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The Irish Sun
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Inside dark history of abandoned asylum that starred in blockbuster Hollywood thriller as it plans £22m transformation
A SINISTER abandoned asylum which has starred in several blockbuster films is set to receive a massive £22million make-over. The creepy Medfield State Hospital was Advertisement 13 The abandoned asylum Medfield State Hospital has starred in several films Credit: Getty 13 The eerie asylum has been abandoned for years Credit: Jam Press/@places_forgotten 13 It housed thousands of psychiatric patients Credit: Jam Press/@places_forgotten 13 The island was used as a filming set for an iconic 2010 thriller starring Leonardo DiCaprio (R) Credit: Handout And the When it was cosigned to the The But that was until its Advertisement READ MORE WORLD NEWS The deserted asylum featured in Hollywood blockbuster Shutter Island, starring The The blockbuster film chilled viewers to the core - and the striking effect was only possible with the help of the historical site. In the film, Ashecliffe Hospital is the fictional asylum used to house the Criminally Insane. Advertisement Most read in The Sun Exclusive So Medfield Hospital, with its Brit explorer Ben Stevens travelled to the long-abandoned hospital - which used to be known as the Medfield Insane Asylum. Shutter Island He ventured there after learning it was used as the shooting location for Shutter Island. The Brit told What's The Jam: "It felt very cool to be there as I'm a very big film fan. Advertisement "I found out about it because I wanted to know where they filmed Shutter Island." He added: "Obviously, they dressed up a lot of the building as a set for the movie. "But I just liked the whole feel of the place, it felt very New England with the red buildings and the leaves." And the list of Medfield's big screen appearances doesn't stop there. Advertisement The sinister island has provided ambient filming locations for movies such as The New Mutants and The Box. Chilling images of the historical hospital, which once accommodated as many as 2,200 patients, have also been revealed by Stevens. 13 One of the beds in the haunting asylum Credit: Jam Press/@places_forgotten 13 The exterior of the abandoned asylum Credit: Jam Press/@places_forgotten Advertisement 13 Wheelchairs seen rotting inside Credit: Jam Press/@places_forgotten 13 The eerie site is set to receive a massive £22million make-over Credit: Getty After entering the former infirmary's haunted walls, Stevens came across lots of old equipment which were abandoned along with the hospital. Dusty wheelchairs stood motionless in corridors, alongside derelict beds which hadn't been used for years. Advertisement Stevens, 31, detailed: 'I even found a patient's shoes. The whole place was very sinister because I know they conducted a lot of experiments on their patients. "They also had a very high security wing, which apparently mobsters were sent to, which is pretty cool." Medfield State Hospital opened in 1896 and was the first of its kind to adapt a cottage-style design - which ironically maximised daylight, fresh air, exercise and socialistion. This image stands in stark contrast to its haunted and silent reputation today. Advertisement The location was used by local dog walkers - as well as film crews from across the country. Its destiny is set to be reshaped again - as a local nonprofit is hoping to transform the site into a hub for music and education. Seemingly unable to escape the entertainment industry, Medfield State Hospital is facing plans to become a brand new venue. The nonprofit has already hosted a variety of live music and festivals on the hospital grounds. Advertisement The town of Medfield purchased the property in 2014, with discussions over what to do with it already ongoing. There were also concerns over how to handle a contaminated portion of the location. 13 The derelict hospital was set up in the 19th century Credit: Jam Press/@places_forgotten 13 It was used for over a hundred years Credit: Jam Press/@places_forgotten Advertisement 13 The island featured in Shutter Island (2010) Credit: Handout After four years of collecting public input, the town completed a master plan in 2018. And in 2020, the Bellforge Arts Center secured a 99-year lease with the town on two signature buildings at the core of the new campus. Bellforge Arts Center programme director Paul Armstrong said: 'We're not here to copy what's being done, we're here to surprise, challenge expectations of a suburban art center and try to create something truly different for both the artists, the audiences, and the community.' Advertisement The nonprofit is still raising funds for the £22million megaproject, which will involve renovating the Lee Chapel and Infirmary, linking two buildings with a glass annex, and developing surrounding green space for outdoor performances and community events. The groundbreaking performance venue will also feature a 300-seat auditorium for music, theatre, and dance. The flexible space will accommodate lectures, films, readings, community and business meetings, as well as special events like weddings. It will also hold indoor art exhibits, a kitchen and office space. Advertisement The construction is starting this summer and is set to last about 16 months. Aside from the two buildings that will become an arts centre, the other 25 are set to become apartments. 13 Aerial view of the creepy asylum which holds 27 buildings Credit: Jam Press/@places_forgotten 13 The site is going to be converted into an arts centre and apartment buildings Credit: Jam Press/@places_forgotten Advertisement
