Tags:
Film: Castle Freak
Year: 1995
Director: Stuart Gordon
Writer: Dennis Paoli
Starring: Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton and Jonathan Fuller
Review:
This was a film that I missed when growing up. I do believe there was a time that I rented this and got bored early into it, then never finished it. I was intrigued to check this out as I love the team of director Stuart Gordon, actors Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton in a work based on H.P. Lovecraft. I’ve also given it a second watch as a Voyage through the FiVes film.
Synopsis: a man struggles to save his family from the strange and deadly occurrences in the castle they’ve inherited.
We start with an elderly woman, Duchess D’Orsino (Helen Stirling). She gives a cat a bowl of milk and then prepares a plate of food. She takes it down into the dungeon of the castle she lives in. She also takes a cat o’ nine tails with her. There is someone that is locked in a room. They’re played by Jonathan Fuller. The food is put down and then this prisoner is beaten with the whip. The duchess then goes up to her room and has a heart attack.
It then shifts to a family in a car. The father is John Reilly (Combs), his wife Susan (Crampton) and their daughter Rebecca (Jessica Dollarhide), who is blind. They’re being driven to the castle they’ve inherited by Giannetti (Massimo Sarchielli). Getting the house ready for them is his sister, Agnese (Elisabeth Kaza).
As the family settles in for the night, John goes to Susan and tries to get intimate. She shuts him down and we see that there are issues. Through a dream that John has, we learn the truth of what happened. He was drunk and he wrecked their car, killing their son JJ (Alessandro Sebastian Satta) and blinding their daughter. Susan still hasn’t forgiven him.
John hears something that wakes him. He searches for the cause. He doesn’t find anything but comes to the wine cellar. He picks up a bottle and breaks it, cutting his hand. Agnese helps him and they sit down for a chat. The following day, John takes Rebecca to make an inventory of the items in the castle. They’re going to sell them before moving back to the United States. Rebecca sneaks off though and ends up following a cat into the dungeon. She finds the locked room and knows there’s something inside.
We catch a glimpse of the prisoner. They’re deformed and still alive. They haven’t been fed since the duchess passed. They’re able to get their hands on the cat. To get free, they must tear off their thumb. Rebecca knows there’s someone else in the castle, but no one believes her. Strange things start to happen and John investigates his family history. It is much darker than he realizes.
That’s where I’ll leave my recap and introduction to the characters, this one is an interesting film. I won’t give away who the person that was locked up is, but there is an intriguing backstory there. What I like there is that it makes me feel bad for them and it is difficult to fully fault them. been locked up for so long that it has deformed him. It makes the duchess a villain. I don’t want to spoil anything beyond that, but that’s where I wanted to start.
Based on a Lovecraft story, I'm eager to read it and compare what was added to flesh out. I appreciate the family's depth: John, a recovering alcoholic, struggles with sobriety due to the stress of their situation. The accident was his fault, and Susan despises him for his lack of responsibility, though he feels guilty. Their relationship seems to be at an end, likely after Rebecca leaves, which is common after such tragedy. The added depth, especially Susan's disbelief, works well. Credit to Combs and Crampton.
Let’s then shift over to their daughter. She’s a sad character. She has resigned herself that she’ll never have a normal life because she lost her sight. It is depressing, especially since she lost it and knows what it was like before that. She is trying to be self-sufficient, but Susan is overprotective. Originally, I thought that she had given up more. This rewatch shows that it bothers her, but she is trying to make the best of her situation and explore. Dollarhide does well with portraying this character and bringing life to it.
Where I’ll then take this over to the acting. This is an interesting Full Moon film that is character driven. They have the right cast for it. I’ve already said how good Combs, Crampton and Dollarhide are. They all bring their characters to life for what is needed. Credit to Fuller who is good as the creature in the film. The make-up they did and how he acted does bring it all to life. There’s a sadness as he watches people and then mimics what they do. The rest of the cast rounded out the film for what was needed. I like how out of place this family is since it takes place in Italy so the casting helps there.
All that is left then is filmmaking. Something I haven’t included is the neo-gothic atmosphere. This is captured from the setting in this castle. The cinematography and framing help there as well. Then going along with that are the effects. This goes brutal and everything looks to be done practically. The blood and gore we got were great. That level of realism works. The last thing to go over would be the soundtrack. I like Richard Band’s work. The opening theme is great. The rest is subdued but that helps build tension. There are solid musical cues throughout, so credit there as well.
In conclusion, this offers a compelling, character-driven horror experience, elevated by strong performances from Combs, Crampton and Dollarhide. While rooted in Lovecraftian themes, the movie carves its own path, delving into the raw emotional aftermath of tragedy and the disturbing secrets of a cursed lineage. The practical effects deliver a brutal realism that complements the neo-gothic atmosphere. However, be warned: this is a heavy film, exploring difficult subjects and featuring unflinching violence that may not be for all viewers. Overall, it's a solid entry in the Full Moon catalogue that deserves its recognition.
My Rating: 7.5 out of 10