Castle Freak (1995) #411

Director Stuart Gordon returns to familiar ground with his 1995 film "Castle Freak", which is inspired by H.P. Lovecraft's short story "The Outsider". "Castle Freak" sees the return of Jefferey Combs, as the character John Reilly, and Barbara Crampton as his wife Susan. All three professionals seem more mature and laid back in this film when compared to their earlier work such as "Re-Animator" and "From Beyond"; "Castle Freak" is a darker, has a a steady build of tension, and deals with themes more adult, such as the dealing with the accidental death of a child and alcoholism. Although the movie is only loosely based on Lovecraft's short story, the movie feels very much like a story he would have written. It follows themes that Lovecraft used several times including a lead character having a mysterious family past.

While the story is and performances are solid, the film quality of the movie is lacking, which is evident since this film went straight to the video shelf. My other complaint is the overly energetic score by composer Richard Band. His work for the "Re-Animator" series was perfect, matching the chaotic nature of the Dr. Herbert West and his ungodly creations, but in this film it stands out as a stark opposite of everything that is occurring on screen.

John Reilly, his wife Susan and his daughter Rebecca, arrive in Italy to take over an old family estate that he has inherited from an unknown duchess that he was related to. There is an immense amount of strain between John and Susan ever since he was responsible for a car accident in which their son was killed and Rebecca was left blind. As the family goes about their business of settling in and deciding what to do with the estate, the unknown and deformed inhabitant in the basement escapes and begins to watch the family. This "castle freak" begins to kill the locals and the deaths are blamed on John. As John tries to clear his name and prove his innocence, the freak sets his sights on Rebecca, resulting in a climatic fight with John on top of the roof in a rain storm.

Se7en (1995)

"Se7en", also known as just "Seven", is David Fincher's second full length movie that he directed after creating a name for himself as a music video director. He almost passed up the chance to direct "Se7en" after having such a horrible experience working on "Alien 3". "Se7en" is about a serial killer who kills people whose lives best represent one of the seven deadly sins. Unlike most serial killers, he doesn't kill because of some ill seeded sexual drive or the need to control others, but instead he kills to prove that the world is full of sin and that it influences everyone, like it or not. The killer is very precise and patient, taking over a year to implement his plan so everything lined up just right. The only aspect that I find difficult to understand is how he was going to complete the seventh and final sin before Brad Pitt's character, Detective Mills, moved to the unnamed City and became an unknowing player in the killer's game.

The movie is one of the best filmed features that I've ever seen, taking full advantage of the dark, wet City and turning it into a character itself. It's big and ugly and real. Coupled with the intense soundtrack, pairing certain points in the film with a particular song or classical piece, made the film complete.


Detective Somerset is about to retire and move away from the City, a run down, crime riddled metrolpolis. During his last few days, he is partnered with the brash young Detective Mills who just transferred to the City. They are soon dispatched to investigate the crime scene of an obese man that was found in his kitchen, killed by a blunt blow to the stomach after being forced fed for hours while a gun was pressed firmly against his head. This turns out to be just the first in a series of cruel and violent killings that claim people from all walks of life within the city, including a high profile lawyer and a famous local model. Somerset is the the first to notice that the killings are related to the different seven deadly sins from the bible, so with that knowledge they begin their search for the killer before he can complete all seven murders.

Candyman 2: Farewell to the Flesh (1995)

It’s another sequel, it’s another guilty pleasure, and it’s from the 90’s; “Candyman 2: Farewell to the Flesh”. While most people hate this movie, I really enjoyed it. It doesn’t try to repeat the same story as from the original but it manages to stay honest to it and expand on the history of the Candyman and explore a different motive for his killings. And the film takes place in New Orleans, so that alone gives it extra points and character! It occurred to me today that the Candyman, of all of the famed killers/slashers/insane franchise characters, to come across as a bully. He tends to kill the victims that haven’t called for him in front of his “emotional victim” that he uses to frame his murders around, all in order to fulfill whatever ends he wishes to achieve in that movie. Tony Todd is less commanding in this film than in his earlier appearances but he still has an ominous presence and one of the best voices a horror movie villain could wish for.

Annie Tarrant and her family become deeply involved with the mystery of the Candyman after her father is killed in the same fashion as other Candyman victims. The local authorities believe her brother Ethan is the killer but when more murders occur while he’s in jail, their sights are narrowed on to Annie. Annie makes the mistake of summoning the Candyman while looking into a mirror and saying his name five times, and now that she has his attention at last, he’s going to do everything he can to make her learn the truth about her dark family secret.

Hideaway (1995)

“Hideaway” is a guilty pleasure of mine. Most of Rotten Tomatoes didn’t like it and the Dean Koontz, who wrote the novel that it was adapted from, did all he could to try to remove his name from appearing anywhere in the credits. It seems that the only other person who liked it was Roger Ebert; I should see if any of my friends had even seen it. The special effects that are used to represent Heaven and Hell are outdated and look cartoonish, the ending is a total WTF-style cop out, and the fact that it takes place in Seattle but has a large amusement park somewhere east of the city is wrong but forgivable. I truly enjoyed the story, the actors, and most of all, Jeff Goldblum. JEFF GOLDBLUM!

Jeff Goldblum is Hatch, a loving father and husband who dies in a freak car accident while driving his family home from vacation. He’s brought back to life by an experimental medical procedure that has only been attempted on one other person who had been “gone” for as long as Hatch was. This person who was also brought back is a killer who stalks night clubs looking for victims to add to his monument/alter dedicated to Hell, and now Hatch can see what the killer sees. Unfortunately, the killer can see through Hatch’s eyes as well and sets his sights on Hatch’s daughter as the ultimate sacrifice. Now Hatch must do everything he can to protect his family as they grow more and more afraid of his irrational behavior.

