There are some noteworthy names in the cast, and Natasha Lyonne, Jordan Ladd, and Lance Henriksen were who drew me in to 'Madhouse' in the first place. It unfortunately didn't take long for me to begin to question what I had committed myself to. The feature is technically sound, for the most part. The writing and direction is another matter. I don't think to date that I've seen any other features that filmmaker William Butler has made in those capacities; I will assume he's grown in his capabilities since 2004. However, this title's problems far outweigh its possible strengths. 'Madhouse' isn't scary, thrilling, or exciting in general - it's just dull and boring.
Very, very early on we can predict to nigh perfection where the plot is going to end up, with only the most minute details left to be discovered. In no small part the movie casts its eye on mental illness, giving us depictions of patients' idiosyncrasies - obsessions, compulsions, expressions and behavior that are manifestations of their affliction - and wants us to consider these as a horror element that will satisfy our need for cinematic stimulation. It's exploitative, and ignorant. The film employs wholly unremarkable if not deeply tired tropes of storytelling and film-making, without any embellishment - thereby ensuring that we don't see anything we haven't before, nothing that's new and fresh. With all this in mind, plot development is at best uninspiring, and at worst altogether unconvincing.
I can't speak to everyone in the cast, but of those I'm familiar with, I know they're skilled actors, and have illustrated as much in the past. Butler's direction in 'Madhouse' forced them, and everyone, into ham-handed, sluggish, sometimes outright lethargic performances that leave much to be desired. These are contrasted with those aspects of the picture that portend a more frenetic flair, presumably intended to excite (and that fail in that aim): sharp, rapid editing producing sequences of blood, gore, and unsettling imagery (yawn), and kitschy use, and out of place inclusion in the soundtrack, of the sort of overblown, radio-friendly heavy music like Slipknot were churning out in the late 90s and early 00s (no thanks). Factor in instances of absolutely gratuitous and unnecessary homophobic and transphobic slurs, and what value the feature may have held seems to vanish right before our eyes.
'Madhouse' isn't the extreme worst film I've ever seen. It plays with ideas that other movies have used to success of one degree or another. But Butler utilizes them with no great careful consideration, and so the rendition falls flat. Tally the other flaws of writing and direction as they present to us, and the tables quickly turn from uncertain potential to definite tawdriness. No doubt there are viewers who have found this to be of their liking; to each their own, I suppose. I entered with mixed expectations, and watched as they slowly crumbled to naught but dust. Even if you're a particular fan of someone in the cast - by whatever means you may happen to come across 2004's 'Madhouse,' I simply cannot recommend it.
Very, very early on we can predict to nigh perfection where the plot is going to end up, with only the most minute details left to be discovered. In no small part the movie casts its eye on mental illness, giving us depictions of patients' idiosyncrasies - obsessions, compulsions, expressions and behavior that are manifestations of their affliction - and wants us to consider these as a horror element that will satisfy our need for cinematic stimulation. It's exploitative, and ignorant. The film employs wholly unremarkable if not deeply tired tropes of storytelling and film-making, without any embellishment - thereby ensuring that we don't see anything we haven't before, nothing that's new and fresh. With all this in mind, plot development is at best uninspiring, and at worst altogether unconvincing.
I can't speak to everyone in the cast, but of those I'm familiar with, I know they're skilled actors, and have illustrated as much in the past. Butler's direction in 'Madhouse' forced them, and everyone, into ham-handed, sluggish, sometimes outright lethargic performances that leave much to be desired. These are contrasted with those aspects of the picture that portend a more frenetic flair, presumably intended to excite (and that fail in that aim): sharp, rapid editing producing sequences of blood, gore, and unsettling imagery (yawn), and kitschy use, and out of place inclusion in the soundtrack, of the sort of overblown, radio-friendly heavy music like Slipknot were churning out in the late 90s and early 00s (no thanks). Factor in instances of absolutely gratuitous and unnecessary homophobic and transphobic slurs, and what value the feature may have held seems to vanish right before our eyes.
'Madhouse' isn't the extreme worst film I've ever seen. It plays with ideas that other movies have used to success of one degree or another. But Butler utilizes them with no great careful consideration, and so the rendition falls flat. Tally the other flaws of writing and direction as they present to us, and the tables quickly turn from uncertain potential to definite tawdriness. No doubt there are viewers who have found this to be of their liking; to each their own, I suppose. I entered with mixed expectations, and watched as they slowly crumbled to naught but dust. Even if you're a particular fan of someone in the cast - by whatever means you may happen to come across 2004's 'Madhouse,' I simply cannot recommend it.