- The Asylum
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For other uses, see Asylum (disambiguation).
The Asylum 
Type Film
TV DVD DistributionFounded 1997 Founder(s) David Michael Latt
David Rimawi
Sherri StrainHeadquarters Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States Owner(s) Privately held Divisions Faith Films Website www.TheAsylum.cc The Asylum is an American film studio and distributor which focuses on producing low-budget, usually direct-to-video productions. The studio has produced titles that capitalize on productions by major studios; these titles have been dubbed "mockbusters" by the press.[1][2][3][4]
Contents
History
The Asylum was founded by former Village Roadshow executives David Rimawi, Sherri Strain, and director David Michael Latt in 1997.[1] The company focused on producing straight-to-video low-budget films, usually in the horror genre, but were unable to find a market due to competition from major studios, such as Lions Gate Entertainment.[1] In 2005, the company produced a low-budget adaptation of H. G. Wells' The War of the Worlds, which was released in the same year as Steven Spielberg's adaptation of the same material. Blockbuster Inc. ordered 100,000 copies of The Asylum's adaptation, a significantly larger order than any of the company's previous releases, resulting in Latt and Rimawi reconsidering their business model.[1]
In 2007, similarities between the distributor's titles and those of major studios were reported. For example, the film Transmorphers bears a number of similarities to the film Transformers, which was released theatrically two days after the release of Transmorphers.[1][2] According to Latt, "I'm not trying to dupe anybody. I'm just trying to get my films watched. Other people do tie-ins all the time; they’re just better at being subtle about it. Another studio might make a giant robot movie that ties into the Transformers release and call it Robot Wars. We’ll call ours Transmorphers."[1] In 2008, 20th Century Fox threatened legal action against The Asylum over The Day the Earth Stopped, a film capitalizing on The Day the Earth Stood Still.[5]
Production
The Asylum work schedule is typically four months from decision to create a title to finished product, with the script finished within four to six weeks.[4] Pre-production is afforded only a few weeks, production is "a couple of weeks" (In the case of Mega Piranha, it took longer because it was shot in Belize).[6] Filming takes an average of 12 to 15 pages of the script a day.[4]
Output
The Asylum's usual budget for a production is reportedly "well under a million dollars", and it typically breaks even after about three months. The Asylum has never lost money on a film.[7][6] The studio's productions have been called B movies[1] and "mockbusters".[1][3] Latt prefers the term "tie-ins" to "mockbusters",[1] stating that The Asylum's productions, even those that capitalize on major releases, contain original stories.[1] Latt states that the studio plans its productions around the word of mouth of the financial prospects of upcoming films.[3] The studio's films are usually released on video shortly before the theatrical release of a major studio film with similar themes or storylines.[3]
The Asylum has also produced films with strong religious themes.[1] For example, The Apocalypse was initially developed as a straightforward disaster film in the style of Deep Impact, but Latt states that certain buyers wanted the company to develop a religious film.[1] As a result, the company consulted priests and rabbis in order to incorporate faith-based elements.[1] The division Faith Films was created in order to distribute titles with such themes.[1] Sunday School Musical was produced after The Asylum staff attended a seminar for marketing to a Christian audience, and the seminar's host suggested that the perfect film would be a Christian version of High School Musical.[4]
The Asylum productions sometimes feature more overt sexuality or graphic violence than their major studio counterparts, because The Asylum's releases are not in competition with films rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America.[3] Rolf Potts of The New York Times described Transmorphers as having "no recognizable actors, no merchandising tie-ins and a garbled sound mix. Also unlike Transformers, it has cheap special effects and a subplot involving lesbians."[1]
The 2008 release Death Racers featured the hip hop group Insane Clown Posse and wrestler Scott "Raven" Levy in major roles.[8] The 2011 release Mega Python vs. Gatoroid starred Debbie Gibson and Tiffany.
List of mockbusters
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Potts, Rolf (October 7, 2007). "The New B Movie". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/07/magazine/07wwln-essay-t.html?_r=2&ref=magazine&oref=slogin. Retrieved 6 February 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Borrelli, Christopher (2009-07-03). "Bizarro Blockbusters". Chicago Tribune. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2009-07-03/entertainment/0907010536_1_asylum-parallel-universe-dreamworks. Retrieved 2010-10-12.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Movie 'Mockbusters' Put Snakes on Trains". National Public Radio. December 8, 2007. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16986812. Retrieved 6 February 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Solomon, Dan (2011-08-23). "How to Make a Mockbuster (In Five Easy Steps)". Adult Swim. http://www.adultswim.com/blog/interviews/how-to-make-a-mockbuster.html. Retrieved 2011-08-24.
