I rather enjoyed this 90s cult classic. Horror legends Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton deliver great performances. The acting in general was very good, and the effects were great, as well. I also enjoyed the castle setting, which added greatly to the film's foreboding atmosphere.

John (Combs) and Susan (Crampton) Reilly are at odds with each other due to a family tragedy that John caused. While driving drunk, John wrecks the car and kills his five year old son and blinds his teenage daughter Rebecca (Dollarhide). Susan isn't ready to forgive him yet but goes to Italy where John has just inherited a castle. The family struggles to adjust, but what they don't know is deep in the bowels of the castle is the title freak. A deformed man that was beaten, abused, and chained up since he was a small boy. Shortly after the family arrives the freak (Fuller) chews off his thumb to escape his chains and is loose in the castle observing the family. With her other senses heightened, Rebecca can feel his presence even though she can't see him. This makes for an eerie scene when the freak roams into her room to get a closer look. The family doesn't believe her claim after the police turn nothing up during a half-hearted exploration of the castle. John falls of the wagon one night and brings a prostitute (Raffaella Offidani) home and has sex with her as the freak watches. Once John leaves, the freak attacks her and kills her in gruesome fashion. The police suspect John when the prostitute doesn't show up anywhere and John is arrested. Two cops are sent to watch over Susan and Rebecca and they are quickly killed off as the girls try to fight off the freak during a rain storm in the finale. This is the third time stars Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton have teamed up with Director Stuart Gordon. Gordon manages to draw sympathy for the freak from the audience because the freak is like that due to years of cruelty. The castle provides some solid atmosphere as you might suspect and the lighting helps as well. The make up for the freak is ghastly and very effective and actor Jonathan Fuller does a good job in this difficult role. The freak is used much like the classic monsters of yesterday. He does graphic and terrible things but in ways it really isn't his fault. Like a lot of Stuart Gordon's movies, 'Castle Freak' doesn't skimp on graphic gore and blood and supplies it in good measure. Some of Gordon's normal dark humor is missing in this one, but it is stronger on atmosphere and mood. Set in Italy, this movie has a very Italian cinema feel to it, almost like a cross between Fulci and Argento. The thrilling ending in the rain storm is effective and suspenseful and the scenes where the freak is observing the blind Rebecca is the best of what this has to offer. Going down a slightly different path here, Gordon has a mild success with 'Castle Freak'.

While I myself have not read any of H.P. Lovecraft's work,I believe this film is one of the better adaptations. Stuart Gordon, Jeffrey Combs, and Barbara Crampton are back again with "Castle Freak". I overall enjoyed this film. It has an interesting, sad plot, a tortured, deformed freak, and a divided family who has to deal with it before it kills them. Oh, not to mention rather disgusting and sickening gore, which I enjoyed.Although I have seen much better horror films before, I was entertained and enjoyed the movie. And, yes, this is one of Full Moon Features's better films. I recommend this film to H.P. Lovecraft fans, Stuart Gordon fans, Jeffrey Combs fans, and deformed freak fans.

A family of three (Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton and Jessica Dollarhide) have inherited a castle, but have no plans to stay on. So they take inventory in order to sell off the property. But they aren't the only living relatives -- in the basement is the "castle freak", a deformed cannibal chained to the dungeon. If he gets loose, the family's heritage may become one of pure carnage.Stuart Gordon ("Re-Animator") directs this film with a cast consisting of Jeffrey Combs ("Re-Animator") and Barbra Crampton ("Re-Animator"), produced by Charles Band ("Re-Animator"). Maybe you've caught on, but this is something of a "Re-Animator" reunion... with a few people missing. And a much lower production value (the film quality looks like 1970s issue or something from PBS during British comedy hour). For the most part, this is pretty solid film.Combs is quite good, and one wonders why he's not given leading roles more often. Crampton is also good, and the blind girl (Jessica Dollarhide, in her only feature film) was remarkable. The freak? I have to say the makeup, effects and even the mannerisms were impressive. There's a scene where a prostitute meets her end... and they really went out of their way to show how horrific the freak could be.The story isn't fast-paced or action-packed, so if you need to be constantly entertained, this may not be for you. But if you like a good development in your plot, I think you'd appreciate this lost treasure (definitely one of the lesser-seen Gordon horror films). I wasn't paying as close attention as I should have been, because I was half in the bag from drinking Scoresby Scotch (it's the connoisseur's Scotch)... but it kept me feeling pretty good. Thanks, Full Moon Features, for one of your better offerings.