Castle Freak (1996)

**_Yup, there’s an ancient Italian CASTLE and a misshapen FREAK_** An American man (Jeffrey Combs) inherits a castle about an hour’s drive north of Rome and brings his wife & daughter (Barbara Crampton and Jessica Dollarhide). The couple is troubled by the husband’s alcoholism, which caused the death of their young son. Meanwhile the teen daughter insists that someone else is dwelling in the castle. Havoc ensues. I didn’t have high hopes for “Castle Freak” (1995) due to the blunt title and cheesy movie poster, but it’s surprisingly well done for a flick that only cost $500,000. I couldn’t help be reminded of HP Lovecraft’s “The Dunwich Horror” (1970) and therefore wasn’t surprised to find out the film was inspired by Lovecraft’s "The Outsider." The tone and setting is similar to “Subspecies” (1991), just exchange the vampire for a contorted monstrosity. Speaking of the undead, the milieu also brings to mind Dracula flicks, like the most recent (at the time) “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” (1992). The first half takes its time to set up the characters, create some Gothic mood and milk suspense while the second half turns increasingly horrific and tragic. Psychologically, there are several gems to mine, like the consequences of abuse and folly, not to mention potential redemption and forgiveness in a fallen world. Culturally, this is a great flick to get a feel for pastoral Italy. Raffaella Offidani appears on the feminine front as a chic courtesan and I couldn’t help thinking of Halle Berry. I prefer Jessica Dollarhide as Rebecca, but not enough is done with her (not talkin’ ’bout nudity or sleaze). Speaking of which, there’s some nakedness and a little passionate sex on display, as well as utterly gruesome bits. Just a heads up. The ending was, incidentally, ripped off in “Cold Creek Manor” (2003). Meanwhile a reimaging was released in 2020 under the same title, but I have yet to see it (although the trailer is intriguing). The film runs 1 hour, 30 minutes, and was shot in Giove & Attigliano, Italy, including the castle owned by executive producer Charles Band. The region is 45 miles due north of Rome. I shouldn’t close without mentioning Luca Zingaretti’s significant role as the sheriff. GRADE: A-/B+