Horrific fun at a dilapidated sanitarium
An attorney who was disfigured in an accident and driven mad with grief ‘haunts’ an abandoned asylum in northeastern New Jersey. Local youths laugh it off as a legend, but eight are about to find out differently.
“Doom Asylum” (1987) is a kinetic horror comedy filled with hammy acting and over-the-top goofiness, but it is entertaining if you approach it for what it is — amusing schlock that only cost $90,000. The biggest star is the excellent location for this type of flick, the former Essex Mountain Sanatorium. Part of the fun is reading the perpetual graffiti on the walls, such as “Metallica,” “Ozzy” and so on.
The basic premise revolves around placing beautiful, scantily-clad women in a rundown monstrosity of a building wherein deathly horror awaits. Eighteen years later “Death Tunnel” used the same idea with Waverly Hills Sanatorium near Louisville, KY, minus the silliness and humor.
Another highlight is the female cast, which includes Kristin Davis as Jane, Ruth Collins as psycho-rocker Tina and Patty Mullen in a duel-role as Judy/Kiki. This was Kristin Davis’ first role; she went on to appear in two 1997 episodes of Seinfeld before shooting to fame with Sex in the City. Meanwhile the striking Ruth Collins was known as the Queen of B Movies in the late 80s/early 90s.
The film is short ‘n’ sweet at 1 hour, 17 minutes, and was shot at Hilltop Reservation, Verona, New Jersey, which is only fifteen miles (north)east of Manhattan.
GRADE: B-/C+
