As mentioned in previous Full Moon Fridays, Charles Band typically sold a film on a poster and a title. While visiting the Full Moon offices, Stuart Gordon saw a poster with a chained-up Quasimodo-like figure being whipping a woman. Gordon expressed interest in filming, so Band gave him carte blanche if it featured a castle and a freak. Gordon wrote the film alongside his writing partner Dennis Paoli, taking inspiration from the H.P. Lovecraft story “The Outsider”. The film was shot in an Italian castle owned by Charles Band where they shot The Pit and The Pendulum. Gordon cast regulars Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton, and Jonathan Fuller, and it would be his first unrated film since Re-Animator. Unfortunately, Full Moon was going through financial problems since their Paramount deal ended in 1994, so the film was delayed. Eventually, Stuart Gordon’s Castle Freak was released direct-to-video in November of 1995.
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Synopsis
John Reilly (Jeffrey Combs) has just inherited a 12-century castle that was previously owned by a famed Duchess. He moves in with his wife Susan (Barbara Crampton) and blind daughter Rebecca (Jessica Dollarhide), though things have gone bad. Years ago, John was drunk driving and got into an accident that killed their son and blinded Rebecca. Because of this, Susan has not forgiven him and blames him for the death, though she’s still with him. Unbeknownst to the family, the Duchess’ deformed son Giorgio (Jonathan Fuller) has been living in the castle dungeons. He manages to escape from his shackles and roams the castle, eventually finding Rebecca and freaking her out. She tries telling her parents, but Susan doesn’t believe her, though John decides to investigate further and learn more. With tensions between John and Susan rising further, it’s only a matter of time before the Castle Freak strikes.
Review
For what ended up being his last collaboration with Charles Band, Castle Freak is a superb send-off for Stuart Gordon. Gordon manages to construct a well-directed and very atmospheric modern-day gothic horror film even with a limited budget. It helps that they filmed at a real castle, which adds plenty of production value much like with Subspecies. Admittedly, compared to Gordon’s other films which added some humor, this one is largely humorous and much more serious. Granted, it’s better than The Pit and The Pendulum, where the humor clashed with the more serious elements. Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton give some of their best performances here, both sympathetic and in some way tragic. Relative newcomer Jessica Dollarhide does a solid job as a blind girl whose disability is treated respectfully and honestly. However, Jonathan Fuller steals the show as the title character, giving a very expressive and emotive performance.
Fuller’s performance is very reminiscent of how Lon Chaney portrayed the various monsters he played, using body and facial expressions. The creature and makeup effects from Optic Nerve are wonderfully gruesome and Giorgio’s design ranks among the best practical monsters. Richard Band’s score is a delightful mix of terror and playfulness that fits right alongside his score for Dolls. At roughly 90 minutes, the film goes by fairly quickly without feeling like it’s rushing or having padding added. In terms of flaws, one problem with the film is that some of the characters act rather irrationally. No one really seems to entertain the thought that something more is going on and just act on instinct. Still, given the tensions going on and how emotional everyone is, it’s fair to expect people wouldn’t be thinking straight. Overall, Castle Freak is a solidly underrated gothic horror film that deserves your attention.
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