Asylum of Satan (1972)

This is How Movies Should Be Made

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

it is the rare 'crazy' movie that actually has something to say.

If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

Asylum of Satan (1972)** (out of 4)Lucina (Carla Borelli) wakes up one morning in a mysterious hospital that she doesn't recognize. She asks to see her doctor but she is informed that he's the one who sent her to this hospital for a special treatment. Dr. Spector (Charles Kissinger) promises that the treatment will be quick but what she doesn't realize is that he's actually in a pack with Satan himself and sending him new women.ASYLUM OF Satan comes from Louisville director William Girdler who of course would go onto make some pretty good movies including some blaxploitation titles as well as GRIZZLY before his tragic death in a helicopter crash at the age of thirty. This film here certainly isn't anything special or good but I think it contains proof that the director had a talent and you can watch it and see why he would go on to make better pictures.With that said, one has to wonder what the point was of making a PG- rated exploitation picture. Obviously Satanic themes were quite popular during the early 70s but there's really not too much done with it here. If you're looking for nudity, gore or violence then you're going to be disappointed because there isn't any. There's really nothing too shocking and for an exploitation film the shock value is at zero. The film does have some good stuff and that includes the atmosphere, which is actually quite thick. I thought Girdler perfectly captures the mood and setting of this isolated hospital and I'd argue that the look of the seance was quite good. The Satan costume itself looks pretty silly but it's a fun outfit. I also thought Borelli gave a pretty good performance and certainly a lot better than you typically see in these types of films.ASYLUM OF Satan has a good, catchy title and I'm sure the poster lured people into drive-ins back in the day. The film certainly needed a punch of something because even at just 77-minutes it drags in spots. Still, it's an interesting picture that fans of Girdler should enjoy.

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.

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

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!).