigger and better things--so to speak. He later did "Grizzly" and "The Manitou". These were hardly classics but much better than this. A 1 all the way.

Fun amateur horror film...an obvious labor of love. (Revised review)

[InjunNose · 7/10 · 31 July 2005]

I don't know much about William Girdler (I've seen only one other film that he directed, "Three on a Meathook", which wasn't nearly as entertaining as this one), but it's obvious that he put a lot of heart into "Asylum of Satan". Remember the horror movie you wanted to make when you were a kid? Well, Girdler made it for you. The plot is thin: a beautiful concert pianist (Carla Borelli of "Days of Our Lives" and "Another World") suffers a minor breakdown and ends up at an old, scary-looking asylum in the country, where she hears sinister chanting and has a number of extremely vivid nightmares. What's going on at Dr. Jason Specter's Pleasant Hill Sanitarium? You'll have to find out for yourself! While most of the cast fails to impress, Charles Kissinger (as Dr. Specter) makes a good bargain-basement Vincent Price. Nick Jolley must have known even at the time that he was delivering a stupendously awful performance as the heroine's hot-tempered, houndstooth-clad boyfriend, and a couple of the bit players--Mimi Honce as another patient at the asylum and Jack Peterkin as the physician who reluctantly transfers Borelli to Kissinger's house of horrors for "special treatment"--recite their lines in the corny, mock-dignified cadences of daytime TV, suggesting that Girdler plucked them from the same talent pool as his female lead. (Honce sounds like she's doing a Correctol commercial, and Peterkin reveals, in unintentionally hilarious fashion, a gaping continuity error in the script: he says he warned Borelli a year earlier that she was overworked and, literally in the next breath, splutters that "she's only been under my care a short while!") To a great extent, "Asylum of Satan" works because of its imperfections, not in spite of them--and, believe it or not, is formidably eerie in spots. Watch this film a few times and you'll develop a soft spot in your heart (or your head) for it ;)

Nick Jolley is the greatest actor of all time...

[51DeepChris · 5/10 · 24 July 2001]

It is amazing how much this film sucks... The special effects are ground-breaking and I must say, the acting is the best I've seen in 27 years! Nick Jolley stars as some lady's boyfriend and his acting is pure-genious... When you see this film, watch the big fight scene he's in, it is flabber-gasting. Dr. Spectre is by far one of the best villians I've seen since Kevin Spacey in se7en. Rent, Buy, Or Steal this movie right away before you die...

Special guest appearance by Satan the Dark Lord himself!

[Coventry · 6/10 · 7 October 2023]

What is with me and not being able to write harsh things about William Girdler movies? "Asylum of Satan" is a pretty bad film, and so are a few other of Girdler's movies, but I just can't help loving and enjoying everything that I watch of his work. It's probably because a) I admire the spirit and enthusiasm there clearly is present in every piece of work that he delivered, and b) simply because I have tremendous respect for the work rhythm and versatility demonstrated throughout his tragically too short career as a writer/director.

In barely five years, between 1972 and 1977, he directed no less than 9 (nine!) movies, some of which are righteously considered as semi-classics of the horror genre ("Grizzly", "The Manitou"), and all of which are massively entertaining ("Three on a Meathook", "Abby", "Day of the Animals", ...). I don't care what anyone says, that is simply astonishing for a guy who died suddenly in a helicopter crash a few months after his 30th birthday. Like with Michael Reeves, that other multi-talented director who died far too young, I often wonder what other potentially stupendous horror projects William Girdler would have given us if he kept on living.

"Asylum of Satan" is Girdler's debut - or released simultaneously with "Three on a Meathook" - and, simply put, a laughably inept but pleasantly deranged and entertaining slice of low-budget exploitation trash. Girdler mixes a couple of themes that were hugely popular in the early 70s, like mad doctors, Satan-worshipping cults, and horror stories set in insane asylums. The simple synopsis revolves around a beautiful young singer who gets committed to the private asylum of Dr. Spector allegedly following a mental breakdown, but it quickly turns out she was targeted all along as the ideal virgin to sacrifice to Satan during a ritual ceremony in the basement of the asylum. The plot is thickened via the girl's lover (who wears ridiculously hideous outfits) unsuccessfully persuading the local police there are fishy things going on inside the asylum, two grotesquely staged murder sequences (involving rubber cockroaches and snakes in a pool), and a hilarious dual role for Charles Kissinger as the evil doctor with a nasty goatee and his own ugly drag assistant Martine. Oh yeah, and top-of-the-bill, Satan himself makes an appearance near the end as the guest of honor during the ceremony! I promise you, once you'll see how Lucifer is depicted here, the image of the devil will never frighten you again!

