Madhouse (2004)

You won't be disappointed!

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

Admirable film.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

This movie was just a filler for one of my major movie renting experiences. Knew nothing about it, and this may sound stupid, but I had a bad feeling about it. I know, I know. Kinda stupid to rent something and worry about it sucking after spending the money on it. Well, finally I decided to watch it and wow! Opened up with a bang! The many freaky images are just crazy! And thankfully it never let down! That ghost boy was just unsettling, ditto on the madhouse! You'll never catch me going down to that room alone.The cast was wonderful too. The lead is Josh Leonard, who I just found out was one of the Blair Witch kids! Good to see he's still getting work after that movie. Then there is the cute as a button Jordan Ladd, who I can just watch in just about every movie. God, she's cute! Natasha Lyonne gives an awesome performance as a crazy girl, but her role is quite small in the movie. And last but certainly not least, Lance Henriksen. Just like Jeffrey Combs, Udo Kier, and Robert Englund, no horror movie will seem complete with guys like these.The down part of this movie? Well, I was a little disappointed it took the slasher route. Don't get me wrong, I love slashers as much as the next guy. But this would've been a great haunted asylum movie. I mean, Lance is reading books about hauntings in this movie. Don't tease us like that! Oh and the ending just kinda leaves you wanting more. *sigh* Can't anyone get endings right? Oh well.But other than that, this movie was quite a pleasant surprise for me. Why did this go straight to DVD? Watch this and see if you agree with me

Last night my friends and I decided to rent a DVD and we found this one interesting. First of all, the setting is by no means original. It is a classic mental health facility presumably situated in the countryside where people are locked up: people whose mere existence the society tries to forget about. Clark Stevens, a soon-graduating student of psychiatry, arrives at Cunningham Hall to finish his practical training, but soon discovers that there is something strange about this peculiar mental health facility.The plot is not the most original one there is, yet the producers wound up with an OK result. Once the story begins to unfold I pretty much lost interest in the film though, as though the film did not manage to keep the tension throughout the last part of the film. The film is worth seeing if you have nothing better to do a Sunday evening, but do not expect too much entertainment. 5/10

If you don't over-analyse the plot (which is at turns both confusing and contrived), there is quite a bit to enjoy about writer/director William Butler's asylum-set horror tale, Madhouse. Joshua Leonard plays Clark Stevens, a psychiatric intern at a creepy mental institute who experiences spooky occurrences during his stay. With the help of sexy, buxom nurse Sara (Jordan Ladd) he delves into the dark history of the crazy-house and unearths the truth about the strange patient locked away in cell 44.Despite a whole shed-load of clichés, a couple of silly, but delightfully gory deaths (check out that electrocution scene—hilarious!), and some obvious plot turns, Butler manages to conjure up quite a bit of atmosphere, and his rundown asylum full of OTT murderous psychos is perfect for delivering scares.Instantly forgettable, but fun while it lasts, Madhouse isn't going to shock the more hardened horror fans (who will have seen this kind of thing done before, and better), but is perfect fodder for those who enjoy the occasional fright flick.

Cunningham hall is a run down mental health facility with too many patients and reduced funding. An eager young medical student Clark Stevens (Joshua Leonard) accepts an internship at the asylum, and he quickly learns the level of depravity in this madhouse.A young nurse named Sara (Jordan Ladd) shows him around, and he begins to worry about the condition of the inmates, particularly Alice (Natasha Lyonne) who is having horrifying hallucinations and Carl (Aaron Strongoni) who has suicidal tendencies. But when he begins to have visions of his own he turns to Sara for help, yet she also has something to hide.Despite the fact it's a low budget and the straight to DVD (Video) movie, it still delivers great tension, and a creepy atmosphere throughout; the cast are quite strong and the story keeps you guessing till the end. I won't pretend it's flawless, but it is definitely worth watching if you get the chance; certainly not a film that you should avoid because you fear it may be too cheap.7/10