Dan Dinello Collection

Shock Asylum

Transcript (Download)

The film you are about to see in no way accurately depicts the science of psychiatry, whose benefits to mankind far outweighs the damage being done.

The film's characters and story contained herein are an absolute fabrication.

The film is a bundle of lies sprinkled with fiction and then sauteed in a wrong sauce.

Upon viewing the film, some may conclude it as an accurate portrayal.

Well, it's not.

The Association of Psycho -Manipulation do not condone this film nor are they in any way associated with it, nor am I associated with them, neither singularly nor separately.

I am merely a spokesman hired as the result of an out -of -court settlement between the aforementioned association and the producers of this film to state categorically that this film is maliciously erroneous and viciously distorted.

Enjoy the film.

Hi, I'm...

May we help you? Yes.

I was sent by the Antwerp Corporation for a psychiatric evaluation.

It's required for all new employees.

Really? Yes, it's just...

a formality.

You don't seem very cooperative.

Well, it was a long drive from the city and it does seem a bit unnecessary.

Are we going to have trouble getting you to cooperate? No, I don't...

I don't like your attitude, mister.

You are reluctant and angry.

Have a seat and we'll be with you in a moment.

Doctor, this is Mr.

Gaxton.

He's here for a psychiatric evaluation.

Thank you, Betty.

Watch him.

He's reluctant and angry.

Mr.

Gaxton, I'm Dr.

DeWalt.

And this is Dr.

DeWalt.

Antwerp.

Good people.

This shouldn't take long.

Just a series of questions.

I'll make some notes and we'll be done.

Great.

Is your nurse all right? No.

Why do you ask? It just seemed that she was a trifle upset.

You think she was upset with you? I don't know.

It seemed that way.

I don't believe I did anything.

What do you think could have caused her to become upset? I don't know.

Do you often think that people are upset with you? No.

Am I upset? I don't know.

Am I pretty, Daddy? I'd like to keep you for a few days of observation.

What? Look, I'm afraid that's impossible.

I have to be back in the city.

Horace! Take him, please.

He's reluctant and angry.

We're going to help you, Mr.

Gaxton.

The Field Mouse.

The Field Mouse.

One of the fiercest predators you'll find in a field.

They've been known to drag down prey five times their own weight.

Doesn't seem too tough now, does he? Nature.

Mr.

Gaxon, you've been resisting our therapy.

Don't you want to get better? Fear doesn't seem like it.

We tried behavior modification, but you refused to adapt.

So then we tried the drug therapy.

We started you off with the Percocene.

But one of the common side effects of Percocene is hysterical delirium.

So we were forced to take that down a notch with the Silozan, which unfortunately made you too relaxed.

So we had to crank you up a notch with the Bibergall Styrate, which raised your heart rate to an almost lethal level and your body temperature to 135 degrees.

Wow.

Thank God for ice chips, huh? That Bibergall Styrate really is a wonder drug.

In any event, we were forced to pump massive doses of sodium lascola into your system, which wiped the slate clean and brought us back to square one, reluctant and angry.

So since you refused to respond to your medication and due to certain budgetary and time constraints, we have decided to move on to cranial drill therapy.

Okay.

Mr.

Gaxon, if you'll just pick a spot on the wall.

Mr.

Gaxon, please, there's nothing to be afraid of.

It's perfectly simple.

Look.

I've done thousands of these.

Hold still.

Hold, please.

Hold still.

Horace, look, the patient has escaped.

Let's go help him.

Get him, buck.

All right.

Pull him down.

Get him.

You idiot.

Perfect.

Focus.

Give me a little help here, boss.

Get him.

We're just trying to help you, Mr.

Gaxon.

Get him, you idiot.

You idiot.

Okay.

There you go.

You idiot.

Buck, get the desk, buck.

Fill him.

Fill him.

The one in the gallon.

The one in the gallon, buck.

You idiot.

Oh, my God.

That's it.

How do you feel, Mr.

Gaxon? Hole in my head.

Other than that, how do you feel? Reluctant and angry.

Damn.

I was sure the reluctant and angry center was near the temple.