Hell yes, "Asylum of Satan" is poorly made, terribly acted, roughly edited and occasionally quite boring, but it's a flick that I love and will defend till my dying day.

All hail Girdler

[BandSAboutMovies · 5/10 · 16 August 2021]

Prior to his death in a helicopter crash in Manila, Philippines, in January 1978, while scouting locations for his next film project (a Star Wars response known as The Overlords), writer-director William Girdler was a driven, prolific filmmaker who shot nine features in six years between 1972 to 1978. His final film was the Tony Curtis-starring The Manitou (1978). His debut was this shot-in Louisville, Kentucky, response to Rosemary's Baby (1968), which deals with the head of a mental hospital who sidelines as a Satanic priest. Girdler's most infamous film, his second, earned its notoriety courtesy of its later 80s VHS shelf life: Three on a Meathook.

Those films impressed Samuel Z. Arkoff enough, so he hired Girdler to direct pictures for American International Pictures. Those three projects were Blaxploitation pictures: the first is The Zebra Killer (1973) starring Austin Stoker (Assault on Precinct 13), the ever-amazing Abby (1974) with William H. Marshall (Blacula), and the Quentin Tarantino favorite Sheba, Baby (1975).

Girdler's next film was a ripoff of the more successful and better known James Caan-starrer, The Killer Elite (1975), known as Project: Kill (1976), which also served as one of the few non-comedy films of Leslie Neilsen (The Patriot). Then he followed with his most financially successful film - which was another ripoff, this time, Jaws - only with a man-eating bear, known as Grizzly (1976). Christopher George returned from that film for the loose, man-verses-nature sequel, Day of the Animals (1977) - which also starred Leslie Neilsen from Project: Kill. Girdler's final film was his most expensive production - and the best-looking production of his career: a truly original piece based on a best-selling book, The Manitou, even though it was a cash-in on The Omen.

But hey - Asylum of Satan cost around $50,000 and doesn't look like it: the basement bowels of the Satanic chapel under the "hospital" is surely a wonder of costuming and lighting, so we'll forgive the papier-mâché head of the Devil when he appears. Lucina Martin (San Francisco born Carla Borelli, later of Billy Jack Goes to Washington and O. C. and Stiggs) gets assigned at the titled abode and learns that she'll soon be taking part in a Black Mass which has Michael Aquino, the man who wrote the rituals in The Satanic Bible, to ensure the accuracy. Except that, you know, LaVey and even Temple of Set Satanists don't kidnap and kill. It is, of course, the type of Satanic movie your less-informed, ignorant self - drunk on a wealth of UHF-TV era Hammer and Amicus films - would make, complete with naked, bound up girls on altars, which makes this movie such a fun, retro-watch.

The film stock that was left over from this went towards making Girdler's next film, Three on a Meathook. If anything, Girdler knew how to make movies on a budget - and he wrote and arranged the music for the two songs - performed by the Blues Express - that appeared in the film. Girdler also wrote the music for his next film - also performed by his friend, Eddie "Eddie D" Dempley with the band American Xpress - in Three on a Meathook.

Girdler's Screen Debut. It's not that bad.

[eddy-28 · 30 June 2000]

So William Girdler's screen debut was running a little slow through 1972 but it's not all that bad! Charles Kissinger is a great actor in which he later appeared in almost of all of Girdler's other films. Nick Jolley superfly hero of the 70's appears also wondering why he was'nt in anything else. ASYLUM OF SATAN is a good film about a girl taken hostage to the Asylum were doctor's zombies and critters run wild! Kissinger plays Satan himself. Give ASYLUM OF SATAN a shot if you are a big fan of Girdler's films. Yes the film is very violent with way too much sex, but hey it's still worth watching.

Well, everyone has to start somewhere

[Woodyanders · 4/10 · 19 October 2016]

The sweet and fragile Lucina Martin (an appealing portrayal by gorgeous brunette Carla Borelli) gets sent to a psychiatric hospital after suffering from a nervous breakdown. Unbeknownst to Lucina, said hospital proves to be a front for a group of devil worshippers who plan on making her their next sacrifice.

