Teddie Blake
The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.
Derry Herrera
Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.
Bessie Smyth
Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.
Stevieboy666
Basic story about twin sisters, one good, the evil, culminating in a bloody birthday celebration (Happy Birthday to Me? Sisters? Deranged?). Also has a twist ending, but not a difficult one to figure out.
Plenty of gory killings here, often carried out by the ugliest Rottweiler dog on the planet, and includes a power drill in the head scene but the gore is pretty fake looking. When the security guard gets attacked by the dog you can plainly see the thick padding around his right arm! Sadly, in between the deaths the film is somewhat plodding, not helped by an annoying soundtrack.
As an Italian film it lack the style of say Argento or Fulci. As a one time "video nasty" it is better than dross such as Cannibals or the Mardi Gras Massacre but it's also a million miles away from Tenebrae or Living Dead at the Manchester Morgue.
ferbs54
Not to be confused with the 1974 Vincent Price/Peter Cushing movie entitled "Madhouse" (a fun, underrated film, by the way) and certainly not with the 1990 John Larroquette/Kirstie Alley comedy sporting that same name, the 1981 Italian horror outing called "Madhouse" is another story entirely. I say that the film IS Italian, although the average viewer might never realize it. Despite being an Italian production, with an Italian crew and composer, the picture was shot in English, features an American cast, and was filmed in Savannah, Georgia, although the filmmakers could certainly have included more of that city's picturesque charm, had they chosen to do so.In this film (perhaps inspired by Brian De Palma's 1973 classic "Sisters"), the viewer makes the acquaintance of a very pretty redhead named Julia Sullivan (very well played by Trish Everly). A teacher at a school for the deaf, Julia is thrown into something of a tizzy when she learns, a few days before her 25th birthday, that her twin sister Mary has just escaped from the hospital/sanitarium where she had been ensconced for the past seven years. "It's not the dead that scare me...it's the living," Julia remarks early on, and with good reason, as it turns out! Although her hunky doctor boyfriend, Sam (played by Michael MacRae), and her uncle, a priest named Father James (memorably portrayed by Dennis Robertson), don't believe her, she is convinced that Mary, and a killer dog who she has long been the master of, are responsible for some of the horrible things that begin to transpire around her. And as future events prove, Julia is only partially correct in this surmise....Suspenseful and at times shocking, "Madhouse" is well named (the title is much more appropriate than the two other names this film has sported: "And When She Was Bad" and "There Was a Little Girl"), featuring as it does some truly sick and twisted characters. OK, I'm going to spoil things a tad for those who haven't seen the film by revealing that Mary DOES have an accomplice (besides that killer dog!) in her wrongdoing, and the revelation of this character truly is startling. The film dishes out any number of violent set pieces, including three throat-ripping canine attacks (the one in which a cute little deaf kid is murdered is mercifully not shown on screen) and three truly surprising homicides via knife. But surely, the scene that most gorehounds will appreciate the most is the one in which Sam goes up against that killer dog armed "only" with an electric power drill! The house where Julia resides is a beautiful old mansion that is in the process of being renovated, its only other occupant being Julia's ditzy landlady, and this darkened, unfinished abode is a suitable backdrop for some truly maniacal goings-on, culminating in one of the grisliest birthday parties ever shown on film. Director Ovidio G. Assonitis, whose work on the 1974 Devil possession flick "Beyond the Door" had recently impressed me, and who others might appreciate as the director of the 1977 "Jaws" rip-off "Tentacles," does a good job here of ratcheting up the suspense, while composer Riz Ortolani, whose work on such gialli as "Don't Torture a Duckling" and "Seven Deaths in a Cat's Eye" was so integral, provides still another memorable score. Here, the lullaby "Rock A Bye Baby," backed by gorgeous strings, is used to good effect, while electronic bleeps and echoes in other spots add greatly to the eeriness on screen. But best of all, perhaps, is Trish Everly herself, a truly photogenic actress with a winning screen presence. How odd that "Madhouse" seems to be Ms. Everly's only film appearance. With her super good looks and fine acting chops, a career would have seemed assured...at least, as a so-called "scream queen." Wonder what ever happened to her....The further good news regarding "Madhouse" is that it now can be had on DVD from the always reliable folks at Dark Sky, with an excellent-looking print and some fine extras. In one, director Assonitis is interviewed in 2008; if only I could understand more than half of what he is saying! If I'm reading the man correctly, he seems to feel that his best film will always be his next one, and that he is not content with the way ANY of his pictures has turned out. He might be a little too harsh in his dismissal of "Madhouse," however. Despite its low budget, the film is a fairly gripping and memorable affair. I learned on my last birthday that my credit card had been hacked for $1,000, but I cannot imagine a birthday worse than the one poor Julia goes through in "Madhouse"....
