Most of the film was shot in a small section of the Danvers Asylum;[13] according to actor David Caruso, the rest of the building was "unsafe" for shooting. It follows an asbestos abatement crew who begin to experience growing tensions while working in an abandoned mental asylum; this is paralleled by the gradual revelation of a former patient's disturbed past through recorded audio tapes of her regression sessions. "[21] Slant Magazine favorably compared it to the 1973 film Don't Look Now, writing, "Anderson's creeper is nowhere near as profound, but the film's old-fashioned pacing and revelatory camerawork bring to mind [Nicolas] Roeg's uniquely terrifying dreamworlds. In 1997, a dog walker spied a cemetery on the grounds without traditional headstones. It was part of the countrywide concept – at least in the late 1800s – that people with psychological problems needed to be cured inside specially made facilities. Massachusetts is no stranger to spooky tales, but not all of them are terrifying enough to have made it to the silver screen. 9 Arkham Asylum - Batman Universe. An additional worker, Craig McManus, is hired to take Hank's place. (1983, 1988). [26], USA Films and Universal Home Entertainment released a DVD of Session 9 on February 26, 2002. It wasn't like day three and we were throwing water balloons because it was so much fun to be there. Monica Noury , Neighbor Posted Thu, Aug 11, 2011 at 5:13 p m ET | Updated Sat, Aug 13, 2011 at 8:22 p m ET You can really feel the pain of the people that went through Danvers. It was always scary. However, things didn’t go as planned. While we continue to feature destinations that make our state wonderful, please take proper precautions or add them to your bucket list to see at a later date. [5][6][7], Scholar Heike Schwarz states that Session 9 "refers to DID [ Dissociative identity disorder ] and a possible possession with a demonic personality. The men split up to search for Hank, while Mike instead is compelled to continue listening to the tapes. This time the horror movie was pre-planned, and the storm was just a cereal box prize. Incredibly, the movie was actually shot on location in the abandoned and crumbling asylum. [2], Session 9 received mixed to positive reviews from critics. It spanned several acres and was a massive institution originally intended to be a beacon of modernity and progress in the treatment of mental disorders. Read Full Synopsis Cast + Crew Previous Cast Members More Cast Members. You'll receive your first newsletter soon! The dreadful history of Danvers State Hospital inspired the 2001 horror film Session 9. [19] Los Angeles Times said of the film: "Session 9 is so effective that its sense of uncertainty lingers long after the theater lights have gone up. The score is in an ambient and dark ambient vein. The film currently holds a 64% approval rating on movie review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes based on 70 reviews, with a weighted mean score of 6.28/10. "[20] Bloody Disgusting ranked the film fifth in its list of the twenty best horror films of the 2000s, writing, "Session 9 isn't just a cheap, hack 'n' slash, instantly-forgettable type horror film, but a psychologically probing, deeply unsettling journey off the edge and into the abyss of the human mind. X. When Jeff retrieves the others, Hank has vanished. Gordon is confronted by Phil, who repeatedly tells him to "wake up" before vanishing in front of him. Ghost Hunting at Danvers State Hospital. "Choke Chain" by Sentridoh is played over the closing credits of the film, but is not featured on the album. Lovecraft's horror short story "The Thing on the Doorstep". The administration building measured 90 by 60 feet, with a tower 130 feet tall. It follows an asbestos abatement crew who begin to experience growing tensions while working in an abandoned mental asylum; this is paralleled by the gradual revelation of a former patient's disturbed past through recorded audio tapes of her regression sessions. The Danvers state hospital took 4 years to build and was completed in 1878 at a construction cost of $1.5 million, which was a massive amount of money at the time. when you buy 1 participating Hershey’s party. Danvers State Hospital first opened in 1878. "[25] Dave Kehr, in a mixed review for The New York Times, praises the "impeccable" performances and the dialogue's "authentic working-class snap", but criticizes the pacing which "often feels long and aimless", and concludes that the film "loses any sense of urgency or structure" because of Anderson's choice to leave the connections between events unstated. Danvers State Hospital first opened in 1878. While surveying the job site, Gordon hears a