Stuart Gordon loves two things: H.P. Lovecraft stories and creepy cunnilingus. First there was Re-Animator with a decapitated head and in this one we get, well...let's say "eating out" takes on a new meaning.

Luckily Gordon's love of Lovecraft comes through, for the most part, in his film adaptations, including this one. What I particularly appreciate is he typically updates them or interprets the original stories in a different way instead of just filming the book or short directly. With Castle Freak, he takes the main character/ghoul and makes him a shameful freak of nature monster who used to be human. One that is hungry and horny - though, as mentioned before, he'll have trouble finishing the deal, something we are shown repeatedly near the end.

The backstory with the family is pretty nice, and Jeffrey Combs put on a good act here as a tortured father that accidentally mutilated his children in a horrible (yet hilarious) car wreck while drunk. Of course poor John heads downstairs in his brand new mega-castle and what does he find? A wine cellar so big you need a map, and it is stock full! Oh snap!

There are a few issues with this, though. The titular freak isn't just laying there inert. He's making noise - eating a cat (hmmm...foreshadowing much?), yelling, rattling chains, etc. The blind daughter wanders around the basement (well, rolls around), and she hears all the ruckus. Later though John talks about how "sound carries in here!" Yeah, unless you're a scary monster freak, then you can stomp around with a chain and yell and you're ok!

Thus the film takes a minute to get going but doesn't let up when it does. Good gore, pretty cool monster design, Italian prostitutes, etc. Some button pushing (including a ripped off breast, referencing dozens of Italian horror films) and a ridiculous ending and you've got a pretty good time on your hands. I have to say, as soon as I saw the blind daughter, I just KNEW those useless eyes of hers were going to get ripped out. I would've bet on it. Alas, I was incorrect. Maybe next time?

I give it a high rent/low purchase. Strangely the version I have came with Deathbed as a double feature...sort of, as Castle Freak is delegated as a "Special Feature!" Really stupid considering Castle Freak is leagues better than Deathdumbbed.

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