Surrealistic sanatorium of lunacy
In southern France, 1845, a journalist returns to his home country (Arthur Hansel) to visit an asylum that, reportedly, uses revolutionary techniques to treat the mentally ill. The head doctor (Claudio Brook) gives him a tour of his vast institution, but will he make it out alive and sane?
A Mexican production shot in the summer of 1971, “The Mansion of Madness” is also known as “Dr. Tarr’s Torture Dungeon,” based on a short story by Edgar Allan Poe. It combines the Star Trek episode “Whom God’s Destroy”—which was also no doubt inspired by the same Poe yarn (albeit unofficially)—and mixes it with a standard story set-up of Hammer and AIP horror flicks (a visitor arrives at a remote mansion or castle and learns the horrors thereof, à la Jonathan Harker going to Dracula’s castle).
There’s a sequence reminiscent of Fritz Lang’s duology "The Indian Tomb" and "The Tiger of Eschnapur.” I’m talking about Debra Paget’s dance sequence in both films. Yvonne Craig had a similar scene in the aforementioned “Whom Gods Destroy” whereas this movie features Ellen Sherman in the dance episode as Eugenie. While Sherman has a certain appeal, she just can’t compete with either Paget or Craig IMHO.
The visuals are superb with vibrant colors and a flair of surrealism. It’s worth seeing just for this. Unfortunately, the first half, which consists mostly of a tour of the fascinating sanatorium, is more compelling than the second, which devolves into lunatic goings-on. I suppose that’s to be expected, given the nature of the tale, but the script needed fine-tuning to make the last act more compelling.
"Silent Night, Bloody Night" was filmed six months prior and was more imaginative with the basic plot, not to mention transferring the story to the modern day, but isn’t as visually mind-blowing. Still, it is the superior film IMHO, yet it’s worth seeing both.
It runs 1 hour, 24 minutes, and was shot at Estudios America in Coyoacan, Mexico City.
GRADE: B-/C+
