View source for The Asylum

{{short description|American film studio and distributor}}
{{Other uses|Asylum (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2012}}
{{Infobox company
| name = The Asylum
| logo = The Asylum logo.png
| type = [[Privately held company|Private]]
| foundation = {{start date and age|1997}}
| founder = David Michael Latt<br />David Rimawi<br />Sherri Strain
| location = [[Burbank, California]]
| hq_location_country =
| key_people = {{ubl|
* David Michael Latt ([[President (corporate title)|president]])
* David Rimawi ([[Chief executive officer|CEO]])
* [[Paul Bales]] ([[Chief operating officer|COO]])
}}
| divisions = Faith Films
| homepage = {{URL|theasylum.cc}}
}}
'''The Asylum''' is an American independent film production and distribution company based in [[Burbank, California]]. The company is known for producing low-budget, [[direct-to-video]] films, in particular [[mockbuster]]s, which capitalize on the popularity of major studio films with similar titles and premises. The Asylum's business model revolves around producing as many low-budget films as quickly as possible, which earn around $150,000 to $250,000 in profit. Since the company produces dozens of films every year, this model generates millions of dollars, and the company claims to have never lost money on a film. The Asylum spends around 4-6 months making a film, and since the company is not affiliated with any industry [[guild]]s other than [[SAG-AFTRA]], this means their employees will sometimes work upwards of 22 hours a day.
Initially founded as a distribution company for low-budget drama films, The Asylum switched to in-house productions in the mid-2000s due to competition from larger studios like [[Lionsgate Films]]. In 2005, The Asylum released the film ''[[H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds (The Asylum film)|H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds]]'' the day before [[Steven Spielberg]] film ''[[War of the Worlds (2005 film)|War of the Worlds]]''. [[Blockbuster (retailer)|Blockbuster]] ordered 100,000 copies, which inspired The Asylum to focus on mockbusters. This led to a partnership with the television channel [[Syfy]], and with the rise of [[video on demand]] (VOD) services in the early 2010s, partnerships with [[Pluto TV]] and [[Tubi]]. The Asylum's greatest success came in 2013 with the film ''[[Sharknado]]'', which is about a [[waterspout]] that lifts sharks out of the ocean and drops them over [[Los Angeles]]. The over-the-top premise went [[viral phenomenon|viral]], and led to the creation of the [[Sharknado (film series)|''Sharknado'' franchise]]. In response to the popularity of ''Sharknado'', Syfy commissioned The Asylum to produce a [[zombie]] television series called ''[[Z Nation]]'', which ran for five seasons.
Many of the company's films can now be found on [[Tubi]].
==History==
===1997–2009===
[[File:Paul Bales by Gage Skidmore.jpg|right|thumb|The Asylum's [[chief operating officer]] Paul Bales]]
The Asylum was founded in 1997 by David Latt, David Rimawi, and Sherri Strain.<ref name="HR">{{cite web|last=Ritman|first=Alex|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/the-asylum-celebrates-25-year-anniversary-1235251946/|title=AFM: How The Asylum Used Schlock and Awe to Create a B-Movie Empire|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=November 1, 2022|accessdate=March 21, 2024|archive-date=June 4, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230604064638/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/the-asylum-celebrates-25-year-anniversary-1235251946/|url-status=live}}</ref> Rimawi and Strain had been fired by [[Village Roadshow Pictures]], and Latt was working for an [[Educational software|education software]] company called Chimera Multimedia.<ref name="HR"/> Latt and Rimawi had previously worked together on the 1992 film ''Sorority House Party'', and together with Strain, launched The Asylum as a film distribution company.<ref name="HR"/><ref name="GQ">{{cite web|last=Katz|first=David|url=https://www.gq.com/story/sharknado-atlantic-rim-pacific-rim-asylum-movie-spoof|title=From Asylum, the People Who Brought You (a Movie Kinda Sorta Like) Pacific Rim|website=[[GQ]]|date=July 11, 2013|accessdate=March 21, 2024|archive-date=March 21, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240321220858/https://www.gq.com/story/sharknado-atlantic-rim-pacific-rim-asylum-movie-spoof|url-status=live}}</ref> The Asylum's first release was ''[[Bellyfruit]]'' in 1999, a [[comedy drama]] about a teen pregnancy.