Scarecrow suggests ... Atmospheric thrillers set in mental institutions

Of the many films set in and around mental institutions, one you may have missed is "Session 9" (2001), an atmospheric thriller filmed on location at the Danvers State Mental Hospital. The story follows an asbestos-removal team that uncovers some supernatural horrors while on the job. It's a psychological horror film that relies on mood and atmosphere rather than gore and makes an excellent choice for a dark winter's night.

Did you know Roger Ebert has a Twitter account (link to twitter.com/ebertchicago)? It's a must-follow if you're at all interested in the current state of film. One of his recent tweets suggested that when Scorsese read the "Shutter Island" script, he was reminded of "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" (1920). This seminal German silent film, directed by Robert Wiene, is considered one of the first horror films ever made. The titular doctor is a hypnotist who travels about displaying his talents with the help of a somnambulist, leaving a trail of murders in their wake. They're followed back to an insane asylum, where the mysteries continue to unfold. The film's mood and stylized dark atmosphere helped set the stage for the film-noir genre.

The screenplay for "Shutter Island" was adapted from the novel by Dennis Lehane. He's also the author of two other books that have been made into critically acclaimed films: Clint Eastwood's "Mystic River" (2003) and "Gone Baby Gone" (2007), co-written and directed by Ben Affleck.

Scorsese is not only a master filmmaker, he's also an active champion of film preservation. You can get a sense of this passion in his speech at last month's Golden Globes, where he was honored with the Cecil B. DeMille Award for "outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment."

Part I: www.youtube.com/watch?v=IK3cDHo87qk

Part II: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ey5HNWb8Gdg

Listening to a director of his caliber talk about the movies he loves and how they've influenced his work has inspired many a mini-film festival among our staff. If you're in need of such a spark, we highly recommend "A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies" (1995), a five-part series that begins at the silent era and ends in the late '60s when he began making films. Scorsese focuses on the director's role in crafting a story and the methods he or she employs to assert his or her personal viewpoint into the frame, demonstrating this with meticulously examined examples from the likes of John Ford, Stanley Kubrick, Douglas Sirk, Orson Welles and many other giants of American cinema.

Scorsese delves into his heritage in "My Voyage to Italy," an in-depth exploration of Italian cinema. Focusing mainly on the neorealism era following World War II, he serves as guide on a four-hour journey through the works of Roberto Rossellini ("Rome Open City"), Federico Fellini ("La Dolce Vita), Vittorio De Sica ("The Bicycle Thieves"), Luchino Visconti ("The Leopard") and others who shaped not only the landscape of Italian film but helped contribute to his unique cinematic vision.

We invite you to visit our director's section where you'll not only find all of Scorsese's films together on one shelf, but also those of the many auteurs he cites as helping to lay the foundation for film as we know it.

Contributed by Scarecrow Video, 5030 Roosevelt Way N.E., Seattle; 206-524-8554 or www.scarecrow.com