CASTLE FREAK
***
Directed by Stuart Gordon.
Starring Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton, Jessica Dollarhyde, Jonathan Fuller.
Horror, US, 94 minutes, Certificate 18.
Released in the UK on Limited Edition Blu-ray 26th May by 101 Films
In classic B-movie huckster fashion the genesis of Stuart Gordon’s CASTLE FREAK starts with a poster, made well before any script or premise came to light. Supposedly as the story goes, Gordon spied the poster depicting a disfigured man chained to a wall being whipped by a woman during a meeting with producer Charles Band. Asking Band what that was about, Gordon was told “Well, that’s a castle and there’s a freak” and if he wanted it, Gordon could do whatever he wanted with it, as long as there was a freak in a castle. While it may lack the smart stylings and somewhat cheeky tone of his previous Lovecraft adaptations that made his name, this limited edition Blu-ray release proves a welcome reminder of what the much-missed director was capable of when given free reign, even with even smaller resources than usual.
Loosely, make that very loosely, inspired by Lovecraft’s short story The Outsider this is a ripe slice of lurid, gothic storytelling. Re-uniting Jeffrey Combs with Barbara Crampton for the first time since 1986’s FROM BEYOND as estranged husband and wife John and Susan, relocating to Italy after John’s drunk driving caused the death of their young son and teenage daughter Rebecca’s blindness. With John surprisingly inheriting a vast castle, the family take residence whilst attempting to sell it on. All the while the castle’s previous resident has managed to tear himself from the chains in his cell that have held him in the dark, dank depths of the castle for many years once he sets eyes on Rebecca. Cue more family drama and flesh ripping mayhem as the past in all of its forms threatens to tear apart John, Susan and Rebecca in more ways than one.
As the vintage cover art states Castle Freak is “HIDEOUS. HUNGRY. AND LOOSE…” One wonders that if Full Moon Pictures had their way, then HORNY might have found its way onto that lurid cover art back in the mid-nineties. As a direct to video shelf filler it hits all the required beats that Band’s Full Moon Pictures were known for. Boobs and blood are definitely the order of the day here, but Gordon manages to smuggle in a dark family drama and other gothic fiction beats to go along with the film's oppressive and sometimes grimy nature that marks it out as darker than the usual fare that could be found on the shelves of your local video library back in the twentieth century. Gone is the wicked or sly sense of humour that Gordon usually took to his work such as his adaptation of THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM which was also shot in the same castle, purchased as it was by Band to be used for multiple productions.
Fans of Gordon, Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton will no doubt feel compelled to revisit the film, especially in 101 Films Black Label release. The new special features consist mainly of recent interviews conducted exclusively for this release. Composer Richard Band details his working relationship with Gordon while Crampton offers her own thoughts on the film and how it fits in with her previous collaborations with the director. Chris Alexander rounds out the new features with a comprehensive look at the film, making a neat job of recontextualising it, not just in Gordon’s filmography but how it fitted in with the rest of Full Moon Pictures output at the time. The rest of the features, including an all too brief interview with Gordon have been ported over from previous releases so the question remains if this is an essential upgrade.
For completists that would be a maybe. The transfer here is as dark as ever and with a ton of imperfections still onscreen, reel changes are all too apparent with the jarring edits and picture interference. While it perfectly replicates the 1990’s VHS experience, AV aficionados may find themselves disappointed with the complete lack of work that has gone into remastering here. Newcomers and fans who may have missed out on the last disc before it went out of print however would do well enough with this otherwise comprehensive release that shines a light on one of Gordon’s nastiest and often fascinating works.
Iain MacLeod