disembodied voice that greets him by name, but ignores it. Shortly after, the generator runs out of fuel, leaving Jeff trapped in absolute darkness. anyone been there that can share their experience with me? M. Scott Peck also saw evil originating from weakness or cowardice. Don't Look Now, directed by Nicolas Roeg, was one inspiration for the film, for its sense of place and because the lead character realizes in the climax that he is at the heart of the mystery. Danvers State Hospital, Danvers, Massachusetts. Danvers State Hospital continued to operate until the entire facility closed in June of 1992. Structures such as State Danvers Hospital and Pennhurst Asylum were notorious for abusing their patients and utilizing inhumane treatment methods. This movie really knows how to be scary, and unsettling, without being campy and laden with jump scares. When Hank fails to show up to work the next day, the others learn he broke up with his girlfriend, and speculate he may have won money gambling and left town. Massachusetts native. to which "Simon" responds: "I live in the weak and the wounded, Doc. While the film was not a financial success, Session 9 was moderately well-received critically and is by some considered a cult film.[3]. Danvers State Hospital continued to operate until the entire facility closed in June of 1992. However, things didn’t go as planned. Built in 1874, opened in 1878 and closed in 1992. And according to the Southern Essex Registry of Deeds, it’s the largest A place to share historic images and the history of Danvers State Hospital. Session 9 is a 2001 American psychological horror film directed by Brad Anderson, written by Anderson and Stephen Gevedon, and starring David Caruso, Peter Mullan, Stephen Gevedon, Paul Guilfoyle, Josh Lucas, and Brendan Sexton III. Built in the 1880s, it served the noble purpose of helping mentally ill children. Overcrowding was so severe that some patients were sleeping in the hallways or two to a bed. Danvers State Hospital was originally called the State Lunatic Asylum at Danvers (a cheerful name, for sure). The outer wings (A and J) housed the dangerous patients. He confides in Phil that he slapped her after she inadvertently splashed him with a pot of boiling water, and that she refuses to answer his calls or let him see their infant daughter. Most of the buildings on campus were connected by a confusing labyrinth of underground tunnels. All of that stuff was sitting there. Nov 8, 2016 - The State Lunatic Hospital at Danvers built in 1874 and opened in 1878 on an isolated site in rural Massachusetts. Get more stories delivered right to your email. Connected in the rear was a building 180 by 60 feet, in which the kitchens, laundries, chapel, and dormitories for the attendants. Not such a great idea – 150 such individuals were arrested for trespassing. The central administrative area and the two sets of wings were gutted and refurbished into condominiums. [12] Anderson has stated that he aimed to use sound to convey the plot as well as to generate "a creepy tone"; the sound design incorporated the subliminal use of animal and mechanical noises.[10]. As he flees, he is confronted by an unknown assailant. Peck, M. Scott. If you’re up for another spooky Bay State story, click here. Freelance writer and strawberry eater. After Session 9, Danvers State Hospital lay abandoned, save for movie fans and urban explorers who busted in to have a look around. Thank you! Ghosting hunting inside Danvers State Hospital . A few months ago, I wrote about my visit to Avalon Danvers Apartments, the current karmic incarnation of what was once Danvers Insane Asylum, in Danvers, MA. The score to Session 9 was composed by Seattle, Washington-based experimental band Climax Golden Twins. It was a multi-acre, self-contained psychiatric hospital designed and built according to the Kirkbride Plan. Mike restores the electricity and continues listening to the ninth session tape, which reveals that one of Mary's malignant personalities, "Simon," was responsible for her stabbing her little brother and parents to death. The soundtrack was released on August 21, 2001, through Milan Records. You might expect the hospital’s story to end there… but not so fast. Lovecraft’s Arkham Sanatorium, Danvers has a gothic design that has captured the imagination of horror aficionados. "[23] San Francisco Chronicle said, "the story doesn't quite pay off, characters are underwritten and the surprise ending is contrived and unconvincing. Thank you! It spanned several acres and was a massive institution originally intended to be a beacon of modernity and progress in the treatment of mental disorders. "[8] Today the hospital has been partially