Stuart Gordon brings his favorites - Jeffery Combs and Barbara Crampton - to Full Moon Productions for this 1995 monster movie. John Reilly (Combs) inherits a castle in Italy and travels from the states with his wife and blind daughter to figure out how much it's worth. While there, they struggle with family discord
and uncover the mystery of John's missing half-brother. Gordan's monster flick is very much by the book, but there is some decent blood and gore including an uncomfortable scene where the freak breaks his own thumb. Combs and Crampton give it their all, but the writing is a bit of a weak point - the dialogue is awkward at times and the characters are rather one-dimensional. Consequently, there is little worry about what happens to them, so the suspense falls a little flat. Richard Band's Elfman-esque score does not fit the grim darkness of the film - its far too "whimsical" at times. Gordan seems to be filling out his catalogue with this one - sleepwalking through a predictable climax that falls flat at the end. Castle Freak is competent, but not much more.
August 6, 2011