handbledzoin
Didja ever watch a movie and afterward get the uncontrollable urge to track down the people who made it and, when they answered their door, to just punch 'em right in the head?Just asking.ME: Your Honor, I present the following evidence in my defense.Exhibit A: Exploiting a genetic condition and equating it with mental illness.Exhibit B: Characters who do stupid time-wasting things while waiting to get killed.Exhibit C: Characters who talk to each other as if they were talking to 2-year-olds.Exhibit D: Killers who sing nursery rhymes while killing.Exhibit E:JUDGE: (Bangs his gavel) That's enough. Sentenced to time served. You are free to go.
gavin6942
Julia, a teacher in a school for the deaf, has a hideously deformed and deranged twin sister that resides in the local loony bin. She escapes to gate-crash a surprise birthday party for Julia. Sort of like "Halloween", but not exactly. This is more like the left-handed, red-headed little step-cousin through marriage. That is to say, a much lesser breed. (Some have gone so far as to call it a ripoff of "Happy Birthday to Me", but that is unfair.)In the world of Italian horror, the name Ovidio G. Assonitis doesn't get floated around much. I mean, did you ever see the "Jaws" ripoff "Tentacles"? The one where Shelley Winters wears the giant hat? If you have seen one of Assonitis' films, it was most likely one of these two. And even then, it was probably on accident unless you searched "Madhouse" out for being on the Video Nasties list.Critic Jim Harper's analysis of this film is well-stated. Harper describes the film, aside from the notorious dog scene (which is not as shocking as you may think), as "not quite so interesting". He deems that the movie "can't be considered a total failure", which is a bit of a forced compliment. Really, the plot is not much to work with, and the only thing that distinguishes this film from other Italian films of the same period is the superior video quality (which looked great in 2008 and looks even better in 2017 thanks to the Arrow 2K restoration).Harper understates the score of Riz Ortolani as "annoying". While annoying is an accurate summary, this doesn't really highlight the full extent of its inanity. What you will hear is an odd group of space sounds that would fit perfectly on an Atari game, such as "Asteroids", but has no place in a movie of this kind -- or maybe any kind. What is called "music" is little more than sound effects poorly strung together. This is a shame as Riz Ortolani was also the composer of "Mondo Cane" and "Cannibal Holocaust", among many others, so he can clearly do better.Fans and collectors of Italian horror or slashers will take delight in watching this one. Yes, it is poorly scripted, low budget and comes with minimal plot. But, frankly, this is something that makes the slasher film enjoyable. If this is what you're looking for, give "Madhouse" (or "There Was a Little Girl", as it is sometimes called) a try. If you're looking for superior horror fare or a positive introduction to Italian horror, this is not it. Try some Fulci or Argento from this period first.The Arrow Blu-ray features audio commentary with Justin Kerswell, author of "The Slasher Movie Book", and his friends. We have a new interview with actress Edith Ivey (who recounts the way the director had to direct through an interpreter). There is also a new 18-minute interview with cinematographer Roberto D'Ettorre Piazzoli, who may perhaps be the one who knew the director best. And, surprise, a brief interview with Ovidio Assonitis himself (and his English is actually very good). The only thing missing is a chat with the lead actress (Trish Everly), who never appeared in anything else before or since. Where is she?
