Psychiatric Ghost

The Danvers State Mental Hospital has been abandoned for years, but it’s time for the spooky sucker to come down so that unhaunted market-price condos can be built.

Hazmat janitors Gordon and Phil head up a small team contracted to remove harmless asbestos, but they gotta do it in five days. I don’t know, guys – Danvers is the size of the Overlook Hotel and smells like a bus station bathroom. During the clean-up in the barely-lit building, Gordon starts hearing a voice saying hello to him. That’s nice, because ghosts aren’t known for their pleasantness.

Another guy finds some cassettes marked Session 1 through 9. Playing the tapes he hears interviews with a mental patient with multiple personality disorder. There are six “people” inside the patient, but the one the other personalities don’t wanna go there with is Simon. And a clue to Simon’s evilness is revealed (something involving a knife).

Later, a figure is encountered in the dark hallways and a worker disappears. It’s when the others split up (good idea) to look for him that make your butt hairs stand on end. (That’s kind of a pun, now that I think about it.) The workers hallucinate really gnarly st*ff, like Gordon going home on his lunch break and killing his wife and two-month old daughter. Did it really happen or was it imagined? Do NOT ask me.

As the men become increasingly stressed more fun stuff is introduced to the mix, including a lobotomy pick and a pile of coins just begging for a slot machine. When Gordon walks into a room and finds photos of his wife and child taped to the wall, sanity is about to hit the insanity fan. Good word choice given where everybody’s standing.

Not a lot in terms of special effects, but this one will gnaw on your mind. When the tape is played, Gordon hears… I won’t say, but it may or may not goon you out. It gooned me out. I’m easily gooned out-able. Despite my condition, Session 9 (2001) is top drawer ghost st*ff.