A word about this DVD: There are two versions of this disc floating around out there. You will most likely find the double-feature in your local Blockbuster/Blockbuster Online/Netflix. Unfortunately, it seems you can only actually purchase them individually.
Deathbed
Karen (Tanya Dempsey) is a children?s book illustrator who moves with her husband (who cares) into what seems to be the loft apartment of their dreams. Upon investigating the spot, they discover a locked door at the top of a stairwell and will the help of their new landlord (the always awesome Joe Estevez..yes those Estevezs) tear it down to discover a room occupied by a single bed. Of course Karen and what?s his name take a liking to the bed and obviously weird shit starts happening. Karen becomes possessed by the spirit of a woman who was murdered in the same bed many years ago and things escalate.. mostly in the bah-wah-chikka-chikka department. Good for what?s his name, because he?s been pressuring Karen to be a little more ?adventurous? but bad for our heroine?s psyche.
There?s a lot of areas in this movie that could?ve used some improvement, especially the virtually un-touched subplot surrounding Karen?s sexually-abused past.. but it?s completely ignored. Instead we?re left with what passes for ?twists and turns?, a few cheap *AHHH!* moments and lots of seeing Tanya Dempsey?s half-naked body doin the nasty.
This move was directed by Danny Draven (whom I despise with every inch of my being) and is billed as being executive produced by Stuart Gordon and frankly, I would?ve expected more.
A few cheap scares, almost no action until the very end, unexplored areas of the story and the fact that the movie NEVER leaves the apartment make Deathbed mildly entertaining, but highly forgettable.
** out of 5.
Castle Freak
Castle Freak is, undeniably, my favorite Full Moon title ever?by a million miles. Re-uniting director Stuart Gordon with leads Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton (all 3 from Re-Animator) = success before you even hit play. The basic premise here – Combs, Crampton and their blind daughter arrive in Italy to a castle they recently, and unknowingly, inherited.
Before we reach this point, we see the castle?s previous inhabitant, an italian duchess, living out her last days by stumbling around, preparing and delivering a meal to a ?freak? chained up in the bowels of the castle.I forgot to mention that she whips the living bejeezus out of him, too.
Fast forward to Combs and crew arriving and it?s evident from the get-go that there?s something about their new home that?s not quite right. They decide to stay until the castle and it?s contents can be liquidated and that?s where the fun begins. The couple clearly do not have a very stable relationship, as we later learn, due to the fact that a drunk-driving accident killed their son JJ and caused their daughter?sblindness.
Things become increasingly tumultuous between the couple and their new home as cries can be heard in the dead of night and a general air of uneasiness sets in. The ?freak? breaks loose from the dungeon and begins stalking around the house and things kick into high gear.
Wifey doesn?t believe the daughter and Combs when they assert that there?s someone or something else with them in the castle and things take a decidedly turn for the worse when Combs get shitfaced and brings back a hooker who is never to be seen again outside of the castle.
I won?t spoil it from there, but you are treated to a nipple being bitten off (!!), some quality gore and make-up effects, lots of hunt-n-chase, a few good kills and a decent, albeit somewhat anti-climactic ending.
This is a decent little horror flick, all around. Gordon?s directing is solid, Crampton, Combs and crew play their roles well, the freak is well done and the lighting and camera work really set the mood nicely. One MAJOR advantage Castle Freak has over more recent offerings from Full Moon is the fact that it is shot on actual film and not the DV crap that?s since infiltrated (and largely ruined) the low-budget horror scene.
Castle Freak is right up there next to ?Puppet Master? and the first couple of ?Subspecies? movies on the throne of Full Moon classics. For 5 or 6 bucks, it?s a nice addition to any b-horror fan?s library and at the least is definitely a must-rent.
**** out of 5.