While Do-It-Your indie filmmaker William Girdler's debut feature isn't a classic by any stretch of the imagination, it nonetheless still doesn't count as a complete stinker either. Okay, this movie does suffer from plodding pacing, a meandering narrative, and one of the silliest Satans you'll ever see in a low-budget 70's fright flick, but director/co-writer Girdler nonetheless manages to craft a few decent moments of reasonably spooky atmosphere, stages the murder set pieces with a modicum of flair, and brings a certain endearingly clunky sincerity to the goofy proceedings that's impossible to dislike. The acting from the non-star cast is decidedly hit or miss: Nick Jolley makes for a singularly insipid and unprepossessing hero, Charles Kissinger handles his juicy dual role as both a sinister shrink and a mysterious nurse with tremendous theatrical aplomb, Louis Brandy injects plenty of fire-breathing brio to his supporting part as the huffy Lt. Tom Walsh, and Sherry Steiner fails to convince as an ostentatiously blind woman. Girdler's funky-throbbing score hits the right-on groovy spot. An okay time-waster.

If you thought plan 9 from outer space was bad...

[ChuckD-3 · 1/10 · 3 June 1999]

..it would have won 10 oscars compared to this turkey! I have only one thing to say about this film. BAD!!!

ah, yes...

[BlackBalloon · 1/10 · 21 June 2001]

Everything you'd expect from a film with this title...nothing. I THINK I remember a woman in a weird house with a cafeteria with guys in white hooded robes staring at soft-boiled eggs on the tables... I remember the mustachioed guy and some painful-to-watch love scenes with said Village Person... I rented this years ago at a Blockbuster. I actually thought I was in for something remarkable- yes, I was duped by the box at a tender young age. I don't remember any sex, violence or nudity in this. Are there (*shudders*) multiple versions out there?? The copy I rented wasn't prerecorded, so I tacked on a little bit of a Disney animal movie on to the end there as a protest. If you have that tape, e-mail me. Look for the credit acknowledging the Church of Satan.

Asylum of Satan review

[JoeytheBrit · 4/10 · 21 April 2020]

A young musician finds herself locked in an insane asylum in which she is to be offered up as a sacrifice to Satan. Godawful low-budget horror which at least offers some glimpses of talent from its 25-year-old director, William Girdler. The acting is appalling, the production values zero, the images grimy - and the devil is about as scary as a Muppet. Girdler showed potential, but its unlikely that his tragic early death robbed cinema of a major talent.

Oh... it's just BAD!

[SSJTrunks · 2/10 · 25 March 1999]

I am ashamed to say I have seen this movie. And more than once. Why? I guess I'm just a sucker for pain. But really, Nick Jolly? Where did they find this guy? For that matter, where did they find any of these people? I'd say "Asylum of Satan" should be burned, but it's just too much fun to make fun of a la MST3K (who, by the way, would have a field day with this stink-burger!).

Is Satan in the Asylum?

[Oslo_Jargo · 6/10 · 19 November 2022]

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

*Plot and ending analyzed*

Asylum of Satan (1972)

Asylum of Satan is a fun little horror film. If you are accustomed to these types of 1970's regional features, then I am sure you know the routine.

A low budget will mean that the monsters will not be up to par for some exigent individuals. I found the demon at the end quite creepy and effective.

The film stock is also effective, since it is faded and lacks clarity. This adds to the hallucination of the protagonist.

I really enjoy these types of movie features.

See also:

Enter the Devil (1972), Messiah of Evil (1973), and The Brides Wore Blood (1972).

A Hospital Where Patients Go to Die

[Uriah43 · 3/10 · 21 February 2023]

This film begins with an unconscious woman named "Lucina Martin" (Carla Borelli) being transferred by ambulance from her normal hospital to one that specializes in treating those who have suffered from nervous breakdowns. At least, that is what she is told when she finally regains consciousness. Even so, she is quite perplexed to be there and--since she feels quite fine--immediately demands to be released. To her consternation, however, she is quickly subdued and sedated. Upon awakening, she eventually gets to meet the physician in charge of the hospital, "Dr. Jason Specter" (Charles Kissinger) who rather sternly tells her that she is to remain hospitalized until her condition improves. Meanwhile, Lucina's fiancé, "Chris Duncan" (Nick Jolley) has become increasingly concerned about her transfer to another hospital and upon some quick research learns several things about Dr. Specter that only serves to fuel his suspicions that something is dreadfully wrong. What he doesn't realize, however, is that Lucina has been abducted by a group of Satanists and that she is about to be sacrificed to the Devil himself. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this film had an interesting plot, but it was greatly limited by the cheap sets and some rather bad acting--especially on the part of Louis Bandy (as "Lt. Tom Walsh"). Likewise, the costume used to personify Satan was extremely ridiculous as well. That being said, while I realize that this was an extremely low-budget production which, in and of itself, might merit some consideration in that regard, I still have difficulty rating it any higher than I have. Below average.