<ref name="FilmInt">{{cite web|last=Dixon|first=Wheeler Winston|url=https://filmint.nu/inside-the-asylum-the-outlaw-studio-that-changed-hollywood/|title=Inside The Asylum: The Outlaw Studio That Changed Hollywood|website=[[Film International]]|date=July 25, 2013|accessdate=March 21, 2024|archive-date=March 20, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240320113958/https://filmint.nu/inside-the-asylum-the-outlaw-studio-that-changed-hollywood/|url-status=live}}</ref> The company's initial goal was to distribute low-budget drama films like ''Bellyfruit'' to [[video rental shop|video rental chain]]s like [[Blockbuster (retailer)|Blockbuster]] and [[Hollywood Video]], but their approach changed in the early 2000s, as video rental chains were more interested in [[direct-to-video]] horror films.<ref name="Forbes">{{cite magazine|last=Pomerantz|first=Dorothy|title=Schlock And Awe|magazine=[[Forbes]]|date=October 22, 2012|pages=50–52|volume=190|issue=7|issn=0015-6914}}</ref> The Asylum struggled to break into the distribution market, as larger companies like [[Lionsgate Films]] would routinely offer filmmakers more money.<ref name="Forbes"/> This led to a change in their business model in 2002, with a focus on in-house productions.<ref name="HR"/> Their goal was to produce one film per month, starting with the 2002 [[crime thriller]] ''[[King of the Ants]]''.<ref name="HR"/> Strain left the company in 2002, and was replaced by former [[Screen Actors Guild]] employee [[Paul Bales]].<ref name="FilmInt"/>
According to ''[[Film International]]'', The Asylum's first hit film was ''[[Vampires vs. Zombies]]'' in 2004.<ref name="FilmInt"/> Although the film was marketed as an adaptation of the 1872 novella ''[[Carmilla]]'', ''Vampires vs. Zombies''{{'s}} poster bore a striking resemblance to ''[[Freddy vs. Jason]]''{{'s}} poster, which came out the year before.<ref name="FilmInt"/> ''Film International'' writer Wheeler Winston Dixon described ''Vampires vs. Zombies'' as The Asylum's first [[mockbuster]], a film that closely resembles another film with a similar title and premise in order to capitalize on its popularity.<ref name="FilmInt"/> Around the same time, Latt began working on an adaptation of the 1898 novel ''[[The War of the Worlds]]'', but learned that [[Steven Spielberg]] was also working on a film adaptation of the novel.<ref name="GQ"/> Latt was prepared to end production until Blockbuster ordered 100,000 copies of the film, roughly seven to eight times the normal order for Asylum films.<ref name="Forbes"/><ref name="NYT">{{cite web|last=Potts|first=Rolf|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/07/magazine/07wwln-essay-t.html|title=The New B Movie|website=[[The New York Times]]|date=October 7, 2007|accessdate=March 21, 2024|archive-date=December 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201224140542/https://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/07/magazine/07wwln-essay-t.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Latt's film, titled ''[[H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds (The Asylum film)|H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds]]'', was released on June 28, 2005, one day before [[War of the Worlds (2005 film)|Spielberg's film]].<ref name="FilmInt"/>
Inspired by the success of ''H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds'', The Asylum started producing low-budget films to capitalize on the popularity of similar major studio films.<ref name="HR"/> The Asylum marketed their films as "tie-ins", although journalists and critics often referred to them as rip-offs or mockbusters.<ref name="GQ"/><ref name="NYT"/> Among the company's early releases within this business model were ''[[King of the Lost World]]'' (based on ''[[King Kong (2005 film)|King Kong]]''), ''[[Snakes on a Train]]'' (based on ''[[Snakes on a Plane]]''), ''[[The Da Vinci Treasure]]'' (based on ''[[The Da Vinci Code (film)|The Da Vinci Code]]''), and ''[[Transmorphers]]'' (based on ''[[Transformers (film)|Transformers]]'').<ref name="Forbes"/><ref name="NYT"/> In 2008, The Asylum increased their meager production budget, and partnered with [[Syfy]] for a television release of ''[[The Day the Earth Stopped]]'', based on ''[[The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008 film)|The Day the Earth Stood Still]]''.