Castle Freak (1995)
The venerable 40k Quest movie review returns and this time we are delving into 90s horror obscurity Castle Freak.
On a vague off-hand recommendation I picked up this Jeffrey Combs horror film and I am so glad I did. Especially as I love a good HP Lovecraft style horror flick (see Re-animator, In the Mouth of Madness etc ...)
The plot is straight forward, a man carrying the guilt of blinding his daughter and killing his son in a drunk driving incident inherits a castle in Italy after the duchess he didn't know he was related to dies. He and his family; including his Wife who has not forgiven him, move into the place while he tries to sell it. Unbeknown to everyone is the duchess has been keeping her long thought dead, disfigured son in the crypt who she used to beat and treat worse than a dog.
That's right officer an angry, surprisingly strong naked man with no thumb has been prowling around my 150 room castle and I'd like you and your men to find him.
The location is different and interesting. The acting is decent, Combs is great as a slightly off-kilter alcoholic father and Barbara Crampton is good too as the struggling Wife. The blind daughter is a nice addition to the film even if her main role is being a near victim for the beast man most of the time. The star of the show though is certainly the beast in the cell aka Giorgio. The effects they used for his face are top notch and his perverted and self-mutilating actions are amazingly grim. Once he escapes things get very creepy, horrifying and very gory in this film. Although I'm not entirely sure we needed to see his very hairy and very nude body dangling about quite so much, I suppose it is balanced out by the whore Combs meets at a bar, who gets her kit off first.
There are plenty of great scenes in this film from jumping through windows, police beat downs and police deaths. Plus there is the scene involving the previously mentioned prostitute and Giorgio which goes from creepy to downright savage as he literally bites off her nipple!! Also if you like cats then I should warn you this film has one, that doesn't make it to the end.
Overall I was greatly surprised by this film and really enjoyed it. I would definitely watch it again.
Until next time.
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