Castle Freak

Castle Freak is a 1995 American direct-to-video horror film directed by Stuart Gordon. The film stars Jeffrey Combs as John Reilly, an American recovering alcoholic who inherits an Italian castle when a distant relative passes away. John stays at the castle with his estranged wife Susan (Barbara Crampton) and blind daughter Rebecca (Jessica Dollarhide), but a freakish monster locked away in the basement (Jonathan Fuller) escapes and commits a series of murders. Castle Freak went into production in 1994 after Gordon noticed art for the film in producer Charles Band's office. Gordon agreed to develop the film on Band's condition that the film take place in a castle, contain a freak, and would be shot on a very low budget. Gordon obliged as he would be able to cast who he wanted in the film and would get the final cut. The film was shot in 1994 in a castle owned by Band in Italy, where Gordon had previously shot The Pit and the Pendulum. The film was shot during a period when Full Moon Features was having financial issues and was released to little press on home video in November 1995. Plot After inheriting a 12th-century castle which belonged to a famed Duchess in Italy, John Reilly, his wife Susan, and their blind teenage daughter Rebecca travel to Italy to visit. Susan blames John for the death of their five-year-old son in a drunk driving crash which also cost their daughter her eyesight. On the advice of the estate's executor, the three plan to stay at the castle until they can liquidate the estate. Unbeknownst to them, the Duchess' son, Giorgio Orsino, who was imprisoned and tortured by the Duchess, still lives in the dungeons of the castle. After killing and eating a cat, the disfigured Giorgio escapes by breaking off his own thumb to get out of the manacles which bind him. Giorgio begins to roam the castle, prowling around the bedroom of the terrified Rebecca. When she claims there is someone else in the house, John believes her, but Susan does not. John, still wracked with guilt about the death of his son, turns to drinking alcohol and hires a prostitute who doesn't speak English from the nearby town, angering Susan further for cheating. As she leaves the castle, the prostitute is ambushed and horribly mutilated by Giorgio. The maid discovers the still-living prostitute before she herself is murdered. Susan plans to leave with Rebecca, but the police order them to stay while they investigate the missing prostitute.