<ref name="FilmInt"/> [[20th Century Studios|20th Century Fox]] filed a [[cease and desist]] letter against The Asylum for the similarities between ''The Day the Earth Stopped'' and ''The Day the Earth Stood Still'', although nothing came of the letter.<ref name="HR"/><ref name="HR 2008"/> Film titles are usually not protected under [[United States trademark law]], which allows The Asylum to produce films with similar titles so long as they can argue that they did not try to deceive consumers.<ref name="HR 2008">{{cite web|last=Belloni|first=Matthew|authorlink=Matthew Belloni|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/commentary-fox-takes-action-day-122770/|title=Commentary: Fox takes action against 'Day the Earth Stopped'|website=[[Associated Press]]|date=November 11, 2008|accessdate=March 23, 2024|archive-date=November 8, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231108175016/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/commentary-fox-takes-action-day-122770/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Variety">{{cite web|last1=Harris|first1=Dana|last2=Maxwell|first2=Erin|url=https://variety.com/2009/digital/features/asylum-s-mockbusters-turn-profit-1118007298/|title=Asylum's 'mockbusters' turn profit|website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=August 14, 2009|accessdate=March 23, 2024|archive-date=March 23, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240323235956/https://variety.com/2009/digital/features/asylum-s-mockbusters-turn-profit-1118007298/|url-status=live}}</ref>
===2010–present===
With the rise of [[video on demand]] (VOD) services in the early 2010s, The Asylum focused on digital distribution.<ref name="Forbes"/> Since VOD services would often categorize their films in alphabetical order, The Asylum added numbers or typographical symbols to the beginning of their film titles in order to been seen first, such as ''#1 Cheerleader Camp'' and ''[[2-Headed Shark Attack]]''.<ref name="Forbes"/> The Asylum also released the film ''[[Hold Your Breath (2012 film)|Hold Your Breath]]'' (stylized as ''#HoldYourBreath'') in 10 [[AMC Theatres]], as VOD services prioritized films with theatrical releases.<ref name="Forbes"/><ref name="Wired">{{cite web|last=Tate|first=Ryan|url=https://www.wired.com/2013/07/asylum-business-boom/|title=B-Movie Boom: Sharknado Studio Stirs Whirlwind of Profit|website=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]|date=July 19, 2013|accessdate=March 23, 2024|archive-date=March 23, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240323235956/https://www.wired.com/2013/07/asylum-business-boom/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Pluto TV]] became the studio's largest source of revenue, with an entire channel dedicated to Asylum films.<ref name="HR"/> Another VOD service, [[Tubi]], commissioned The Asylum to produce 12 original films after the surprise popularity of the film ''[[Titanic II (film)|Titanic II]]''.<ref name="HR"/> Rimawi estimated that by 2012, 70 percent of the studio's films were original ideas.<ref name="Forbes"/>
[[File:Sharknado logo.png|thumb|left|The logo for the ''Sharknado'' series]]
The Asylum's biggest success came in 2013 with the film ''[[Sharknado]]'', which is about a [[waterspout]] that lifts sharks out of the ocean and drops them over [[Los Angeles]].<ref name="HR"/> The over-the-top premise went [[Viral phenomenon|viral]], with over 387,000 mentions on social media.<ref name="NYT Sharknado">{{cite web|last=Stelter|first=Brian|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/13/arts/television/sharknado-tears-up-twitter-if-not-the-tv-ratings.html|title='Sharknado' Tears Up Twitter, if Not the TV Ratings|website=[[The New York Times]]|date=July 12, 2013|accessdate=March 23, 2024|archive-date=June 21, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220621175032/https://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/13/arts/television/sharknado-tears-up-twitter-if-not-the-tv-ratings.html|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Today (American TV program)|Today]]'' co-hosts held a dramatic reading of some of the film's lines, and the mayor of Los Angeles [[Eric Garcetti]] joked about it on [[Twitter]].<ref name="NYT Sharknado"/> ''Sharknado'' spawned five sequels, and when combined with merchandising and licensing sales, nearly quadrupled The Asylum's revenue from three years earlier.<ref name="Wired"/> According to Bales, "Up until that point, even with the notoriety that we had, if you'd speak to anyone and be like, 'Hey, I'm a filmmaker, have you seen anything I've made?' the answer would be, 'No,' but with ''Sharknado'' we became known."<ref name="HR"/> Latt added, "We still talk about how to exploit it in every production meeting."<ref name="HR"/>
