Over at Alex on Film I’ve been watching some adaptations of the Poe story “The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether.” It’s an odd story, and may be the first to develop the theme of lunatics taking over and running the asylum. It’s always been a bit of an awkward piece to adapt though, as the audience knows what’s going on well before the coup is revealed, meaning our attention has to be diverted elsewhere. Nevertheless, I thought The Mansion of Madness (1973) was really good. Don’t Look in the Basement (1973) is just cheap exploitation fare. Stonehearst Asylum was only OK, and nothing to be excited about despite the cast.