“I told him that if he does not stop this nonsense immediately, I shall hang him up by his heels and chop him in half.”
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Synopsis:
Several psychotic criminals (including Martin Landau and Jack Palance) escape from an experimental insane asylum run by Donald Pleasence, and terrorize the house of a doctor (Dwight Schultz) and his family.
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Genres:
- Donald Pleasence Films
- Escape
- Horror
- Jack Palance Films
- Martin Landau Films
- Mental Illness
- Psychopaths
Response to Peary’s Review:
As Peary notes, this cult horror flick starts off with an interesting premise but loses its momentum and originality about halfway through, giving way to “ugly violence” and “stupidity”. Nonetheless, it’s fun watching Martin Landau and Jack Palance together in a film, and Donald Pleasence is excellent as the well-meaning but gravely clueless asylum director. The moral of the story: never, ever assume that all psychopathic criminals need is someone to “understand them”.
Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
- Martin Landau’s creepy portrayal as The Preacher
- Donald Pleasence as the fatally naive asylum director
- Jack Palance as the one “redeemable madman” in the bunch
- Atmospheric cinematography
Must See?
No, unless you’re a fan of slasher flicks and/or “insane asylum” movies.
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