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People seem to have Lovecraft on the mind lately, for more than one reason. Horror is receiving a new wave of appreciation and creators have gotten an itch for Lovecraftian themes and adaptations, releasing films like The Beach House, Color out of Space, Underwater and the HBO series Lovecraft Country all at once. Well, now it’s time for the remakes, and the first one up is a reimagining of the Stuart Gordon 1995 classic, Castle Freak.

Loosely based on the H.P. Lovecraft stories “The Outsider” and “Rats in the Walls,” 1995’s Castle Freak starred the great scream king and queen Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton as an estranged married couple with a blind daughter (Jessica Dollarhide) who inherits a castle they don’t know also comes with a freakish monster (Johnathan Fuller). In 2020, a collaboration between Full Moon Features and Fangoria resulted in a remake with makeup artist Tate Steinsiek taking over as director. Starring Clair Catherine and Jake Horowitz, the film takes only a fraction of Gorgon and Dennis Paoli’s original plot and puts its own spin on it and I actually like it a lot.

It’s not good but it’s not bad either. I love the original so I didn’t think I would like this new version but it surprised me. Not to say that it isn’t inferior to the original because it is, very much so, but it stands on its own which I appreciate. Plus, it has a nice little surprise at the end done Marvel style, meaning it’s a post-credits scene. Think little vials of green reagent.

For the most part, the new Castle Freak starts out like the old but everything has a new flavor. The location has been moved from Italy to Albania and the Duchess (Kika Magalhães) does not die from a heart attack but is instead murdered.

Apart from the “freak” living in the castle, Rebecca “Becca” Reilly is the only original character to return. This time played by Clair Catherine, the only similarities Becca shares with her predecessor are her name and the fact that she’s blinded in a car crash. This time around, Becca is blinded not by her father but by her boyfriend, John (Horowitz). After the accident, the two travel to see the castle Becca has just inherited where it’s revealed that Becca was given up for adoption by her troubled mother, the Dutchess. It’s the mystery surrounding this that becomes the driving force of the film.

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Same as the original, Becca senses that someone else is living in the castle but no one believes her. The closer she gets to the “freak,” the more she experiences violent visions of her dead mother being torture by a cult that may or may not be responsible for the mysterious resident.

It’s at this point where Castle Freak loses its mind.

Becca and John’s friends from America eventually join them in Albania to help sell the castle, and with them arrives the other major character of the film, The Professor (Chris Galust). He’s not really a professor though, his friends just call him that. This character could’ve been something incredible but the movie doesn’t know how to use him properly. He’s really only there for exposition and to enforce the Lovecraftianess of it all. While exploring, John and Becca find an ancient book written in Latin that’s filled with horrific images of various monsters, which The Professor is conveniently able to translate. Now comes the Easter egg hunt. The book is revealed to be the Necronomicon (an ancient text compiled by Abdul Alhazred in Lovecraft lore) which is basically a catalog of Lovecraft’s other works.

It’s a run-through of his most famous creatures including Cthulhu, Shub-Niggurath, and Yog-Sothoth. It’s all fun but it’s also the moment where the film goes completely coo-coo bananas.

At this point, any resemblance Castle Freak has to the original is long gone. It’s gone on vacation in Hawaii and is never coming back. Everything, from the ending, to the nature of the “freak” itself, has been changed. The focus switches around going from Becca to John to the “freak” and finally to The Professor who slowly becomes a less constipated, half-hipster menial version of Herbert West.

(Stop if you don’t want the mid-credits scene spoiled)

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Speaking of Herbert West…the manic twink of a scientist has a cameo! He is the great surprise at the end and the ultimate hint at a possible expanded Lovecraft universe.

In the film’s final moments, The Professor’s name is revealed to be Henry Armitage, the head librarian at Miskatonic University who appears in the Lovecraft story, “The Dunwich Horror.” Back in America armed with the Necronomicon, Armitage walks into his mentor’s office to find a man with his back facing the camera sitting beside a tiny vial of green formula. Armitage greets him like a Bond villain on steroids: “West.”

