Asylum of Darkness

Production quality is not great, but give it a chance. It's very odd, a bit twisted, but worth the watch.

The concept/idea was interesting but really stretched out being a 2 hour movie, acting is pretty bad and some of the scenes are ridiculous- maybe a once off watch but definitely wouldn't watch again and would not recommend

This Has A Very Love-Craftian Taste To It (Although There Is No Reference) But I Thought This Was A Bit Of A Good Surprise ... An Escaped Patient Tries To Make Sense Of The World Outside The Asylum As Everyone Sees Him As Someone He Isn't ... As The Truth Of What Is Going On Unravels Itself He Finds That To Make Things Right He Must Delve Deeper Into The Insanity ... The Acting Is Not Top Notch But The Story Is Interesting And Captivating ... Fans Of H.P Lovecraft Would Enjoy This One ...

Watching Asylum of Darkness... it's a weird, but intriguing movie... its weirdness is actually what keeps me interested... it reminds me of the feel of Necronomicon (1993) or other Lovecraft-influenced stories, tales from the crypt, creepshow... it's pretty insane, with a lot of gory alien-ness and old B movie sci fi actors from the '70s and '80s... I have to say it's a lot better than I thought it would be... totally crazy movie...

Richard Hatch (Battlestar Galactica) is great, and apparently this is the second film in a trilogy... Season of Darkness (2012) is part 1, this is part 2, and Heartland of Darkness which I'm not sure if it ever came out...

This is considered the "lost" film of Scream Queen Linnea Quigley (Silent Night, Deadly Night, The Return of the Living Dead, A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master). Director Eric Swelstad abandoned the project before finding a distributor and the title has yet to be released to a mass market audience. Over the years various producers including Jim Wynorski, Rob Spera and Jody Savin have expressed an interest in putting the finishing touches on the film, with the intention of finally releasing it.

Showing a poor 3.3/10 rating on IMDb, to me is so undeserved and likely from people who aren't embracing of low budget weird horror... but I think they're treating it unfairly... my rating: 7/10

A murderer (Nick Baldasare), who has been assigned to a mental institution after being declared "not guilty by reason of insanity," escapes the state hospital and assumes the identity of another man. Curiously, the man's wife accepts him (Amanda Howell) and the hallucinatory story proceeds from there.

"Asylum of Darkness" (2013) was originally called "Season of Darkness" when it was screened at a festival, but the distributor adjusted the title for its 2017 release. It was written, scored and directed by Jay Woelfel for $200,000, shot in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio. Despite the micro-budget, it's artistic in its depiction of reality from the delusional mind of an insane person. The old school practical effects are mostly effective, but sometimes cartoonish and goofy.

It's technically superior to Woelfel's spare-change budgeted "Ghost Story" (2004); and the story is more compelling compared to his "Closed for the Season" (2010). Unfortunately, it's overlong and Tiffany Shepis' role is too small; she should've played the wife IMHO.

However, if you like artsy indies and are patient, you'll probably find something to appreciate. It's too puzzling for my tastes, but at least it's different.

Richard Hatch and Tim Thomerson appear in peripheral roles. It runs 1 hours, 57 minutes.

GRADE: C.