In response to the popularity of ''Sharknado'', Syfy commissioned The Asylum to produce a [[zombie]] television series called ''[[Z Nation]]'', the studio's first foray into episodic content.<ref name="HR"/> Loosely based on The Asylum film ''[[Rise of the Zombies]]'', ''Z Nation'' revolves around a group of survivors who escort a man who is immune to the zombie virus to the last known [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|Centers for Disease Control]] research lab.<ref name="HR"/><ref name="Deadline">{{cite web|last=Haring|first=Bruce|url=https://deadline.com/2018/12/z-nation-canceled-by-syfy-after-five-seasons-announced-online-1202525329/|title='Z Nation' Canceled By Syfy After Five Seasons, Announced Online|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|date=December 22, 2018|accessdate=March 24, 2024|archive-date=January 29, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230129103128/https://deadline.com/2018/12/z-nation-canceled-by-syfy-after-five-seasons-announced-online-1202525329/|url-status=live}}</ref> Journalists often compared ''Z Nation'' to ''[[The Walking Dead (TV series)|The Walking Dead]]'', especially given The Asylum's penchant for mockbusters.<ref>{{cite web|last=O'Connell|first=Mikey|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/syfy-renews-zombie-drama-z-742640/|title=Syfy Renews Zombie Drama 'Z Nation'|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=October 21, 2014|accessdate=March 24, 2024|archive-date=March 24, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240324100525/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/syfy-renews-zombie-drama-z-742640/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Moylan|first=Brian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2014/sep/12/z-nation-the-poor-mans-walking-dead|title=SyFy's Z Nation: the poor man's Walking Dead|website=[[The Guardian]]|date=September 12, 2014|accessdate=March 24, 2024|archive-date=June 8, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240608040717/https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2014/sep/12/z-nation-the-poor-mans-walking-dead|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Z Nation'' ran for five seasons on Syfy, and was followed by the spinoff series ''[[Black Summer (TV series)|Black Summer]]'' on [[Netflix]].<ref name="HR"/><ref name="Deadline"/> Bales felt that the production costs for ''Z Nation'' were too high, and decided that The Asylum's next potential television series, titled ''Crisis Earth'', would be written as three separate low-budget films that can then be cut into six individual episodes.<ref name="HR"/> The script for ''Crisis Earth'' went up for sale at the 2022 [[American Film Market]].<ref name="HR"/>
==Approach to filmmaking==
The Asylum's business model revolves around producing as many low-budget films as quickly as possible.<ref name="Forbes"/> Their films usually have a budget of $250,000 to $500,000, and earn $150,000 to $250,000 in profit.<ref name="GQ"/><ref name="Forbes"/> Since The Asylum produces dozens of films every year, this model generates millions of dollars.<ref name="Forbes"/> From October 2011 to October 2012, The Asylum's revenue totaled $12,000,000 for a 15 percent [[profit margin]].<ref name="Forbes"/> This model is so successful, that Rimawi claims that they have never lost money on a film.<ref name="Variety"/> Rimawi stated, "One of the reasons we've remained in business for 25 years is that we make a movie for exactly less than we think we can earn from it ... People say all the time, 'Why don't you make a $20 million original production?' And our answer is because we'd like to stay in business."<ref name="HR"/>