- ^ a b "Fox takes action against 'Day the Earth Stopped' ". The Hollywood Reporter. November 11, 2008. http://login.vnuemedia.com/hr/login/login_subscribe.jsp?id=ES0iIblMoA%2B88kva%2FK775HP%2BMWDGdHmVkvfquUAHmu%2BCSsG3RMNzRp5028HMxTj%2BQahO6lGTHR%2FX%0AD4rklCatECLxQyWqoLgf0U6q4brNwaS%2Bec%2FJOJhEePAVLUYAfZkB0lUM29YS4U4Io0ju9EuqXixm%0AY9KNvVHM%2FN4nBwfHjMHCZqP8qPla1WOfZ3T2vj7kfrAhrL5kLPN393gymA8HBdiPQ9gwGnNUENr6%0AZecsnIbn%2B%2FH65qFTyODOP8%2Bf3XflLZVTT3wKJPSiOpU0WA0vIsr5OeSCa%2FFhZ06g9WoYfblMBV1s%0AYauNgNcPiuSUJq0QIvFDJaqguB%2FRTqrhus3BpMBgUcPA%2B%2BDz. Retrieved 6 February 2009.
- ^ a b Latt, David. "[1]" 'Interview, 'Front Row', BBC Radio 4', 16 July 2010.
- ^ Patterson, John. "Seeking Asylum: the rise of Hollywood's Z-movies" The Guardian, 30 July 2009.
- ^ McLendon, Gary (September 16, 2008). "Henrietta actor has had varied life". Rochester, New York: Democrat and Chronicle.
- ^ "Vampires vs. Zombies review". ZombieLore. Jan 11, 2006. http://zombielore.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=96&Itemid=43. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
- ^ Cinema Suicide - No Idols, No Whips, No Service: Allan Quatermain and the Temple of Skulls
- ^ Dread Central - Transmorphers: Fall of Man
- ^ TarsTarkas.net - Princess of Mars
- ^ Slate.com - Paranormal Activity vs. Paranormal Entity: Comparing the Low-Budget Horror Sensation to Its Even Lower-Budget Knockoff
- ^ Elder Geek - Mockbuster Review: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes
- ^ FilmShaft Exclusive: Director Eric Forsberg on Mega Piranha and the Rise of the Mockbuster
- ^ ScreenRant - The Asylum Mimics an Alien Invasion in Battle of Los Angeles
- ^ Dread Central - The Asylum's Almighty Thor Hammers Kevin Nash, Richard Grieco and a Top Model
- ^ Bad Movie Nite - Trailer: 200 mph
External links
The Asylum Action films Snakes on a Train (2006) · Street Racer (2008) · Death Racers (2008) · 200 mph (2011) · 3 Musketeers (2011)Adventure films King of the Lost World (2005) · Pirates of Treasure Island (2006) · 30,000 Leagues Under the Sea (2007) · Allan Quatermain and the Temple of Skulls (2008) · Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008) · The 7 Adventures of Sinbad (2010) · Almighty Thor (2011)Comedy films Fourplay (2001) · Jane White Is Sick & Twisted (2002) · 18 Year Old Virgin (2009) · Sex Pot (2009) · #1 Cheerleader Camp (2010) · MILF (2010) · Barely Legal (2011)Disaster films The Apocalypse (2007) · I Am Omega (2007) · Mega Shark Versus Giant Octopus (2009) · Megafault (2009) · Airline Disaster (2010) · Mega Piranha (2010) · Titanic II (2010) · Mega Shark Versus Crocosaurus (2010) · Mega Python vs. Gatoroid (2011) · 2012: Ice Age (2011)Drama films Bellyfruit (1999) · King of the Ants (2003) · The 9/11 Commission Report (2006) · 2010: Moby Dick (2010) · Princess and the Pony (2011)Fantasy films Dragon (2006) · Merlin and the War of the Dragons (2008) · Dragonquest (2009) · Dragon Crusaders (2011)Horror films Killers (1997) • Killers 2: The beast (2003) • Speed Demon (2003) · Vampires Vs. Zombies (2004) · Death Valley: The Revenge of Bloody Bill (2004) · Evil Eyes (2004) · Shapeshifter (2005) · Legion of the Dead (2005) · Dead Men Walking (2005) · Jolly Roger: Massacre at Cutter's Cove (2005) · Exorcism: The Possession of Gail Bowers (2006) · When a Killer Calls (2006) · Hillside Cannibals (2006) · Bram Stoker's Dracula's Curse (2006) · Halloween Night (2006) · Freakshow (2007) · The Hitchhiker (2007) · Monster (2008) · Haunting of Winchester House (2009) · Paranormal Entity (2009) · 8213: Gacy House (2010) · Anneliese: The Exorcist Tapes (2011) · Zombie Apocalypse (2011) · 2 Headed Shark Attack (2012)Musical films Sunday School Musical (2008)Mystery films The Da Vinci Treasure (2006) · Sherlock Holmes (2010)Science fiction films Alien Abduction (2005) · H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds (2005) · Supercroc (2005) · Transmorphers (2007) · Invasion of the Pod People (2007) · AVH: Alien vs Hunter (2007) · Universal Soldiers (2007) · 100 Million BC (2008) · War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave (2008) · The Day the Earth Stopped (2008) · The Terminators (2009) · Transmorphers: Fall of Man (2009) · The Land That Time Forgot (2009) · Princess of Mars (2009) · 2012: Supernova (2009) · Battle of Los Angeles (2011)Western films 6 Guns (2010)Related List of The Asylum MonstersCategories:- Companies established in 1997
- Entertainment companies of the United States
- Film distributors
- Film production companies of the United States
- Non-theatrical film production companies
- The Asylum films
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