Earnestly made & earnestly enjoyable despite a low budget and rough spots

[I_Ailurophile · 6/10 · 4 September 2023]

Given a relatively abbreviated runtime, this doesn't waste much time before giving us abnormal goings-on, and just as much to the point, it launches us directly into the plot as protagonist Lucina suddenly finds herself awakening in the institution. Given an obvious low budget, the nature of those abnormal goings-on are relatively low-key and demure except in select, judicious instances. Given either the inexperience of the actors, the inexperience of filmmaker William Girdler so early in his brief career, or perhaps both, one might well observe distinct rough edges all throughout. It's not that anything is abjectly bad here, including the performances, only that the limitations of the production are evident from every corner. With all this having been said, the scenario presented to us is certainly sufficient to catch our attention and find out what exactly is going on, and for all the weaknesses and lack of resources that we observe, more than not it's suitably well made within its tenor. It's safe to say that 'Asylum of Satan' is far from a premier title, and it's probably best reserved for those who will watch anything and enjoy seeking out the far reaches of genre cinema. It's worthwhile on its own merits even as it is, however, and something comparatively light and uninvolved for a quiet day.

Girdler had access to some fine filming locations. While the sets and and costume design reflect a fairly spartan ethos in keeping with what the production had available to it, when more effort is applied toward dressing those sets - and above all toward elements like stunts, effects, and makeup - the result is just swell, if modest. Why, "effort" is a key word here; in every way it's evident that all involved had little to work with, barely above the level of "home movie," but they put their best foot forward to create this small genre flick. I won't lie, some of the constraints this faced and the subsequent shortcomings do make for a troubled viewing experience, especially when it comes to poor lighting, some deficient editing, and overall low production values. Yet I see what the feature tried to be, and the energy that everyone put into it, and I don't think it's expressly bad, just hampered in terms of what it could achieve. To the same degree that some moments are decidedly weaker, there are also some scenes that are admirably well done, obviously demonstrating instances for which resources were kept in reserve. True, there is also some broad unevenness in the storytelling, yet more than not I appreciate what Girdler, his cast, and his crew sought to do with 'Asylum of Satan.'

There's nothing so special about this as to demand viewership, and it bears repeating that the low-budget nature of the picture places substantial upper limits upon it. For what it is, however, I think there's a lot to like here, and for my part I'm rather pleased with the end result. Again, leave this for the curious and the diehard genre fans, but if you do have the chance to check out 'Asylum of Satan,' I think it's a fine example of what enterprising filmmakers can achieve with only a few dollars and a lot of heart and imagination.

A Pointless Film Not Worthy Of Your Time... Do Not Watch...

[P3n-E-W1s3 · 3/10 · 3 May 2020]

This is a pointless film. Some may say most horror films are meaningless, that I would seriously argue against. However, this story doesn't even have a standpoint.

After watching "Three On A Meathook" I gave William Girdler another glance. Unfortunately, Girdler and his team cannot deliver a film half as good as the previous one - and that wasn't too great. Most directors and writers learn as they go along as to what pleases their audience.

The idea behind "Meathook" was a good man driven to madness by committing heinous acts for love. "Asylum For Satan" is just that an Asylum For Satan. Neither Girdler nor the other writers delve any deeper than that. It's not a story of good versus evil, or girl meets boy, or the lunatics taking over the asylum. Not having a solid basis lets the film down immensely. From the title alone I can envisage a dozen or more ways the film could have gone - and I bet you can too. All of which are better than this.

Girdler even lets himself down in the direction stakes. He overcooks a lot of the scenes. The greatest of which is Lucina at her hospital room's window. One looking out over the grounds at the white-robed, wheelchair-bound patients. Then trying to get her fiances attention by banging on the glass. There's nothing innovative or entertaining about these segments and they play too long.