demolished and will be renovated in the coming years. Session 9 premiered at the Fantasia Festival in July 2001. He also recalls his killing Wendy, his infant daughter, and dog after Wendy spilled the boiling water on him. I’m not sure where I was when this film was released in 2001, but I was a different kind of nerd then, and this film just wasn’t on my radar, I guess. See Full Cast + Crew for Mysteries of Danvers State Hospital Features Load More Features Movie Reviews Presented by Rotten Tomatoes. It was built in 1874, and opened in 1878, under the supervision of prominent Boston architect Nathaniel Jeremiah Bradlee, on an isolated site in rural Massachusetts. A negative review came from Variety, which wrote, "while pic works up a nervously eerie paranoia, it finally doesn't know what to do with what it sets up. Gordon attacks Craig, forcing him in a headlock before pulling the lobotomy pick from Hank's eye socket and stabbing it into Craig′s. Reports of spooky happenings such as disembodied footsteps, strange lights, screaming, and ghost sightings have been steadily circulated ever since, even though the property is closed to the public. If you know of a local business that could use some extra support during these times, please nominate them here: The hospital was equipped to house about 500 patients, with room for 100 more if needed. Gordon Fleming, the owner of an asbestos abatement company in Massachusetts, makes a bid to remove asbestos from an abandoned psychiatric hospital. In a stairwell in the hospital, Jeff witnesses Hank staring out a window wearing sunglasses, talking to himself. Meanwhile, Phil finds Gordon in Mary's former hospital room, staring at photos from his daughter's baptism which he has pasted to the wall. [17], Some critics praised the film's dark, eerie atmosphere and lack of gore. During working hours, Gordon repeatedly attempts to contact his wife, Wendy, but she screens his calls. The hospital was used as a filming location for the movie Session 9, after which the building was boarded up. Love Massachusetts? This is what the movie Sinister (2012) should have been, if the atrocious jump scares were removed and parts of the plot strengthened. At its peak, the facility had 40 buildings and maxe… See more ideas about danvers, hospital, underground tunnels. Jeff and Phil separately descend into the tunnels to search for Hank; Phil finds him, half-nude, still wearing sunglasses, and muttering to himself. The hospital has also inspired other creative works such as H.P. [2] It ended its American theatrical run on October 18, grossing a total of $378,176. [4] He also points out that the deleted scenes included on the DVD help fill out the narrative. Later in life I would find out that it inspired horror writer H.P. [10] Caruso also claims the sets did not need to be dressed as all the props featured in the film were already there inside the building. [2] The film was a greater financial success abroad, earning $1.2 million internationally. "Collins' Crypt: SESSION 9 Scares Me Even More Now", "The Brad Anderson Sessions: On "Session 9" and "Happy Accidents, "Agent Orange: Session 9 with Director Brad Anderson & David Caruso", "History – Cinemabox & Unisoft Present Fantasia 2012", "00's Retrospect: Bloody Disgusting's Top 20 Films of the Decade...Part 4", "Film Review; Getting More Than They Bargained For When They Submitted the Low Bid", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Session_9&oldid=990391086, Abandoned buildings and structures in fiction, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 24 November 2020, at 06:05. All tracks are written by Climax Golden Twins (Scott Colburn, Robert Millis, Jeffrey Taylor), except "Piece for Tape Recorder", written and recorded by Vladimir Ussachevsky. Ruby Donut Is A Hole-In-The-Wall Shop In Massachusetts With Dozens Of Donuts You Need To Try, Rent An ATV In Massachusetts And Go Off-Roading Through The Berkshires, Escape To Trap Falls For A Beautiful Massachusetts Nature Scene, You’re Not A True Massachusettsan Until You’ve Tried New England Clam Chowder, The State’s Most Famous Dish, The Story Behind This Evil Place In Massachusetts Will Make Your Blood Turn Cold, Nature Is Reclaiming This One Abandoned Massachusetts Spot And It’s Actually Amazing, 13 Staggering Photos Of An Abandoned Asylum Hiding In Massachusetts, The Most Haunted Forest In America Is Right Here In Massachusetts. Danvers State Hospital was one of the most notorious asylums during its time. The fictional "Patricia Willard scandal" at Danvers State Hospital, cited by Mike at the film's beginning, strongly appears to have been inspired by a real-life wave of problematic "Satanism and