The Asylum spends around 4-6 months making a film.<ref name="Forbes"/><ref name="AS">{{cite web|last=Solomon|first=Dan|url=http://www.adultswim.com/blog/interviews/how-to-make-a-mockbuster.html |title=How to Make a Mockbuster (In Five Easy Steps)|website=[[Adult Swim]]|date=August 23, 2011|access-date=August 24, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110917090652/http://www.adultswim.com/blog/interviews/how-to-make-a-mockbuster.html|archive-date=September 17, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> It starts with The Asylum soliciting 100-word [[Pitch (filmmaking)|pitch]]es from freelance screenwriters based on a story concept that the studio's distribution affiliates want.<ref name="FilmInt"/><ref name="PSMag">{{cite web|last=Hess|first=Amanda|url=https://psmag.com/social-justice/escapes-from-the-asylum-60701|title=Escaped From The Asylum!|website=[[Pacific Standard]]|date=July 10, 2013|accessdate=March 25, 2024|archive-date=March 25, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240325072516/https://psmag.com/social-justice/escapes-from-the-asylum-60701|url-status=live}}</ref> As journalist Amanda Hess explained, "If a Japanese DVD company wants a submarine, and Blockbuster needs a monster, the Asylum will make a sailors-meet-sea creature movie, then tweak the concept further to sell to all its potential platforms."<ref name="PSMag"/> The studio then chooses the best pitch, and the chosen screenwriter produces a draft within 10 days.<ref name="PSMag"/> Asylum films are almost always serious in tone despite the far-fetched plots.<ref name="NYT"/><ref name="PSMag"/> The first script for ''Sharknado'' featured a lot of self-aware humor, but screenwriter [[Thunder Levin]] said that The Asylum wanted every comedic line removed and left a strongly worded note that reiterated that ''Sharknado'' was not a comedy film.<ref>{{cite web|last=Ritman|first=Alex|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/how-sharknado-went-afm-pitch-session-global-sensation-1156992/|title=How 'Sharknado' Went From AFM Pitch Session to Global Sensation|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=November 1, 2018|accessdate=March 25, 2024|archive-date=June 8, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240608040636/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/how-sharknado-went-afm-pitch-session-global-sensation-1156992/|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:Sharknado 2 Action Scene.jpg|thumb|right|''Sharknado 2: The Second One'' actors [[Ian Ziering]], Dante Palminteri, and [[Vivica A. Fox]]]]
The Asylum is not affiliated with any industry [[trade union]]s other than the [[SAG-AFTRA]].<ref name="FilmInt"/> This means their employees will sometimes work upwards of 22 hours a day.<ref name="Guardian"/> Whereas most major studios shoot one page from the script a day, The Asylum shoots around 10 to 12 pages a day.<ref name="GQ"/><ref name="Guardian">{{cite web|last=Patterson|first=John|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/jul/30/asylum-hollywood-z-movies|title=Seeking Asylum: the rise of Hollywood's Z-movies|website=[[The Guardian]]|date=July 30, 2009|accessdate=March 27, 2024|archive-date=May 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210525040606/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/jul/30/asylum-hollywood-z-movies|url-status=live}}</ref> Due to the demanding work schedule, The Asylum often hires filmmakers with several years of experience.<ref name="GQ"/> Around $150,000 of a film's budget is allocated to hiring lesser known actors that would appeal to specific audiences.<ref name="GQ"/> For example, Rimawi notes that former ''[[Baywatch]]'' actors like [[David Chokachi]] are popular among European audiences.<ref name="GQ"/> In an interview with ''[[Grantland]]'', Latt stated, "We know not to go after [[Johnny Depp]]. But we'll go after Johnny Depp's cousin. That's fair game."<ref name="Grantland"/> Rimawi further added, "I'm guessing that many of our main actors do this because they have bills to pay, and they want to be in and out as inconspicuously as possible. But the repeat guys have made their peace with what they're doing."<ref name="GQ"/>
Post-production is handled at The Asylum's headquarters in [[Burbank, California]], which includes its own editing bays and visual effects studios.<ref name="GQ"/> The visual effects for their films are often poorly rendered, and a constant source of ridicule from critics.<ref name="GQ"/><ref name="Grantland"/> Tom Breihan of ''Grantland'' jokingly wrote, "From the looks of things, [The Asylum] also goes after the cousins of the ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean]]'' special-effects team ... At their best, Asylum's in-house effects team can manage something slightly more lifelike than what you'd see on the average ''[[Hercules: The Legendary Journeys]]'' episode."<ref name="Grantland"/> The Asylum employs 15 visual effects artists, and they are often working on six films at once.<ref name="GQ"/>