He also throws in some strange "dreamlike" sequences, which only confuse and lessen the film. The worst being the dining room scene. One moment Lucina is chatting with the other patients, and suddenly they're wheeled away. She's now left alone at the table while the strange white-robed patients sit around her at other tables. One tries to get up from their wheelchair and falls to the ground. She screams, but in the next instant, they're gone. The tables overturned and chairs cast about. There's no reason or explanation for the incident. What a sham.

In "Meathook" I waxed on about Charles Kisinger's acting. I take it back. In this film, he plays three roles. The evil doctor Jason Spector and his assistant Martine Williams (that's right, he's in drag) and the groundskeeper. Regrettably, his female voice must have been so bad they dubbed him. These multiple characters only hinder the film. For when he's in the guise of Martine and the groundskeeper, he is clean-shaven. Though, as the doctor, he sports a full goatee - moustache and beard. On close up, these are evidently fake. So you get to thinking of why he goes to such lengths. Girdler never addresses these issues.

Carla Borelli who plays Lucina and Louis Bandy as Lieutenant Tom Walsh are the only members of the cast who appear to give a fig. Everybody else just turns up, gives their lines, and buggers off - even the Devil. Borelli and Bandy aren't great, but they are decent. They even raise the film a tad and make it less boring.

It's at this point I have to mention Asylum gives the world the worst Devil ever. The poor chap looks as though he's constructed from papier-mâché, with toilet roll eyes... by a ten-year-old kid. It could easily be a reject science project.

I cannot recommend this film to anyone. It's pointless. Boring. And badly filmed. Watch "Three On A Meathook" instead. That too isn't great, but it's more digestible than this offering.

Ratings: Story 0.5 : Direction 0.75 : Pace 0.5 : Acting 1 : Enjoyment 0.5 : Total 3.25

Cast a spell and transport yourself across to my Absolute Horror list and see where this uninteresting horror plummeted to.

Take Care and Stay Well.

Ah, There's Nothing Like "Home-Grown"!...

[filmwolf-2 · 16 September 2002]

I have to start off by saying that I'm a little biased in favor of this movie, being that director William Girdler was a native of Louisville and that the film was shot here. The movie is fairly run-of-the mill 70's drive-in fare, with stretches of talky dialogue, leading actresses who can't act and a monster/creature that doesn't QUITE live up (or should that be "down"?) to it's billing. Strangely enough, the film's odd sense of pacing does lend itself to some semi-creepy scenes (like the "flashback" in the dining room) and in parts, is vaguely reminiscent of the original "Carnival of Souls". And I have to conclude by saying what a treat it was to see the late, great, local horror-film host Charlie Kissinger, playing Doctor Spectre AND his head nurse "Martine". (yes, you read it, right, he was in DRAG...)

FilmWolf

Murder in the madhouse.

[BA_Harrison · 4/10 · 22 March 2021]

William Girdler was never a great director, but he did give us a handful of entertaining B-movies before his life was tragically cut short by a helicopter crash in 1978. Asylum of Satan, however, is not one of them, being a muddled and rather wearisome occult horror/thriller, the scariest thing about the movie being the hideous fashion sense of its hero Chris Duncan (Nick Jolley), whose wardrobe includes a range of loud checked jackets and even louder checked flared trousers (thankfully, not worn together: I think my eyeballs would have exploded if that had happened).

Duncan arrives on the scene after his fiancé - overworked and stressed singer Lucina Martin (Carla Borelli)- is transferred from general hospital to the Pleasant Hill asylum, where she is put under the care of sinister Dr. Specter (Charles Kissinger) and his creepy assistant Martine (also Kissinger, in drag). Unable to visit Lucina, concerned Duncan goes to the police for help; meanwhile, Specter kills several of his patients in preparation for a Satanic ritual to summon the devil, with Lucina lined up as the final sacrifice.

The film's hilariously bad highlights are the two killings (death by fire extinguisher/rubber bugs, and death by snakes in a swimming pool), Lucina consenting to have her back washed in the bath by Martine, and the appearance of Satan himself (a man in a crap mask) during the final act. With a few more unintentionally funny scenes like these, the film could have been a lot of schlocky fun; instead, it is quite the bore for much of the time, focussing instead on Duncan's attempts to convince surly cop Lt. Tom Walsh (Louis Bandy) that something is rotten in the state of Kentucky.

4/10

N.B. The Church of Satan were technical consultants for the film; I wonder if they approved the papier-maché likeness of their deity at the end.