Favorite actor in this film – JEFF GOLDBLUM!

In the Mouth of Madness (1995)

Another one of all-time favorite movies, “In the Mouth of Madness” is a wonderful tribute to horror great H.P. Lovecraft by John Carpenter. While it doesn’t play on any particular Lovecraft story, the feeling of the film and the themes it explores are mistakenly Lovecraft in nature and style. It is also without a doubt a John Carpenter movie and is currently his last great film as a director.

Sutter Cane is missing and John Trent is hired to figure out where he is. Cane is a huge writer, more popular that Stephen King, and his publishers are waiting anxiously for his newest book, “In the Mouth of Madness”. Trent isn’t a big fan of horror, but as he begins to read Kane’s previous works, Trent starts to have dreams within dreams about the type of characters found in the stories. By luck, Trent discovers that the book covers are pieces of a map and when they are carefully pieced together, it shows where the fictional town of Hobb’s End is, the town that is in all of Cane’s stories. Trent and Cane’s editor, Linda Styles, go for a road trip to see if Hobb’s End exists, at least under a different name. They find the town and realize that they know all of the little details about it from the stories that Cane has written. Trent is under the impression that this is all a huge publicity stunt even though Styles swears that it isn’t. But the longer that they stay in Hobb’s End, the more reality seems to be bending at the seams and everyone in town, including Styles, begin to fall under the influence of Sutter Cane. Eventually Trent admits that something is wrong and that he is playing a part in the apocalypse of the world as we know it.

Favorite moment – It’s impossible to pick one moment in this film that is my favorite. Nothing stands out more than the rest because the film, in my opinion, is running on all cylinders the entire time.

Perhaps John Trent is beginning to believe? Or not.

 John Trent missed the apocalypse!

 Sutter Cane's agent wants lunch too!

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Village of the Damned (1995)

In 1995 John Carpenter filmed his version of the 1960 horror movie “The Village of the Damned”, starring Christopher Reeve (in one of his last roles before his accident), Kirstie Alley, and Mark Hamill (who seemed oddly out of place and miscast). This version didn’t vary too much from the original beyond changing the location and giving the women characters more screen time and larger, more important roles. This is the film where I think Carpenter was being lazy and was just going through the process just to collect a check. He had written or came up with the concept for most of his other films or if he hadn’t, he made them feel like they were his. Nothing in this film feels like it’s his movie; he didn’t leave any of his personal trademarks anywhere. Overall, it’s a decent movie but it lacks anything new or creative that the original didn’t already offer.

The movie begins but quickly introducing all of the key characters who live in the small town of Midwich. While everyone is enjoying their daily activity, an odd phenomenon occurs in which all of the townspeople faint and stay unconscious. They soon all awake and think nothing of it until it’s discovered that ten women in town are now suddenly pregnant. Nine months later on the same night, nine of the babies are born; the tenth was stillborn. Over the next few years, the parents realize that something is wrong (as if fainting and waking up pregnant was not enough of a sign) with their children. They all look the same, behave years beyond their age, and have paired up with each other except for the 5^th boy, David. David is the only one who doesn’t act like the others and is the only one that shows any sign of emotions.

While this is all going on, the government has become involved and is monitoring the situation. This is not the first time a group of physic children have shown up but in those others instances, the parents killed off their children knowing that they were evil. All Hell breaks loose when the lead of the research team, Dr. Susan Verner, is killed by the children after they find out that she has David’s stillborn partner preserved for study. The town turns into a furious mob (ok, a sign of Carpenter at last!), and is quickly dispersed after the children kill their leader. Local, state, and federal agencies become involved which leads to a standoff of epic proportions (epic for a small coastal town at least). It’s up to Alan, the town’s physician and father of the leader of the evil children, to devise and carry out a plan to destroy the children once and for all.

Lord of Illusions (1995)

“Lord of Illusions” is perhaps one of the most stylish, beautiful horror movies I’ve ever seen. If I could have listed my top ten favorites instead of only seven, this would have been there. It’s dark, elegant, engaging, and totally Barker. This is the fourth and final film that Barker directed and it’s his finest moment as a film maker in my opinion. The mood and pacing is perfect, the cast is made up of strong known actors, the plot is eerie and feels true to Barker’s style, and the special effects are just right. Part film noir and part horror, "Lord of Illusions" is the perfect movie to watch over and over again.

There is a devoted cult who is following the “Puritan” named Nix out in the desert (a natural place for a cult of course!). Nix has a student named Swann, the only one from the cult who can perform real magic like himself. Unfortunately Swann doesn’t have dreams of godhood like Nix and betrays him with three other former followers when they learn that Nix is going to sacrifice a young girl. They save the girl and kill Nix, binding his soul within his body and burying him deep in the ground. Nix’s assistant Butterfield is able to get away but plans for the future…

13 years later private detective Harry D’Amour, who has a habit of working on cases that involve the occult, stumbles across the murder of one of Swann’s conspirators at the hands of Butterfield and a bald man. After seeing a new article about the murder and a picture of D’Amour, Swann’s wife hires him to find out if the Puritan and his cult were behind the murder and if her husband, now a famous illusionist is in trouble. D’Amour takes the job and learns the difference between illusions and real magic.

As I mentioned, the cast of "Lord of Illusions" is quite impressive. Scott Bakula stars as Harry D'Amour, Kevin J. O'Connoras Swann, and Famke Janssen as Dorothea. Besides being strong actors, each one was perfect for their role in this film. 

Favorite moment – I love how Nix is bound; heavy black pieces of forged iron with screws that turn by themselves when blood is applied. It’s medieval and gnarly.