Marketing campaigns often hype up the absurdity of the film's premise and the studio's overall business model.<ref name="PSMag"/> In 2012, Asylum films would open with the text, "15 years. 100 films. You're Welcome".<ref name="Grantland"/> In a similar vein, the tagline for ''Sharknado'' was "Enough Said".<ref name="PSMag"/> Latt described The Asylum's marketing strategy as "a parody of the studio system".<ref name="PSMag"/> Whenever The Asylum makes a mockbuster, they tie the release of their film to coincide with the release of the larger film it's based on.<ref name="Grantland"/> Bales argues that this is not an attempt to deceive consumers, but instead gives consumers more options to watch.<ref name="Grantland"/> The Asylum is upfront about some of their duplicitous marketing strategies.<ref name="PSMag"/> In a 2010 blog post, The Asylum urged fans to add the studio's film to their Netflix queues in order to increase the perception of public demand.<ref name="PSMag"/> The blog post said, "This isn't about trying to get you to watch our movie. This is about gaming the system. This is about taking a stand. Against math."<ref name="PSMag"/>
==Reputation and analysis==
The Asylum has garnered a discordant and at times controversial reputation within the film industry.<ref name="Grantland"/><ref name="GFT">{{cite news|last=Ecke|first=Richard|title=Mad at Asylum|newspaper=[[Great Falls Tribune]]|page=2, Section M|date=May 7, 2012}}</ref> Nearly all of their films have been panned by critics, and their mockbusters are often belittled as shameless [[wiktionary:cash grab|cash grabs]].<ref name="FilmInt"/><ref name="Paste">{{cite web|last=Vorel|first=Jim|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/the-asylum-where-have-all-the-good-bad-movies-gone|title=The Asylum: Where Have All the Good 'Bad' Movies Gone?|website=[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]]|date=July 5, 2013|accessdate=April 11, 2024|archive-date=April 22, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240422074417/https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/the-asylum-where-have-all-the-good-bad-movies-gone|url-status=live}}</ref> Breihan wrote, "It takes a certain punk-rock panache for a company to unapologetically position itself as a parasite on the movie business."<ref name="Grantland"/> Film producer [[Brian Grazer]] compared The Asylum to "pollution in Hollywood, in that you've just got to live with it".<ref name="HR"/> Despite their reputation, Bales argues that The Asylum's popularity is multifaceted, and not the result of deceitful marketing tactics.<ref name="GQ"/><ref name="Sharp">{{cite web|last=Hudson|first=Greg|url=https://sharpmagazine.com/2015/07/28/the-asylum-they-are-what-they-are/|title=The Asylum: They Are What They Are|website=[[Sharp (magazine)|Sharp]]|date=July 28, 2015|accessdate=April 11, 2024|archive-date=April 22, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240422074417/https://sharpmagazine.com/2015/07/28/the-asylum-they-are-what-they-are/|url-status=live}}</ref> To this extent, some journalists have postulated that consumer interest in Asylum films come from a desire to watch campy films, in particular those that fall under the "[[so bad it's good]]" label.<ref name="Paste"/><ref name="Sharp"/>
Some journalists have defended The Asylum.<ref name="FilmInt"/><ref name="Sharp"/><ref name="Slate"/> Greg Hudson of ''[[Sharp (magazine)|Sharp]]'' believes that The Asylum's cynical business model is merely a microcosm of the American film industry. Hudson wrote, "Sure, The Asylum makes knock-offs, but so does Hollywood. So does fashion. If culture is a constant exchange of ideas, commerce is the booze that lubricates that discussion. Consider The Asylum a drunken digression."<ref name="Sharp"/> Amy Nicholson of ''[[Boxoffice Pro|Boxoffice]]'' said that The Asylum caters to its audience by leaning into the absurdity of their film plots.<ref name="Grantland"/> She used ''Snakes on a Plane'' as an example of a large studio film that disappointed viewers with a predictable ending, whereas The Asylum mockbuster ''Snakes on a Train'' ends with a giant snake eating the train.<ref name="Grantland"/> According to Nichsolson, "That's what people who see that kind of movie want to see, and studios don't have the guts to do it."<ref name="Grantland"/>
