I was pretty late to the game as far as the films of Stuart Gordon go. I kept coming across his name again and again on movie websites and such, but it was only about a year ago that I actually saw one of his films. First was Re-Animator (which I really liked), and then last November I checked out From Beyond (which was great). I just really dig his style - he's adept at blending horror and comedy, and his films just have this vivid quality about them; a sort of aliveness and energy that is hard not to like. So while I recognized the Castle Freak box art from the good old video store days, I never realized that it was his film. And when I heard it was a reunion of sorts (bringing back stars Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton from Re-Animator and From Beyond), I had to check it out. And I'm glad I did. It's certainly a departure from those other two films - it has a decidedly different vibe and is a much more dour affair. There is hardly any humor in it at all, the sets are rather drab, and the effects are more grotesquely appalling rather than queasy fun. But it's still a well-crafted and often disturbing film that is totally worth your time.
Castle Freak centers on the Reilly family. Father John (Combs) has just inherited an old castle in Italy from a part of his bloodline that he didn't even know existed. There is some obvious strain in his relationship with his wife Susan (Crampton), and their daughter Rebecca is caught in the middle. Also, Rebecca is blind, which doesn't ease the stress between the bickering couple, as they are constantly at odds with the best way to take care of her. Anyways, they spend a few nights in the castle, and start to hear some strange noises. It turns out the recently deceased Duchess (the last owner of the castle) had some crazy rumors floating around about her. It is said that her son died at a young age, many years prior, and destroyed her emotionally - she never left the castle after that. But - what if she was actually totally insane and just told everyone her son died, when in actuality she just kept him chained up in the basement for decades until he went totally mad? Or if she fed him like an animal and beat him with a whip until he was disfigured? If that happened, when she died he'd probably either (a) slowly die of starvation, or (b) bite off his own thumb, escape his chains, and awkwardly terrorize the Reilly family. Guess which one happens?
I say "awkwardly" because our titular freak is not an inherently bad guy. Much like other "guy locked in the basement for decades" flicks, (The Beast in the Cellar) it's pretty much just the years of isolation (and in this case, frequent beatings) that have driven him mad. So he's not out to kill the Reillys - he's just as likely to sneak around and lightly caress Rebecca while she sleeps as he is to attack them. Which is still creepy. But you end up feeling a little bad for the guy. It's about as nuanced as you could hope for from a movie called Castle Freak.
While the film is missing the humor of Gordon's other films, Castle Freak is propelled by a legitimately intriguing and dramatic story. I won't spoil anything here, but John and Susan are a couple on the outs, and the backstory behind their strained relationship is not only interesting in and of itself but also provides an interesting thematic balance to the events that take place in the castle. (Sorry to be so vague.) There are a couple of times where things get a little *too* melodramatic (I wasn't buying the scenes when John gets wasted, for instance), but overall the story is just as exciting as the horror stuff. Which is more than you could hope for from a film called Castle Freak.
And that's all the more impressive when you consider that the horror stuff delivers. The "freak" makeup is well done - it manages to be monstrous but a little pathetic at the same time. And it's shot in such a way that you really get good looks at it - and even when it's partially covered up (he wears a gauzy sheet for parts of the film), it's still pretty creepy. And while it's never an outright gorefest, there are definitely a few moments that will make you cringe. And really, anytime a movie reminds you of a Cannibal Corpse album cover ("Tomb of the Mutilated," in this case), you know things are going okay gore-wise. There isn't necessarily a lot of tension to the proceedings, nor are there a lot of surprises. But that's not really what Castle Freak is going for. The story and characters are strong enough - and there's enough commitment to the overall dour vibe of the film - that it doesn't really need tension or jump scares to be successful.
Honestly, it feels like a pretty mature/adult take on the horror genre. The characters are mostly middle-aged people with middle-aged problems (castle freaks non-withstanding), and while some of the horror elements are gruesome and occasionally shocking, the overall thrust of the film is more story over scares.
And accordingly Castle Freak is a well-made/well-acted film. Both Combs and Crampton are really good as the arguing couple - and I think it helps that the two were established as a couple (in a way) in earlier movies. I was kind of used to seeing them together, so now that they are on the outs, it resonates a little more strongly. Gordon shoots the film well, but is never too flashy. At first, I was a little disappointed that there wasn't really a gothic feel to the castle. I was expecting a really slick production with fog, lightning, ominous stone dungeons, etc. But here, the castle here is a little plain and honestly kind of boring. The whole thing is kind of dirt brown and relatively bland. But it's probably more in line with what most castles actually look like in real life. (They've been pretty romanticized in horror flicks.) But it actually works to the films benefit. It just feels more realistic, and puts the focus more on the characters than the creepy setting.
Ultimately, I really dug Castle Freak. It was pretty different from what I was expecting given Gordon's previous output, but it worked really well. It strikes a good tonal balance - it's dramatic but never really depressing; serious but never overly so.
I would recommend this film.
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