9. Madhouse (1981)
Madhouse? A wicked Video Nasty featuring lunatics murdering each other with delightfully gory, depraved modus operandi? Unfortunately not. Were it not for one scene in this movie - the drilling of a dog in the head, this film has no business at all being on the DPP 72 list. This is a very tame, good old fashioned horror movie which is not particularly interesting. It is pretty clear throughout who the murderer is and there are no shocks in the plot - everything is predictable. It has a kind of a soap opera sheen about it which is a million miles away from the Video Nasty ethos. Horror fans will be just about satisfied but no more. Madhouse borrows heavily from other popular horror films of the age - nicking strains of The Omen and Halloween. About the only thing it has going for it is a Riz Ortolani soundtrack. Riz never disappoints. You can count on that.
Clare Simpson
Contributor
My first film watched was Carrie aged 2 on my dad's knee. Educated at The University of St Andrews and Trinity College Dublin. Fan of Arthouse, Exploitation, Horror, Euro Trash, Giallo, New French Extremism. Weaned at the bosom of a Russ Meyer starlet. The bleaker, artier or sleazier the better!
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Clare