David Roth of ''[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]'' argues that The Asylum's mockbusters succeed in satirizing the larger films they are based on.<ref name="Slate">{{cite web|last=Roth|first=David|url=https://slate.com/culture/2010/05/comparing-the-low-budget-horror-sensation-paranormal-activity-to-its-even-lower-budget-knockoff-paranormal-entity.html|title=Paranormal Activity vs. Paranormal Entity|website=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]|date=May 4, 2010|accessdate=April 10, 2024|archive-date=April 22, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240422074421/https://slate.com/culture/2010/05/comparing-the-low-budget-horror-sensation-paranormal-activity-to-its-even-lower-budget-knockoff-paranormal-entity.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Roth used The Asylum film ''[[Sherlock Holmes (2010 film)|Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes]]'' as an example, as he felt that its usage of dinosaurs and dragons as antagonists was intended to mock the action sequences and animal jokes in the [[Guy Ritchie]] film ''[[Sherlock Holmes (2009 film)|Sherlock Holmes]]''.<ref name="Slate"/> Roth wrote, "The more puffed-up and self-serious and dumb Hollywood blockbusters become, the more they demand to see their goofiness mirrored by cheap, unpretentious, equally dumb knockoffs."<ref name="Slate"/>
==Catalog==
{{Main|List of The Asylum films}}
According to The Asylum's website, the studio has released more than 500 films, including 300 original films.<ref>{{cite web|author=Anon.|url=http://www.theasylum.cc/index.php/about/ourstory|title=Our Story|website=The Asylum|date=n.d.|accessdate=March 28, 2024|archive-date=March 29, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329033009/http://www.theasylum.cc/index.php/about/ourstory|url-status=live}}</ref> Their catalog encompasses virtually every major [[film genre|genre]], although the studio primarily focuses on [[disaster film]]s, [[horror film]]s, and [[science fiction film]]s.<ref name="FilmInt"/> Rimawi stated, "The only thing we haven't done is straight [[Drama (film and television)|drama]]. In other words, good films."<ref name="GQ"/> Among their more notable releases include:
{{Columns-list|colwidth=30em|
* ''[[2-Headed Shark Attack]]'' (2012)<ref name="PSMag"/>
* ''[[Abraham Lincoln vs. Zombies]]'' (2012)<ref name="Grantland"/>
* ''[[Age of the Hobbits]]'' (2013)<ref name="GQ"/>
* ''[[American Battleship]]'' (2012)<ref name="GQ"/>
* ''[[Atlantic Rim (film)|Atlantic Rim]]'' (2013)<ref name="GQ"/>
* ''[[Black Summer (TV series)|Black Summer]]'' (television series, 2019–2021)<ref name="HR"/>
* ''[[The Da Vinci Treasure]]'' (2006)<ref name="NYT"/>
* ''[[The Day the Earth Stopped]]'' (2008)<ref name="Grantland"/>
* ''[[H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds (The Asylum film)|H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds]]'' (2005)<ref name="FilmInt"/>
* ''[[Hold Your Breath (2012 film)|Hold Your Breath]]'' (2012)<ref name="Forbes"/>
* ''[[King of the Lost World]]'' (2005)<ref name="NYT"/>
* ''[[Mega Shark Versus Giant Octopus]]'' (2009)<ref name="Guardian"/>
* ''[[Nazis at the Center of the Earth]]'' (2012)<ref name="Grantland"/>
* ''[[Sharknado]]'' (2013)<ref name="HR"/>
* ''[[Snakes on a Train]]'' (2006)<ref name="NYT"/>
* ''[[Titanic II (film)|Titanic II]]'' (2010)<ref name="HR"/>
* ''[[Transmorphers]]'' (2007)<ref name="NYT"/>
* ''[[Z Nation]]'' (television series, 2014–2018)<ref name="HR"/>
}}
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
{{official website|http://newsite.theasylum.cc/}}
{{Film studios}}
{{Authority control}}
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[[Category:1997 establishments in California]]
[[Category:American companies established in 1997]]
[[Category:American independent film studios]]
[[Category:The Asylum films| ]]
[[Category:Companies based in Burbank, California]]
[[Category:Entertainment companies based in California]]
[[Category:Film distributors of the United States]]
[[Category:Film production companies of the United States]]
[[Category:Mass media companies established in 1997]]
[[Category:Non-theatrical film production companies]]
[[Category:Privately held companies based in California]]