With many countries experiencing a cost-of-living and housing crisis, the thought of inheriting a large property is mouthwatering. However, discovering that one of the many rooms has been a virtual cell for a horribly deformed, animalistic and maybe cannibalistic distant relative would put a damper on anyone’s good fortune. That’s pretty much the plot of Castle Freak, which is available now on Blu-ray from 101 Films in the UK. This mid-90s direct-to-video classic reunites the horror triad of director Stuart Gordon, along with actors Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton.
Husband and wife, John and Susan Reilly (Combs and Crampton), along with their teenage daughter, Rebecca, travel to Italy to explore their new property, a centuries-old castle. Despite an abundance of space, Susan has relegated John to the doghouse, and rightly so, following a car accident in which John was drunk behind the wheel, resulting in the tragic death of their young son and the permanent blinding of Rebecca.
While they struggle with their grief and adjust to their new life, the castle’s unwilling squatter breaks free from his chains, keen to aggressively acquaint themself with the new owners. Castle Freak is definitely not a title open to interpretation; it’s very much as advertised, but despite the lower budget, the film’s distributor, Full Moon Features, capitalises on Stuart Gordon’s previous Lovecraftian works with a signature musical style and grotesque visuals. However, in this case, moments of gore are limited, but no doubt memorable and horrifying. Castle Freak is thematically different from Gordon’s earlier titles, Re-Animator and From Beyond, yet the film still maintains a connection and familiarity in some measure through its two leading actors.
Performances from Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton are better than they should be, especially when they argue about John’s past mistakes. This gives an emotional layer to an otherwise typical and rather cheap horror title. It certainly could have been explored further as a means to keep the focus on a family dynamic. John begins to draw parallels with his plight to his ancestry and the titular freak, but instead, the film quickly takes a debauchery route, which is a little frustrating.
SPECIAL FEATURES
New Extras
- “Get Your Freak On!” – Interview with composer Richard Band
• “Don’t Look in the Basement!” – Interview with actress Barbara Crampton.
• “Freak on a Leash!” – Interview with filmmaker Chris Alexander.
Archive Extras
- Castle Speak with Stuart Gordon
• William Shatner interview with Stuart Gordon, Barbara Crampton, and Jeffrey Combs
• Videozone
• Trailer
Given the unique filming circumstances of Castle Freak, Barbara Crampton’s interview is particularly insightful as she sheds light on both living and working in the titular building. The actress also goes into detail about her frequent collaborations with Stuart Gordon and Jeffrey Combs. Richard Band similarly discusses his history of scoring for Stuart Gordon’s films and even shares how he influenced Re-Animator’s dark comedy. Filmmaker and Castle Freak fan Chris Alexander gives a solid overview and appreciation of Castle Freak, highlighting aspects of the film that continue to help it stand out after all these years. – by Hannah Lynch
VIDEO AND AUDIO
I first watched Castle Freak in HD on Tubi, which looked impressive compared to the video scan that Shudder was offering to paying subscribers. Minus the shortcomings that come with digital streaming, this Blu-ray release from 101 has a nice grainy texture and the undersaturated colours present a more natural palette for what’s often a very dark and dingy horror movie. Dual audio tracks, DTS-HD 5.1 and LPCM 2.0 are available, and while the surround track isn’t the most immersive, it matches the dialogue volume on the more basic stereo track.
Castle Freak has often been lumped in with double features or treated to very basic stand-alone releases on DVD and Blu-ray in the past, but 101 Films brings a newfound enthusiasm towards this fun little screamer with premium packaging and a selection of artwork that’s both unique and retro with video store vibes.
CASTLE FREAK
(1995, director: Stuart Gordon)
★★★★
direct blu-ray screen captures
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