Insanitarium
Encyclopedia
Insanitarium is a 2008 psychological horror
starring Jesse Metcalfe
, Kiele Sanchez
, Kevin Sussman
, Olivia Munn
, Carla Gallo
and Peter Stormare
. The film is directed by Jeff Buhler.
) faking insanity
in order to save his sister, Lily (Kiele Sanchez
), who has been involuntarily institutionalized. The siblings soon find that the strange doctor at the asylum, Mr. Gianetti (Peter Stormare
), has been testing an experimental compound, orphium, on the patients that seems to be turning them into flesh eating zombies and Loomis (Kurt Caceres
), another patient, spreads the infection. The two siblings band together with a terminally paranoid
man, Dave (Kevin Sussman
), and a helpful nurse, Nancy (Olivia Munn
), in the hopes of finding a way out of the asylum. While looking they are attacked by most of the prisoners and staff, killing Nancy; while on the 4th floor, they encounter the doctor, who gives Dave an icepick
lobotomy
, incapacitating him; he attempts to get Jack too, but ends up being infected by Loomis. At the end of the film, as the two siblings are in a police car heading to the asylum to investigate, the officers (Mark Kelly
& Sharon Schaffer) accidentally let the patients escape into the outside world. It ends with a panning shot, revealing the city below the asylum's hillside location.
The secondary plot focuses on the affair between Charles (Evan Parke
) and Heather (Lisa Athrowe).
. The "maximum security" set and the "laundry chute" were both constructed from scratch on site in an empty wing of the hospital.
Mathew Mungle Creations, the same special effects company that supplied the notorious effects for the Jeff Buhler written Midnight Meat Train, also supplied the special effects for Insanitarium. Nearly everything was done using practical effects and prosthetics with very little contribution from CGI
, including the decapitation of a fake cat.
Stormare improvised many parts of his role, including the "panties in the mouth" scene with Carla Gallo
, who plays Vera, his research assistant. She comments on this scene in the behind the scenes DVD
extras.
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
starring Jesse Metcalfe
Jesse Metcalfe
Jesse Eden Metcalfe is an American actor, best known for his role on Desperate Housewives as John Rowland. He is also notable for his portrayal of Miguel Lopez-Fitzgerald on the soap opera Passions and his starring role as the title character in the movie John Tucker Must Die.-Early life:Metcalfe...
, Kiele Sanchez
Kiele Sanchez
Kiele Michelle Sanchez is an American actress who stars in the A&E Network drama The Glades. Previously she starred as the second-eldest Sorelli sister, Anne, a therapist in her mid-twenties, in The WB's comedic ensemble drama, Related. She was cast as a co-star in the third season of the ABC...
, Kevin Sussman
Kevin Sussman
Kevin Sussman is an American actor of television and film perhaps best known for his recurring roles Stuart the comic book store owner on "The Big Bang Theory" and Walter on the ABC comedy-drama Ugly Betty....
, Olivia Munn
Olivia Munn
Lisa Olivia Munn is an American comedic actress, model, television personality and author. She began her career being credited as Lisa Munn. Since 2006, she has been using the name Olivia Munn personally and professionally....
, Carla Gallo
Carla Gallo
Carla Gallo is an American actress notable for roles in the television series Undeclared, Carnivàle, and Bones, and in the indie film Spanking the Monkey.-Filmography:-External links:...
and Peter Stormare
Peter Stormare
is a Swedish film, stage, voice and television actor as well as a theatrical director, playwright and musician.- Early life :...
. The film is directed by Jeff Buhler.
Storyline
The film follows a man, Jack (Jesse MetcalfeJesse Metcalfe
Jesse Eden Metcalfe is an American actor, best known for his role on Desperate Housewives as John Rowland. He is also notable for his portrayal of Miguel Lopez-Fitzgerald on the soap opera Passions and his starring role as the title character in the movie John Tucker Must Die.-Early life:Metcalfe...
) faking insanity
Insanity
Insanity, craziness or madness is a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity may manifest as violations of societal norms, including becoming a danger to themselves and others, though not all such acts are considered insanity...
in order to save his sister, Lily (Kiele Sanchez
Kiele Sanchez
Kiele Michelle Sanchez is an American actress who stars in the A&E Network drama The Glades. Previously she starred as the second-eldest Sorelli sister, Anne, a therapist in her mid-twenties, in The WB's comedic ensemble drama, Related. She was cast as a co-star in the third season of the ABC...
), who has been involuntarily institutionalized. The siblings soon find that the strange doctor at the asylum, Mr. Gianetti (Peter Stormare
Peter Stormare
is a Swedish film, stage, voice and television actor as well as a theatrical director, playwright and musician.- Early life :...
), has been testing an experimental compound, orphium, on the patients that seems to be turning them into flesh eating zombies and Loomis (Kurt Caceres
Kurt Caceres
Kurt Caceres is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Hector Avila on the hit Fox drama Prison Break. He was also a standout football player during his college days while attending Sacramento State University...
), another patient, spreads the infection. The two siblings band together with a terminally paranoid
Paranoia
Paranoia [] is a thought process believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of irrationality and delusion. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy concerning a perceived threat towards oneself...
man, Dave (Kevin Sussman
Kevin Sussman
Kevin Sussman is an American actor of television and film perhaps best known for his recurring roles Stuart the comic book store owner on "The Big Bang Theory" and Walter on the ABC comedy-drama Ugly Betty....
