Asylum (1972 horror film)
Asylum (also released in the U.S. as House of Crazies) is a 1972 British horror anthology film from Amicus Productions. It was directed by Roy Ward Baker and features an ensemble cast led by Peter Cushing, Britt Ekland, Robert Powell, Herbert Lom, Barry Morse and Patrick Magee. The screenplay, by Robert Bloch, adapts four of his own short stories. The framing story follows a new doctor arriving at a secluded asylum run by the stern warden Lionel Rutherford, who believes that mentally ill patients cannot be cured. Rutherford challenges the doctor to identify which patient is Dr. B. Starr, a former head of the asylum who has become an inmate after a breakdown. An orderly named Max Reynolds shows the doctor around, but is told not to reveal clues.
The film comprises four tales told by the patients:
1) A Home Away from Home: The first patient, Bonnie, is connected to Ruth, a woman who believes in magical forces. Walter, Ruth’s controlling husband, murders Ruth and stores her body parts in a freezer. Ruth’s bracelet brings Ruth back to life, and the disembodied arm attacks Walter. Bonnie is drawn into the chaos, and the authorities later suspect Bonnie of murder. This story is Bloch’s adaptation of his own 1946 Weird Tales tale.
2) The Weird Tailor: Bruno, a former tailor, is hired to sew a magical suit for a mysterious Mr. Smith, who wants the suit finished after midnight to revive a dead son. Smith is killed during a confrontation, and Bruno brings the book and suit home. Bruno’s wife Anna uses the suit to decorate a mannequin named Otto, which comes to life and kills Bruno. Bruno’s story ends with him being deemed insane. This tale is adapted from Bloch’s The Weird Tailor.
3) Barbara: Barbara insists she needs a lawyer, claiming she was wrongly convicted of two murders carried out by her friend Lucy, whom only Barbara can see. Through flashbacks, Barbara’s care, Lucy’s visits, and a mirror showing Lucy’s face, the story reveals manipulation and a thwarted escape. Barbara ultimately questions Lucy’s influence and hints at a split identity.
4) Dr. Byron: Dr. Byron claims to have mastered neurology and reveals a project involving dolls containing miniature organs that can be brought to life by his will. When he transfers his consciousness into a living mannequin, the doll moves through the asylum and kills Rutherford. Dr. Starr, who has been posing as the orderly Max, then throttles the doctor Martin. The film ends with another new doctor arriving and being greeted by the impostor “Max,” suggesting the cycle of murder may begin again.
Production and music: The film was shot at the New Lodge country house near Winkfield, Berkshire. The score was credited to Douglas Gamley, but it also draws heavily on public-domain pieces by Mussorgsky, including Night on Bald Mountain and selections from Pictures at an Exhibition such as Gnomus and The Hut on Hen’s Legs.
Release and reception: In the United Kingdom, Asylum was one of Amicus’s more popular films, and it marked Bloch’s last collaboration with the studio. AllMovie praised it as a solid example of Amicus’s horror anthology work. The film spent years circulating in degraded prints before receiving a deluxe DVD release in 2006 from Dark Sky Films, featuring an audio commentary, behind-the-scenes material, and other extras. Severin Films reissued Asylum in 2017 with additional features, including an interview with Fiona Subotsky, the producer’s widow.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 13:58 (CET).