Wednesday 3 June 2015

"Stonehearst Asylum" - UK disc review.

From the director of “Session 9”, Brad Anderson, comes the star studded Edgar Allen Poe inspired tale “Stonehearst Asylum”, which is released to UK DVD and BD this month.
 
Set in the late 1800s, Jim Sturgess (Deception), plays newly qualified doctor Edward Newgate, who arrives at the remote Stonehearst lunatic asylum, to study the methods used to treat the patients.
 
There he meets the chief Doctor, Silas Lamb (played by old “Ghandi” himself, Ben Kingsley). But he quickly begins to question some of his unorthodox methods, which involves indulging the inmates in their delusions and allowing them to freely mix with the staff.
 
He also suspects something else is very wrong, as the place seems badly run, they’re low on drugs and supplies and many of the staff don’t seem to really know what they’re doing.
 
When one of the inmates, a charming young lady named Eliza (Kate Beckinsale – “Underworld”) warns him to get away as he is in danger. He decides instead to find out what’s really going on, whereupon he makes a startling discovery, and it seems that the people there are not who they appear to be...
 
Also featuring Michael Caine (Batman trilogy - Harry Brown) , David Thewlis (Harry Potter, The Theory of Everything) Brendan Gleeson (Edge of Tomorrow) and Jason Flemyng (Lock Stock, X-Men : First Class). The film was rather like a gothic period drama, and was very reminiscent of those old  Vincent Price/Roger Corman gothic horror films from the early 60s, but with a modern day feel.
 
Director Brad Anderson is certainly no stranger to horror films set in Asylums, having directed 2001s “Session 9” and the film also benefits from its sterling British cast, which mixes veterans like Ben Kingsley and Michael Caine with cult horror icons like Kate Beckinsale to potently good effect.
 
Overall I really enjoyed this, if you like old fashioned gothic horrors, this one is compulsive viewing.
 
Extras on the disc are limited to a behind the scenes feature which includes interviews with the cast and crew. However, this contains major spoilers, so I would recommend watching the film first.
 
The film is released to UK DVD and BD June 22
 
Pre-order the UK DVD from Amazon.co.uk
 
Pre-order the UK BD from Amazon.co.uk
 
 
 

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