), and a helpful nurse, Nancy (Olivia Munn
Olivia Munn
Lisa Olivia Munn is an American comedic actress, model, television personality and author. She began her career being credited as Lisa Munn. Since 2006, she has been using the name Olivia Munn personally and professionally....
), in the hopes of finding a way out of the asylum. While looking they are attacked by most of the prisoners and staff, killing Nancy; while on the 4th floor, they encounter the doctor, who gives Dave an icepick
Icepick
An ice pick is a tool used to break up, pick at, or chip at ice. It resembles a scratch awl, but is designed for picking at ice rather than wood...
lobotomy
Lobotomy
Lobotomy "; τομή – tomē: "cut/slice") is a neurosurgical procedure, a form of psychosurgery, also known as a leukotomy or leucotomy . It consists of cutting the connections to and from the prefrontal cortex, the anterior part of the frontal lobes of the brain...
, incapacitating him; he attempts to get Jack too, but ends up being infected by Loomis. At the end of the film, as the two siblings are in a police car heading to the asylum to investigate, the officers (Mark Kelly
Mark Kelly
Mark Kelly is the keyboardist of the progressive rock band, Marillion. He was raised in Ireland until he moved to England with his parents in 1969....
& Sharon Schaffer) accidentally let the patients escape into the outside world. It ends with a panning shot, revealing the city below the asylum's hillside location.
The secondary plot focuses on the affair between Charles (Evan Parke
Evan Parke
Evan Parke is a Jamaican actor perhaps best known for his role as Hayes in King Kong. Originally from Jamaica, Parke was raised in Brooklyn, New York and then on Long Island...
) and Heather (Lisa Athrowe).
Production
The film was shot during August/September 2007 with the majority of filming taking place at the abandoned RFK Memorial Hospital in Hawthorne, CaliforniaHawthorne, California
Hawthorne is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California. The city at the 2010 census had a population of 84,293, up from 84,112 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
. The "maximum security" set and the "laundry chute" were both constructed from scratch on site in an empty wing of the hospital.
Mathew Mungle Creations, the same special effects company that supplied the notorious effects for the Jeff Buhler written Midnight Meat Train, also supplied the special effects for Insanitarium. Nearly everything was done using practical effects and prosthetics with very little contribution from CGI
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
, including the decapitation of a fake cat.
Stormare improvised many parts of his role, including the "panties in the mouth" scene with Carla Gallo
Carla Gallo
Carla Gallo is an American actress notable for roles in the television series Undeclared, Carnivàle, and Bones, and in the indie film Spanking the Monkey.-Filmography:-External links:...
, who plays Vera, his research assistant. She comments on this scene in the behind the scenes DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
extras.
Cast
- Jesse MetcalfeJesse MetcalfeJesse Eden Metcalfe is an American actor, best known for his role on Desperate Housewives as John Rowland. He is also notable for his portrayal of Miguel Lopez-Fitzgerald on the soap opera Passions and his starring role as the title character in the movie John Tucker Must Die.-Early life:Metcalfe...
as Jack - Kiele SanchezKiele SanchezKiele Michelle Sanchez is an American actress who stars in the A&E Network drama The Glades. Previously she starred as the second-eldest Sorelli sister, Anne, a therapist in her mid-twenties, in The WB's comedic ensemble drama, Related. She was cast as a co-star in the third season of the ABC...
as Lily - Peter StormarePeter Stormareis a Swedish film, stage, voice and television actor as well as a theatrical director, playwright and musician.- Early life :...
as Dr. Gianetti - Kevin SussmanKevin SussmanKevin Sussman is an American actor of television and film perhaps best known for his recurring roles Stuart the comic book store owner on "The Big Bang Theory" and Walter on the ABC comedy-drama Ugly Betty....
as Dave - Olivia MunnOlivia MunnLisa Olivia Munn is an American comedic actress, model, television personality and author. She began her career being credited as Lisa Munn. Since 2006, she has been using the name Olivia Munn personally and professionally....
as Nancy - Evan ParkeEvan ParkeEvan Parke is a Jamaican actor perhaps best known for his role as Hayes in King Kong. Originally from Jamaica, Parke was raised in Brooklyn, New York and then on Long Island...
as Charles - Carla GalloCarla GalloCarla Gallo is an American actress notable for roles in the television series Undeclared, Carnivàle, and Bones, and in the indie film Spanking the Monkey.-Filmography:-External links:...
as Vera Downing - Armin ShimermanArmin ShimermanArmin Shimerman is an American actor. Shimerman is best known for playing the Ferengi bartender Quark in the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Principal Snyder in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Kramer's caddy Stan on Seinfeld, voicing Dr. Nefarious in the Ratchet & Clank series, and Andrew...
as Hawthorne - Lisa Arturo as Heather
- Kurt CaceresKurt CaceresKurt Caceres is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Hector Avila on the hit Fox drama Prison Break. He was also a standout football player during his college days while attending Sacramento State University...
as Loomis - Molly Bryant as Nurse Henderson