sex-abuse" allegations that swept the United States circa the 1980s, including (among others) one involving the Amirault family in nearby Malden, Massachusetts. Buy movie tickets in advance, find movie times, watch trailers, read movie reviews, and more at Fandango. By the time I started my research into Kirkbrides, Danvers State Hospital was already well on its way to being demolished, but that didn’t stop me from driving the nearly two hours out to the North Shore of Massachusetts to see the remains of the Castle on the Hill. It was one of the first motion pictures to be shot in 24p HD digital video,[14] which shoots at 24 frames-per-second like film, as opposed to regular digital video which shoots at 30 frames-per-second. Walter Jackson Freeman II (an American physician) conducted numerous lobotomy procedures in the hospital. It's not fun. Distraught, Gordon confusedly attempts to call his home to apologize to Wendy. does anyone know anything interesting about this place? 2) The Danvers State Asylum was also featured in the 1958 film Home Before Dark. Infamous, haunting, beautiful, a memory ~ Snuck in myself in 2003 he he he. Visit. Danvers State Hospital (AKA: State Lunatic Hospital at Danvers, The Danvers Lunatic Asylum, and The Danvers State Insane Asylum), Massachusetts. Session 9 is about an asbestos abatement crew who begin to experience terrifying things while clearing the Danvers State Hospital. As he stares at the bloody scene, an excerpt from the ninth session tape plays: During it, Mary's doctor asks her, "And where do you live, Simon?" The following day, Gordon arrives at the hospital and finds Hank wrapped in plastic sheeting in one of the rooms, the lobotomy pick protruding from his eye. Session 9 is a 2001 psychological horror film directed by Brad Anderson and stars David Caruso, Peter Mullan, Stephen Gevedon, Paul Guilfoyle, Josh Lucas, and Brendan Sexton. [27] A Blu-ray edition was released in August 2016 by Scream Factory.[28]. Session 9 is a 2001 American psychological horror film directed by Brad Anderson, written by Anderson and Stephen Gevedon, and starring David Caruso, Peter Mullan, Stephen Gevedon, Paul Guilfoyle, Josh Lucas, and Brendan Sexton III. [10] Anderson states that it was also "as you imagine, very much inspired by the location",[11] Danvers State Asylum. The home to misery, madness, tragedies and troubling treatments. This later inspired a psychiatric hospital within the Batman universe called Arkham Asylum. If you don’t feel like clicking that link, don’t worry. This psychiatric hospital/prison housed Batman's greatest foes … Late that night, Hank covertly returns to the hospital to retrieve the items, and discovers a lobotomy pick among them. People of the Lie: The hope for healing human evil. It's a rough environment. The film's plot was inspired by the Richard Rosenthal case, a murder that took place in Boston, where Anderson grew up, in the mid-1990s, in which a man supposedly killed his wife after she accidentally burnt his dinner, then cut out her heart and lungs and put them in his backyard on a stake. Danvers State Hospital in Movies and Books: Due to its ghostly appearance and horrific history, the hospital has been featured in various films, books and video games over the years, including the 1958 horror film Home Before Dark, which features interior and exterior shots of the Kirkbride building, and the 2001 horror movie Session 9, which was filmed on location at the hospital in 2000. Yesterday I watched Session 9 (from my list of movies I plan on checking out this fall), a movie filmed on location at the Danvers State Hospital/Insane Asylum in Danvers, Massachusetts. By the late 1930s, Danvers was home to over 2,000 patients. Hank becomes frightened by a series of noises, and witnesses a shadowy figure in the tunnel. Mike begins listening to the tapes in the ensuing days, which contain sessions in which Mary's psychologist attempts to unveil details surrounding a crime she committed at her home two decades prior; in the sessions, Mary exhibits numerous personalities who have unique voices and demeanors. The hospital was used as a filming location for the movie Session 9 (2001); afterward the building was boarded up and 24-hour security was placed on-site. We’re aware that these uncertain times are limiting many aspects of life. You will receive your first email soon. Anderson describes Session 9 as an "American tragedy", and states that he and screenwriter Stephen Gevedon aimed "to subvert the conventions of the so-called horror genre that exists now", which he describes as "less horror than it is teen thriller."