Scottish Sun
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Inside dark history of abandoned asylum that starred in blockbuster Hollywood thriller as it plans £22m transformation
A courageous Brit ventured into the creepy asylum which has been left derelict for years TORTURED SOULS Inside dark history of abandoned asylum that starred in blockbuster Hollywood thriller as it plans £22m transformation Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A SINISTER abandoned asylum which has starred in several blockbuster films is set to receive a massive £22million make-over. The creepy Medfield State Hospital was left rotting for years after it was set up in the 19th century to treat thousands of psychiatric patients. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 13 The abandoned asylum Medfield State Hospital has starred in several films Credit: Getty 13 The eerie asylum has been abandoned for years Credit: Jam Press/@places_forgotten 13 It housed thousands of psychiatric patients Credit: Jam Press/@places_forgotten 13 The island was used as a filming set for an iconic 2010 thriller starring Leonardo DiCaprio (R) Credit: Handout And the asylum turned filming location is now set to benefit from a multimillion-pound facelift which will once again change its purpose entirely. When it was cosigned to the dustbin of history in 2003, the hospital in Massachusetts, US, seemingly shut down for good. The nightmarish 128-acre site saw its 27 buildings closed down and boarded up. But that was until its ruins were chosen by filmmakers to appear on the big screen. READ MORE WORLD NEWS PUTT UP FOR SALE Abandoned golf course where Justin Rose won first tournament up for sale The deserted asylum featured in Hollywood blockbuster Shutter Island, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, in 2010. The eerie site made a perfect filming spot for Martin Scorsese's heartstopping psychological thriller. The blockbuster film chilled viewers to the core - and the striking effect was only possible with the help of the historical site. In the film, Ashecliffe Hospital is the fictional asylum used to house the Criminally Insane. So Medfield Hospital, with its creepy and empty vibe, served as the perfect shooting location for the fictional asylum. Brit explorer Ben Stevens travelled to the long-abandoned hospital - which used to be known as the Medfield Insane Asylum. Shutter Island He ventured there after learning it was used as the shooting location for Shutter Island. The Brit told What's The Jam: "It felt very cool to be there as I'm a very big film fan. "I found out about it because I wanted to know where they filmed Shutter Island." He added: "Obviously, they dressed up a lot of the building as a set for the movie. "But I just liked the whole feel of the place, it felt very New England with the red buildings and the leaves." And the list of Medfield's big screen appearances doesn't stop there. The sinister island has provided ambient filming locations for movies such as The New Mutants and The Box. Chilling images of the historical hospital, which once accommodated as many as 2,200 patients, have also been revealed by Stevens. 13 One of the beds in the haunting asylum Credit: Jam Press/@places_forgotten 13 The exterior of the abandoned asylum Credit: Jam Press/@places_forgotten 13 Wheelchairs seen rotting inside Credit: Jam Press/@places_forgotten 13 The eerie site is set to receive a massive £22million make-over Credit: Getty After entering the former infirmary's haunted walls, Stevens came across lots of old equipment which were abandoned along with the hospital. Dusty wheelchairs stood motionless in corridors, alongside derelict beds which hadn't been used for years. Stevens, 31, detailed: 'I even found a patient's shoes. The whole place was very sinister because I know they conducted a lot of experiments on their patients. "They also had a very high security wing, which apparently mobsters were sent to, which is pretty cool." Medfield State Hospital opened in 1896 and was the first of its kind to adapt a cottage-style design - which ironically maximised daylight, fresh air, exercise and socialistion. This image stands in stark contrast to its haunted and silent reputation today. The location was used by local dog walkers - as well as film crews from across the country. Its destiny is set to be reshaped again - as a local nonprofit is hoping to transform the site into a hub for music and education. Seemingly unable to escape the entertainment industry, Medfield State Hospital is facing plans to become a brand new venue. The nonprofit has already hosted a variety of live music and festivals on the hospital grounds. The town of Medfield purchased the property in 2014, with discussions over what to do with it already ongoing. There were also concerns over how to handle a contaminated portion of the location. 