Asylum (1996)

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Formats

VHS - NTSC

Pictures

Summary

     Malcolm stars in a dual role. One is the crazy Doc, with wild black hair, a hideous cough, a Brooklyn accent and blood on his mask. This is to hide his true character, escaped serial killer Sullivan Raine. He cuts up 11 people and is put away and escapes. BUT it's not what everyone thinks. He hasn't gone anywhere, he's just living in the walls.
    The story centers around Nicholas, played by Robert (The evil Terminator in T2) Patrick. He plays a thirty something clinically depressed private investigator. He has been suicidal ever since he saw his father, a cop, kill himself. He wanted to be on the LAPD, but failed the physiological exam. Frank is his doctor and the only one he trusts. After going to see him, he learns the next day that he has hung himself. He knows that this can't be so he goes in the asylum to see what he can learn. He finds out the hospital has been covering up the fact that three patients have just disappeared. He soon realizes that the only way he's going to find out the truth is from the inside. So he fakes a suicide attempt and gets committed. There he meets up with Tony, who thinks he's Captain Destructo and sets off to find clues. The security is extremely lax and they are able to get around by climbing through the huge air conditioning ducts.
    Another patient disappears and strange symbols are left. Nick has to balance between looking real enough to stay, but not too real as to get locked up for good. Slowly he starts to learn the system and figures out a motive and run into Doc a view times. This wild wig must be seen to be believed, crazy wild hair. It seems that he is the only one who sees Doc though.
    Tommy shows him how to get around and when an actress gone crazy hints that she is being attacked and is constantly staring a boarded up building across the way, Nick knows there's answers there. He sneaks over there and finds Raine's elaborate hideout. Raine knows all about him, but doesn't want to kill him. Raine says he didn't want to escape, he just wanted a little place to call his own and that the murders of the disappearing patients isn't his style. Nick knows he's crazy, but is telling the truth. If not the local serial killer then who? The steroid using ex-football player guars who Nick catches raping Amanda, the movie star?
    After this, Nick attacks the rapist, attempting to kill him. For this stunt he gets locked in the green room in a straight jacket. All does not look good, until Raine comes through the air duct and cuts him loose. He follows him back to his hideout, but on the way Raine is murdered, but by who?
After realizing Raine was telling the truth, he learns the final the piece of the puzzle. Back in Raine's hideout he finds the bodies of the slain patients in his freezer, but there's more. The man who runs the asylum is in a wheelchair, but is up to no good. One of the bodyguards captures Nick and ties him to an electric chair. Here he learns the truth, the missing patients were ones with high suicide risks and were being used as guinea pigs. The man in charge is testing out a highly profitable suicide drug on them and is planning on making a fortune. The bodyguard agrees and the man shoots him, more money for him.
    You can guess what happens after that.

My Review

Well, I finally got my wish, to see Malcolm as a serial killer. Of course Malcolm's dual role was way, way, way too short. The coolest part was when Raine was captured an is giving an interview on tape talking about death, killing and his eternity tattoo on his neck - his calling card. Could have been a pretty good movie if it focused on Raine instead on Nick. Not a bad movie, but barely an OK movie, nothing really new or interesting happened.

Rating: 5/10