[10]. Yesterday I watched Session 9 (from my list of movies I plan on checking out this fall), a movie filmed on location at the Danvers State Hospital/Insane Asylum in Danvers, Massachusetts.I’m not sure where I was when this film was released in 2001, but I was a different kind of nerd then, and this film just wasn’t on my radar, I guess. His crew includes Mike, a law school dropout who is knowledgeable about the asylum's history; Phil, who is dealing with his grief over a recent breakup; Hank, a gambling addict; and Jeff, Gordon's nephew with a pathological fear of the dark. [15][16] It was released to theaters on August 10, playing on 30 screens. They didn't have to dress any sets, or anything. "[18] Rolling Stone called it "a spine-tingler", and praised Brad Anderson's direction. The story of Danvers State Hospital, however, is so horrifying that it inspired the Hollywood movie Session 9. Construction on Danvers State Hospital started in 1874 and the first patients moved in sometime in 1878. Lovecraft’s “The Thing on the Doorstep.”`. Mysteries of Danvers State Hospital Synopsis. Jeff subsequently emerges from the tunnels, resurfacing in an outbuilding, and is attacked by an unseen assailant at the company van. None of the hospitals are accredited and in 1986 the system was ranked 41st among the states in a survey by the Public Citizens Health Research Group, a consumer advocacy group in Washington. ", In reviewing the film for the 2003 edition of The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror, Edward Bryant contends that Simon is not necessarily an alternate personality of the former patient Mary, but rather a malevolent genius loci. No trespassing is allowed on the property. Lovecraft’s Arkham Asylum, which in turn was incorporated into the Batman universe. 1) The Danvers State Hospital is believed to be an inspiration behind the infamous Arkham Sanatorium from H.P. Danvers State Hospital also known as The Danvers Lunatic Asylum, is located in Danvers, Massachusetts, United States. The setting is impeccable. [4] Critics have also pointed out similarities and references to Stanley Kubrick's The Shining (1980). It was a terrifying location.[13]. Offers . As the men begin their job, Mike discovers a box containing nine audio-taped sessions with Mary Hobbes, a patient who suffered from dissociative identity disorder. The Danvers State Hospital, also known as the State Lunatic Hospital at Danvers, The Danvers Lunatic Asylum, and The Danvers State Insane Asylum, was a psychiatric hospital located in Danvers, Massachusetts. The Danvers State Hospital had been a place of intrigue throughout Danvers' history. Century Hutchinson. The story of Danvers State Hospital, however, is so horrifying that it inspired the Hollywood movie Session 9. [9], Session 9 was director Brad Anderson's first horror film, after directing two romantic comedy films, Next Stop Wonderland (1998) and Happy Accidents (2000). The federal government walked away from it about thirty years ago. In 2007, three-quarters of the hospital were demolished. "[22], Some reviewers criticized the film's ending. However, there have been some positive portrayals of these institutions and some even stemmed from the creator's own experiences. Get A Movie Rental. Before most of the hospital was demolished in 2006, Hollywood used some of the Danvers hospital, and many of it’s creepy and existing equipment as props, to make the cult classic film Session 9.. In the rear is the boiler house … The film takes place in and around the Danvers State Mental Hospital in Danvers, Massachusetts, which was partially demolished five years after the film was made. It's on the film. Reports began to circulate that patients were being held in straightjackets and subjected to shock therapy, roaming property in the nude, and smearing the walls with feces. Constructed at a cost of $1.5 million, with the estimated yearly per capita cost of patients being $3,000 the hospital originally consisted of two main center buildings, housing the administration, with four radiating wings. Things changed in the 1920s and that horrible period formed the ghosts we know today. The psychiatric hospital hospital was built in 1874 and opened its doors in 1878, it was build on many acres, designed to be self sustained and isolated from the rest of the state. Flickr/Rana Xavier. Danvers State Hospital in Massachusetts was opened in 1878 and from my earliest days I remember it looming high above U.S. Route One on a dome-shaped hill surrounded by sloping farmland. The complete history and architecture of the Danvers State Hospital, Danvers State Insane Asylum, The State Lunatic Hospital at Danvers, Danvers Insane Hospital including Nathaniel J. Bradlee, Superintendents, Image Galleries, Time lines, Videos Historic …