Crazy as Hell

This movie borrowed from others like Angel Heart, so there are no real shocks. But it's a really fun and sometimes thought provoking ride so I highly recommend it.

Enough has been given away in other user comments so I'll skip that part and go totally superficial. Eriq LaSalle is my new hero! He is the hottest Satan I've ever seen! I never paid much attention to him in the past but DAMN this guy has serious charisma. I think I need to go out and rent everything he's ever been in.

There were parts of this film which I did not like at all, because of the initial portrayal of the hospital and the patients. I worked Psych for 9 years and there were some scenes that were true to life, but overall, they were played for shock/humour. Having said this, I was distracted from these shortcomings by the excellent acting of the entire cast and when Mr.La Salle and Mr. Beach encounter each other, the sparks fly. I had no idea where the film was going but I was glad for the ride; these two guys display their talents and there is no doubt that you are seeing two masters at work. Some of the characters seemed superfluous to me, but the author did also write the screen play so I'll assume that he knew what he was doing (Big of me, don't you think?) I didn't care for the ending,and frankly, I thought it was an unoriginal cop-out, but the lead up to it - the chase, the revelation, made it bearable. Also, is there anything Ronnie Cox can't do?

I'd never heard of "Crazy As Hell" before seeing it, but I watched it on a whim. It was entertaining enough to keep my attention, but I was kind of waiting for it to end. The film just lacked intensity, which was odd considering the subject matter. Sadly, it just kind of dragged and not a whole lot happened. It felt like a Twilight Zone episode that was stretched into a two hour film. And, like many old Twilight Zone episodes, it dealt with a very one-dimensional character with a painfully obvious character flaw (in this case: arrogance/ego). Our main character isn't all that likable and doesn't seem to have anything at stake, so why should I care what happens to him? There are a lot of not-so-subtle clues and symbols. Oddly, many of them seemed like plot flaws and turned out to be intentional later on. For example (without giving anything away) in first scene, Ty stops his car then back up and accidentally backs his car over a glass bottle right behind his tire - why didn't he run it over it when he first pulled up? I dismissed this as a movie mistake, but it actually made sense in retrospect. Like a lot of the movie, it was so simple and obvious that I actually DIDN'T notice it.

"Crazy As Hell" is ER's Eriq LaSalle's directorial debut and it is a good one to watch. Although the movie did not receive much credits,I personally thought it was quite insightful entering the daunting world of a mental institution. Eric did a good job directing this rather uncomfortable topic and kept it up reasonably well as a provokative thriller.

The uncomfortable topic was how do we cure mental illness? It is generally accepted by the scientific world of today,that mental illness is a body of chemical imbalances. One cures it with medication-and lots of it(to be read as...keep the insane as sedated as the Law will permit you to!) How can we say anyone is cured,if they depend on chemicals by the hour? What happens if they missed a dosage-whether accidentally or purposely???

Crazy As Hell argues that other non-medicinal approaches may actually be the solution if we view mental illness as the imbalance of perspectives. Which means,therapy is the better permanent solution. Problem is,(you really have to see this movie for yourself)to be reminded of just how insane and derange most of the patients in a mental institution are. They are simply impossible to talk to,much less to be given therapy. The ones whom you can actually converse with,are so in their psychosis,before you can remotely attempt to cure them they will drive you nuts first! Because there is a good chance that anyone of us could lose a big chunk of our mental capacity is very frightening cause you'll never know what to expect(especially when dealing with mental patients in a funny farm,much less the faculty that works there too).

Only this movie and two others that had come this close to studies of mental patients,"Shock Corridor"(1963);"One Flew Over The Cuckcoo's Nest"-Oscar winner(1975),"Sybil"(1977)-Emmy winner,and most recently; "Girl Interrupted"-Oscar winner(2001)---this one gives a long hard look at goes on inside the minds of certain individuals,especially if they had the capacity to snap at any second.

After reading the blurb and checking out the poster on Amazon Prime I quickly stuck this on my watchlist. It looked like it could be an interesting horror flick... except it's not exactly a horror flick. What you get is an enjoyably creepy psychological ghost story, Even though it wasn't what I was expecting, it is well worth a watch, especially on a cold, wet, and windy winter afternoon: After all, there are a lot of good things about this film - the story, the direction, and the acting.

This is the story of a troubled psychiatrist who is suffering from the loss of his wife and child. He doesn't fully believe in medicating the mentally ill. He considers they could help most of them in a less intrusive way, through talk and actions. A stance that is more widely accepted today. What writer, Jeremy Levin, gives the audience is a well-structured argument for both methods. He doesn't condone one or the other. Add to this the mysterious patient named "Satan" and his belief to be the one and only Old Nick, Lucifer, Scratch... the devil himself, then you have interest, intrigue, and a splash of creepiness.

Eriq La Salle shows off his directing skills and they are strong. This is a well lit and nicely composed story. The lighting effects work to create the mood of the piece. I especially liked the dreamlike impression he delivers when Dr Adams meets Cheryl for the first time. This gives you the feeling of peace, which suddenly disappears when he enters the room and her illness takes control. The sex scene is another perfectly crafted sequence. Structured just right with the subdued light, close-up shots, and sound effects and music - the rhythmic drumbeat is perfection. All of this kept me interested and drew me further into the story.

That said, there are a few scenes that come across as average; they could remove these to make a stronger film. However, these are few and shouldn't hurt your enjoyment of the film and story.

However, it was La Salle's acting that made this movie so watchable. The way he keeps his character, Satan, light and breezy, even in his evil periods, is brilliant. He verbally skips his way through the film and this with the juxtaposition of Dr Adams makes their thrusts and parries more mesmerising. There are times you wonder who is being evaluated.

Though this is truly La Salle's film, the rest of the cast is also well above par... except for Sinbad. I liked Mr Johnson, the orderly who is forever trying to have "a word" with Dr Adams. Though the character comes off a little too bland, and that is something Sinbad is not. He portrays his character well, it's just that I was expecting somebody a smidgen more enlivened.

This is for all of you who like the paranormal and the mysterious. If you have Amazon Prime, then take a look, it is free. Those without, if you see a copy going cheap anywhere, then grab it, watch it and pass it on. This is a "one watch film". Though I enjoyed it and highly recommend it, I won't be rushing to watch it again.

Skip on over and check on my Chiller Thriller Killer and Dramatisation Of Life lists to see where this little flick charted.