THE PLOT THUS FAR
Step inside a madhouse of horror and experience the chilling new incarnation of TV’s most daringly provocative series. The sins of the past haunt the present at the notorious Briarcliff home for the criminally insane, ruled with an iron fist by Sister Jude. Forbidden desire and terrifying evil lurk around every corner…from alien abduction to demonic possession to a skin-wearing psychopath known as Bloody Face. Emmyr winner JESSICA LANGE leads an exceptional ensemble cast, including ZACHARY QUINTO, JAMES CROMWELL and SARAH PAULSON. ‘It’s genuinely, unrelentingly horrific and creepy’ (Time Magazine) and a ‘totally addictive’ (The Washington Post) show.
WHAT WE THOUGHT
“Asylum” opens with an abandoned mental institution and a couple who has set off to explore it. As they enter its walls, the setting reverts back to 1964, and the story begins with a female reporter, Lana Winters, who is attempting to expose Briarcliff Mental Institution, a home for the criminally insane, of its corruption. In the process, she comes to discover a new serial killer that is being housed there as he awaits trial. When Winters is denied the story by a nun that is running the institution, Winters trespasses on to the property. Discovered by the despotic head-nun, Sister Jude, Lana Winters is blackmailed, punished, and committed to the asylum for her homosexuality. Behind Briarcliff Mental Institution’s closed doors, all sanity is left as you embark on a twisting journey, with an ever-thickening plot, in to the despairing depths of crazy.
The show’s jump from its common suburban area to its current dilapidated and abandoned horror house was a jump made with immaculate results. And boy does it still contain its sexy moments followed by the perfect amount of comedy relief and a lot of horror. Unlike most horror films today that focus mostly on “jump scaring” the audience, Asylum, still like the first season, has a complete layer of eerie, dark, psychological terror with a small core of complete terror and fear for one’s sake. Honestly, I just appreciate that the horror anthology is making a comeback.
The Blu-Ray comes with deleted scenes and featurettes. The DTS-HD 5.1 master audio really makes the Bloody Face action come to life. The 1080p transfer plays it smooth against the coolness of the insane asylum and the frequent dark scenes. It’s on par with the first season, so you should know what to expect. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase.
RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW!