The Movie
There I was, ready to tell y'all to skip this movie after just 25 minutes. But then a funny thing happened on my way to the DVDTalk Forum: After 20 more minutes, the action perked up enough to warrant a rental. And by the time the end credits rolled, my smile spoke volumes. Oh, I'm recommending this baby all the way!

It's not often that direct-to-video releases entertain me this much. Don't get me wrong: This is still a low-budget horror film that wears endless influences on its many severed limbs. The action is so derivative, it's almost accidentally original. It's like taking a tour through a horror hallway of other films, and half the fun is spotting each tribute.

Jesse Metcalfe is Jack, who wastes no time with his expository narration: mom is dead, leading sister Lily (Kiele Sanchez) to attempt suicide before becoming a ward of the state at a mental institution. So he concocts a scheme: "The only way to get her out is to become one myself." Jack slashes up his chest and hits the streets (oh Jesse, not the chest!), where he proclaims his status as "anti-matter" to the police. They quickly cart him off to the Middleton Psychiatric Institute, where he hopes to pull off his Prison Break-like plot.

Upon arrival, Jack encounters a host of characters, and most of them don't believe he's really sane: guard Charles (Evan Parke) likes to keep the inmates in line in more ways than one, taking drugs from the mild mannered Dave (Kevin Sussman, who looks like Paul Giamatti's younger, thinner brother) and sex from the loopy Heather (Lisa Arturo); Hannibal Lecter...er, excuse me, Hawthorne (Armin Shimerman) proves to be the most vicious resident; while psych ward supervisor Nancy (Olivia Munn) becomes one of Jack's only allies.

But the biggest threat is Dr. Gianetti (Fargo's Peter Stormare), who runs the show with his two henchwomen: assistant Vera (Carla Gallo) and Nurse Ratched...oops, sorry...Nurse Henderson (Molly Bryant). Jack quickly witnesses some pretty odd behavior, even by insane asylum standards. Seems that Gianetti is using his experimental "orphium" to try and "cure" his patients: "It's not a drug! Orphium is a microscopic machine doing exactly what I programmed it to do!" But when a mutation occurs, things start to get out of hand, as the violent impulses of the affected guinea pigs are triggered. Jack now has to save himself and his sister before it's too late.

This film is a hybrid of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, 28 Days Later and Coma. But a wealth of other zombie, prison and horror films have clearly influenced writer/director Jeff Buhler, who also adapted Clive Barker's short story for the upcoming theatrical release The Midnight Meat Train. This film starts slow, but once it gets going, it's a bloody good ride filled with violet standoffs and gore galore. It's not over the top, but it eyes the summit, finding a nice middle ground that manages to make you laugh and cower while still keeping you invested in the story.

You get plenty of gross-out sequences in the lengthy closing chase, and I almost couldn't keep track of other movies I was reminded of: patient Loomis (Kurt Caceres) takes on a Bub-like Day of the Dead role (without the intelligence); a few carnage scenes reminded me of Halloween II; one of the more hysterically gruesome scenes tilts its hat to I Spit on Your Grave; the last shot echoes The Return of the Living Dead; one inmate uses an animal to do his best Lennie imitation from Of Mice and Men (or is that the Abominable Snow Rabbit? "I will hug him and squeeze him and call him George!"); and one shot in a zombie battle reminded me of the creepiest scene from Psycho II ("C-c-c-cutlery!").

It's pretty amusing to watch less accomplished performers get a crack at acting crazy. The film provides a window into "Faking Crazy 101" class as the supporting players and extras put their acting chops to the test with some pretty predictable behavior: hair pulling, body rocking, biting and cutting, selective Tourette's syndrome, nursery rhyme citation ("Jack be nimble, Jack be quick!") and sex-abuse claims ("He was gonna stick his dick inside of me! Inside my vagina!").

The main cast does a decent job--Metcalfe doesn't take his shirt off too much (and he's all bloody when he does...where's the fun in that?!). But he plays his part, showing a different side from his Desperate Housewives/John Tucker personas. Sanchez is the strongest of the bunch, although you never quite believe she's crazy, even when she turns into Susan Hayward ("I wanna live!!!"). A few of the female performers channel Angelina Jolie in Girl, Interrupted (gotta love self-mutilation!), while Stormare chews up the scenery as his co-stars chew on appendages: "This is how you repay my loyalty? Ignoring the safety procedures, putting the entire program at risk?!" "He ate my arm, you prick!" Bravo, Insanitarium. Bravo!

Buhler's biggest challenge is trying to overcome the meager budget to make the action look more ominous than it is. Given the location/set limits and the small cast (outside of the named characters, only seven people are credited as psych ward patients), he relies on some fast camera movements (don't worry, not nearly as jittery as 28 Days Later), editing and frequent close-ups to create more menacing shots. By and large, he pulls it off. The gore is respectable, and it's fun to watch them try and top themselves with each kill.

Insanitarium still has a direct-to-video look and feel, but it's the highest quality DTV you can hope for. This is a hell of a lot more fun than plenty of genre releases that made it into theaters. Does the movie make sense and follow any logic? Hell no. But who cares? For 85 minutes of entertainment, it more than satisfies, taking you on a fast-paced ride that literally goes for the jugular.

The DVD

Video:
Presented in an anamorphic 1.85:1 transfer, Insanitarium looks pretty good. Scenes alternate between being bright and washed out (in the intentionally sterile sanitarium) and dark, with various colorful elements occasionally breaking through. Buhler goes with a brighter, less realistic red for the blood, which is more in tune with the film's whimsical approach.

Audio:
Leading the way is the 5.1 track, and it's a respectable effort. The score gets most of the "wow" treatment, although some more subtle sounds are included, along with some more aggressive treatments during some of the chase sequences. Also included are a Portuguese 5.1 track, a French Dolby Surround option and stereo in Thai and Spanish. Subtitles are available in English, French, Korean, Thai, Spanish, Chinese and Portuguese (hmm, I wonder if the studio is banking on international interest...).

Extras:
Three deleted scenes lead the way (4:22). Nothing notable, although the third one might have been a wise inclusion--it injects a little more sense into the surrounding footage. You also get two featurettes: Inside the Asylum: Jesse Metcalfe and Jeff Buhler (7:04) has the director talking with his lead actor about the film, with clips thrown in. Buhler notes that Peter Stormare is "a little unpredictable...he keeps it fun." He also touches on the twisted sexual energy (sanitarium style!) he put into the film, influenced by David Cronenberg's Crash and David Lynch's Blue Velvet. Meanwhile, Metcalfe notes how one scene chafed his "crotchal region."

In Inside the Asylum: The Patients (7:09), some cast and crew members share brief thoughts about the production. The most interesting segment has special effects/makeup man Mike McCracken showing us a few tricks, while Carla Gallo (Vera) notes how it was Stormare's idea to shove panties in her mouth: "That would not have been something I would have chosen to do, so he's very creative in the sexual department."

Rounding out the package is a storyboard gallery, 13 trailers and a digital copy of the film.

Final Thoughts:
Despite a slow start that feels familiar, a lot of obvious influences and a modest budget, Insanitarium really picks up the pace. Who cares if it's a direct-to-video entry that really doesn't make much sense or break new horror ground? It's too darn fun to dismiss. The film doesn't take itself too seriously--it's a bloody good time that had me smiling and cringing, a cool combo that's tough to create. Check your brain at the door...but don't let the zombies get to it. Recommended.