Maybe it's in the back.

Say, is it getting darker? It shouldn't be.

It's only about 11 .15.

Sun will...

Hey.

Buck? Horace? Where is everybody? I'm blind.

As you can see upon viewing this film, it is ridiculous to imagine it is anything but utterly false.

Again, the Association of Psycho -Manipulations want you to know that...

I think they've left the room.

Oh, God, it's happening.

The film is true, especially the part about the drilling.

Take this information down.

The lab is located in the basement of the old...

No, no! Leave me alone! Ah!

Date Of Production
1996
Abstract
Shock Asylum is a black-comic tale of a routine psychological evaluation gone horribly awry. Shot on 16mm film, this dark, narrative comedy was co-directed by Dan Dinello and his nephew Paul Dinello. The script was written by Dan, Paul, and Stephen Colbert, based on a NewCity cover story (10/26/95) that Dan wrote called “Committed,” which is about a naïve young man involuntarily committed to Northwestern University’s mental health hospital. Made for $6,000 with a cast and crew drawn from Columbia College and local improv theaters, the film was shot at West Side V.A. Hospital (820 S Damen), LaBagh Woods, and in Oak Park's Rehm Park.


"[...] a hyperbolic, paranoid look at psychological evaluations in black and white that periodically calls to mind the frenetic early efforts of the Kuchar brothers." — Jonathan Rosenbaum, 1998.

"[...] plays like a dramatization of The Bell Jar starring the Three Stooges." — J.R. Jones for Chicago Reader, 1998.


Shock Asylum screened at many film festivals in the United States, including the 1997 Sundance Festival, the Chicago Underground Film Festival, the Arizona International Film and Video Festival, and the Boston Underground Film Festival; it also screened at several festivals in Europe and Canada, including the Berlin Underground Festival: Circles of Confusion where it premiered, the 3rd Manchester International Short Film and Video Festival and the Rendezvous With Madness Film Festival, Toronto. The movie was also screened on Bravo and IFC cable network.

Awards:
Best Short Film – New York Underground Film Festival,  1997
Best of the Fest – Atlanta Film and Video Festival, 1997

Partial funding for the film derived from a Columbia College Faculty Development Award.
Format
16mm
Extent
600 feet
Color
B&W
Sound
Optical
Reel/Tape Number
1/1
Notes
The version currently streaming from our website is from a Beta SP transfer of the 16mm original.
Language Of Materials
English
Element
Print
Genre
Comedy
Form
Short
Subject
Psychiatric hospitals
Related Collections
Dan Dinello Collection

Related Places
North America ➜ United States ➜ Illinois ➜ Oak Park
North America ➜ United States ➜ Illinois ➜ Chicago ➜ North Park
North America ➜ United States ➜ Illinois ➜ Chicago ➜ Near West Side

Main Credits
Dinello, Dan (is director)
Dinello, Paul (is director)

Additional Credits
Colbert, Stephen (is writer)
Dinello, Dan (is writer)
Dinello, Paul (is writer)
Bokhof, Ted (is cinematographer)
Garnes, Paul (is contributor)
Agnew, Tony (is contributor)
Trejo, Diego (sound)
Lee, J. Casey (camera)
Reed, Deborah (camera)
Jenkins, William (sound)
Lewis, Eric (sound)
Conley, John (is contributor)
Haworth, James (is contributor)
Lopez, Mark (is contributor)
Nilsson, Ken (is contributor)
Kite, Chuck (is contributor)
Cagney (music)
Brandenburger, Eric (is production assistant)
Dinello, Bryan (is production assistant)
Hogan, Peggy (is production assistant)
Musker, Mimi (is production assistant)
Rubenstone, George (is production assistant)

Participants And Performers
Dinello, Paul (is actor)
Colbert, Stephen (is actor)
Lennon, Jodi (is actor)
Van Flandern, Constance (is actor)
Allman, Scott (is actor)
Rhodes, Aaron (is actor)
Dinello, Bryan (is actor)
Brandenburger, Eric (is actor)
Pasquesi, David (is actor)

 
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