Street Date July 15, 2008
Fox/MGM
Horror
$26.98 DVD
Rated ‘R’ for strong horror violence and terror, disturbing images, language and brief nudity
Stars Sarah Roemer, Travis Van Winkle, Jake Muxworthy, Cody Kasch, Carolina Garcia

Director David R. Ellis (Snakes on a Plane and Final Destination 2) strikes again with his intense slasher flick Asylum.

The film is set on a typical college campus, where the newly renovated dorm proves to be anything but normal for a group of incoming freshmen who uncover its dark past. Their snooping brings back the deadly ghost of Dr. Burke, a crazed psychiatrist who ran a controversial mental institution where he performed torturous, experimental procedures on his teenage patients, who eventually revolted and killed him.

Now the ill-fated group of collegians, who all have their own secrets (from a suicidal family, to an abusive boyfriend, to a molesting father), come face to face with the homicidal doctor who makes them confront their own deepest, darkest fears before slaughtering them. Only those mentally strong enough to battle the evil doctor will have a chance at surviving his torture and fighting their way out of the haunted building before becoming his next victims.

With a hot young cast led by Roemer (Disturbia) and Van Winkle (Transformers), Asylum isn’t just another teen horror film. It’s a twisted, nail-biting journey reminiscent of the “Nightmare on Elm Street” series, with its own Freddy Krueger, Dr. Burke.

Ellis, an excellent director, has assembled a great team of filmmakers to bring this shocking tale to life. This is one of the rare instances where a direct-to-DVD release could have easily made a bloody splash at the box office. But since you can’t see it on the big screen, Asylum is definitely one horror movie you won’t want to miss. The gore is extreme, and the film’s psychological aspect will push even die-hard horror fans to the edge.

– Matt Miller