13 The derelict hospital was set up in the 19th century Credit: Jam Press/@places_forgotten 13 It was used for over a hundred years Credit: Jam Press/@places_forgotten 13 The island featured in Shutter Island (2010) Credit: Handout After four years of collecting public input, the town completed a master plan in 2018. And in 2020, the Bellforge Arts Center secured a 99-year lease with the town on two signature buildings at the core of the new campus. Bellforge Arts Center programme director Paul Armstrong said: 'We're not here to copy what's being done, we're here to surprise, challenge expectations of a suburban art center and try to create something truly different for both the artists, the audiences, and the community.' The nonprofit is still raising funds for the £22million megaproject, which will involve renovating the Lee Chapel and Infirmary, linking two buildings with a glass annex, and developing surrounding green space for outdoor performances and community events. The groundbreaking performance venue will also feature a 300-seat auditorium for music, theatre, and dance. The flexible space will accommodate lectures, films, readings, community and business meetings, as well as special events like weddings. It will also hold indoor art exhibits, a kitchen and office space. The construction is starting this summer and is set to last about 16 months. Aside from the two buildings that will become an arts centre, the other 25 are set to become apartments. 13 Aerial view of the creepy asylum which holds 27 buildings Credit: Jam Press/@places_forgotten
Daily Mirror
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
'Sinister' abandoned asylum filled with shoes of patients who were experimented on
The long-deserted Medfield State Hospital makes for a haunting site, inspiring filmmakers for years with its dark, shadowy corners and long, and often sorrowful, history Eerie photos show the interior of an abandoned asylum, which has featured in several seriously creepy films. Urban explorer Ben Stevens ventured to the long-deserted Medfield State Hospital, formerly known as the Medfield Insane Asylum, after learning it was used as a shooting location for the 2010 psychological thriller, Shutter Island. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Shutter Island sent a chill down the spines of moviegoers, not least because of its depiction of the strikingly eerie Ashecliffe Hospital for the Criminally Insane. Like the fictional Ashecliffe, Medfield treated many thousands of psychiatric patients over the years, from 1892, right up until April 2003. Nowadays however, it lies empty and silent - and is said to have a 'sinister' feel. Brave Ben Stevens told What's The Jam: "It felt very cool to be there as I'm a very big film fan. I found out about it because I wanted to know where they filmed Shutter Island. 'Obviously, they dressed up a lot of the building as a set for the movie. But I just liked the whole feel of the place, it felt very New England with the red buildings and the leaves.' As well as Shutter Island, Medfield, situated just outside of Boston, in the US state of Massachusetts, has also provided an atmospheric filming location for movies such as The New Mutants and The Box. And photos snapped by Ben aptly demonstrate why it's the ideal site for jump scares. Once inside the former infirmary's walls, Ben, from Cambridge, UK, came across plenty of old equipment left behind when the last patients left, forgotten and gathering dust. This included long-disused wheelchairs parked motionless in corridors, and beds which hadn't been slept in for years, complete with mattresses. Ben, 31, revealed: 'I even found a patient's shoes. The whole place was very sinister because I know they conducted a lot of experiments on their patients. "They also had a very high security wing, which apparently mobsters were sent to, which is pretty cool.' Extraordinary photographs taken by Ben show the derelict state of the asylum, which once housed as many as 2,200 patients. The gloomy interior is in a well-worn state, and it's difficult to believe so many people once lived and worked there. Many rooms are extremely dark, and certainly not for the faint of heart. Continued deterioration ultimately led to Medfield closing its doors one final time. However, it's also understood that concern from Medfield residents over criminally insane patients brought over from Bridgewater State Hospital, also in Massachusetts, also contributed to this decision. Those who wander the grounds may come across The Medfield State Hospital Cemetery, the final resting place of 841 residents who passed away between the years 1918 and 1988. Established after the Great Influenza outbreak of 1918, as per John Thompson's A Short History of Medfield State Hospital, 1890-2016, up until 2005, gravestones were marked only by small concrete squares bearing a number. Then, in September 2005, more personal markers, complete with names and dates, were added to each of the graves. Following restoration, the grounds of the old facility are now open to the public, making this the only abandoned asylum in the US where the grounds are free to roam. Trespassing past dark is forbidden; however, with local Medfield Police tasked with patrolling the facility at night to ensure it remains as quiet as the grave.
New York Post
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
This 21-year-old NJ resident was crowned Leonardo DiCaprio doppelgänger
He's been crowned Dicaprio's doppelgänger. It was Leos galore in New Jersey on Saturday as lookalikes for a DiCaprio lookalike contest battled it out on stage for a $50 cash prize. Among the seven contestants from places like Philadelphia and Providence was Nick Fine, 21, who was eventually crowned the winner. The swarthy local confessed to The Post he was thrilled to be likened to the handsome Academy Award-winning heartthrob. Advertisement 'It's an absolute honor. I'm just very grateful I came to the pier this morning. I'm a big Leo fan, love his movies,' smiled Fine, who went on to name 'Shutter Island' as his favorite DiCaprio flick. The contest, which took place at Pier A Park in Hoboken and drew in a crowd of 40, was organized by a group of college friends. 3 Nick Fine of Hoboken won the Leonardo DiCaprio lookalike contest. Leonardo Munoz Advertisement Hoboken resident Colleen Flickinger, who works as a public relations specialist, concocted the idea to celebrate her pal Margaret Pfeifle's 25th birthday — a play on the fact that DiCaprio, 50, has a habit of dumping his girlfriends once they turn 25. 'Leonardo DiCaprio never dated anyone above 25, so for many, many years, that was the joke, so, when Margaret was turning 25, we just kind of were inspired by that, and we were like, 'How funny would it be if we had a look alike contest?'' Flickinger, also 25, explained. 'It was a complete joke. I printed out maybe 10 fliers, and then we posted it [on social media] and that's when it kind of took off.' 'Hopefully it's good for a laugh if nothing else,' Pfeifle, the birthday girl, added. Advertisement When only one contestant — who had seen it advertised on social media — showed up, the girls started recruiting potential contestants in the park. 3 Seven men competed for a $50 cash prize. Leonardo Munoz They ended up finding five Leo lookalikes. [The seventh contestant, who had also learned about it on social media, arrived later.] 'I'm kind of shocked how many people that look like Leonardo DiCaprio are walking around the park.' Flickinger said. Advertisement As fate would have it, Fine, who incidentally lives across from the park, happened to be strolling by with his friends. 'Actually a friend of mine was recruited, and then I got looped into it, and they said that they would cheer for me, so it all worked out, I guess. It is amazing,' he gushed. 'I was just eating breakfast like two seconds ago, I came out to the pier for a second.' Joining him in the competition were Michael Stewart, 47, a local retired iron worker, David Flanigan, 26, an underwriter from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, John Santos, 22, a jack-of-all trades from Providence, Rhode Island, and Eric Stylianidis, 22, a consultant who resides in the Big Apple. 3 Fine and David Flanigan, an underwriter from Philadelphia, shake hands. Leonardo Munoz Each contestant was asked to introduce themselves and were judged by the amount of applause they received. When it was Fine's turn, he simply stated, 'I'm Nick, I live across the street. Leo is an absolute man rocket.' Advertisement After the first round, it came down to two contestants, Fine and Flanigan. Then the crowd was asked to applaud again, and Fine was awarded the honor. Soon after he was named the victor, he revealed what he'd be doing with his $50 winnings. 'I'm gonna go get a few beers, probably within the next 30 minutes,' he said. Advertisement
The Star
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
'Smoke' review: Fires up our yearning for a gripping tale
'I only have two things to say. First, manners maketh man. And second, I'm still standing.' Photos: Handout Fire is an organism that waits and watches and breathes, or so a character in the new crime drama Smoke tells us. Indeed, with its crafty use of angles and pyrotechnics, the show makes its blazes seem almost... sentient, and nasty, spiteful try Googling that opening phrase, and the AI assistant immediately stresses that fire is NOT an organism. Whatever you do, though, don't Google the true crime podcast on which this one is based, if you don't want your enjoyment of (at least) the first two episodes to be ruined. Those unfamiliar with the case would probably, to a viewer, have to pick their jaws up off the floor by the time the credits roll. Those who know it might find themselves picking out various liberties taken by co-showrunner/writer Dennis Lehane (Mystic River, Shutter Island, Gone Baby Gone) in bringing the case to the screen. Whichever group you are in, there is still a lot to keep us invested as Lehane sets up the pieces, motivations, back stories and character dynamics of this deliberate, compelling, (semi-)true crime offering. Transplanted from the actual case setting to the fictional US Pacific North-west town of Umberland, Smoke has arson investigator Dave Gudsen (Taron Egerton, the Kingsman movies, Rocketman, Lehane's Black Bird miniseries) and police detective Michelle Calderon (Jurnee Smollett, Lovecraft Country, Underground, Birds Of Prey) tracking down two serial arsonists. It wastes no time revealing one of the culprits to viewers, but teases us as to the identity of the other. 'The narrator was right, this darn fire seems to be alive and mad as heck.' Smoke successfully humanises this first suspect, Freddy (Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Heroes, The Lincoln Lawyer, The Chi), with his sympathetic circumstances offering a precarious fulcrum on which his ruthless actions rest (and pivot). Meanwhile, for most of the initial two episodes, anyway, we get to see Gudsen and Calderon's developing partnership and their respective backgrounds and current situations, which are not entirely healthy and factor in the characters' actions and reactions. The two leads settle into their partnership smoothly and comfortably enough, although the people in their lives – including Gudsen's wife Ashley (Hannah Emily Anderson, soon to be seen in Return To Silent Hill) and Calderon's ex-lover Burke (Rafe Spall, Trying) – remain on the fringes, mostly. Until their respective influence/pressures on our lead characters take a startling toll in the last third of Episode Two, anyway. Its slow... build (hah, thought I was going to say "burn", didn't you) pays off in spades at this point, leaving us salivating for the rest of the week until a new episode drops, yet also satisfied by the storytelling and the leads' deftness in putting us immediately at ease with their characters, insecurities and all. Above all, highly curious about where Lehane and Co. will take this next (yes, I'm steadfastly refusing to look up the real-life case.) With nine episodes slated for this one, expect that feeling of being on tenterhooks all week long to continue well into August. A new episode of Smoke arrives every Friday on Apple TV+.