It’s the best part of the movie and in all honestly, is probably the only reason I liked it as much as I did. This whole thing is silly, it drags on at times, and the whole middle is wasted on explanations but it was entertaining and weird. Makes it a win in my book.

Shared universe??

It’s hard to tell what’s going on because this film didn’t get a lot of press or a big marketing plan, but there is a chance that Castle Freak is meant to be the intro to a series of Lovecraftian films produced by Full Moon.

The creator of many cult films and “B” features, the Full Moon production company is currently working on an ambitious project titled Miskatonic U: The Resonator, a film based in Lovecraft mythology that will take place at Miskatonic University located in Arkham, Massachusetts. The university is found in many of Lovecraft’s work and is apart of the hospital where Herbert West was accepted as a student in Re-Animator. Charles Band, director of Full Moon Features, described Miskatonic U as the first installment of eighteen “shows” that will tell different stories set within a Lovecraftian universe. With this description in mind, it’s hard not to think that Castle Freak isn’t supposed to be apart of that. If not an actual installment, a type of prequel to the series. Guess we’ll have to wait for Miskatonic U to come out. 3 out of 5 stars (3 / 5)

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Rachel Roth is a writer who lives in South Florida. She has a degree in Writing Studies and a Certificate in Creative Writing, her work has appeared in several literary journals and anthologies. @WinterGreenRoth

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Movies n TV

Goosebumps, You Can’t Scare Me

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Episode eight of Goosebumps felt more like a season finale. Frequently when shows do this, it leads to a lackluster final episode in which it feels like everything has already been said, the monster is already vanquished, and we’re just tidying everything up. But hopefully, the creators remember the number one rule of a horror franchise. The monster is never really dead.

Cover for Goosebumps You Can't Scare Me!

The story

We begin our story with everyone in hot water. Well, at least in a notebook that’s just been damaged by cold puddle water.

After a frankly hilarious battle between Biddle and Bratt for the body, Nathan manages to draw a door in the notebook for the teens to escape. Unfortunately, he is sucked back into the notebook.

Back in the real world, the kids head to Nora’s cabin to save her. But Biddle reaches her first. Possibly because a helpful sheriff tells him right where her cabin is.

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ACAB.

Biddle finds Nora before she can hide Slappy somewhere in the deep woods. She takes off but is having a difficult time losing him. He does eventually take Slappy, leaving Nora in a dangerous position.

Luke and Margot manage to find her but lose Isaiah in the process. Isaiah has fallen down a cliff face and is clinging to it for dear life.

And this is where he is when Slappy and Biddle find him.

What worked

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The first thing I have to mention is that this was a great episode for parent/child relations. I loved that Harold’s parents knew he wasn’t to blame. I loved that they’d been waiting for him all this time, so they could go into the afterlife together.

Rachael Harris in Goosebumps.

Luke and Nora had a good moment as well. Honestly, it appears that everyone had an honest discussion with their kids or parents at some point because of this.

I also really loved the musical choices in this episode. This has been a bit of an issue this season so far, but this was a great example. I especially enjoyed the instrumental version of Sweet Dreams played during high-conflict moments. Honestly, has there ever been a bad version of that song?

Overall, this was a satisfying episode. Nora was finally vindicated. Nathan finally has his body back, and Harold Biddle is free.

It makes me wonder what they’re going to do with the rest of the season. Or at least it would if the next episode wasn’t titled Night of The Living Dummy Two.

What didn’t work

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One thing about this episode did irritate me, though. Once it’s established that Biddle and Nora are in the woods, everyone takes off after them. And for some reason, no one remembered that cell phones existed. We know the teens have their phones, that was made painfully clear in the car scene. Why did no one, not one soul, consider calling Nora instead of running around in the snow yelling for her? And when Isaiah vanished, why didn’t he call someone? Why didn’t they call him?

This would have been an easy fix. There’s a snowstorm. We could have just mentioned that someone tried to call and cell lines were down. Instead, every character seemed to have just forgotten that modern technology exists and we don’t have to run around shouting for people if they get lost in the forest with their phone.

All in all, though, this was a good episode. I’m not sure yet how I feel about there being two episodes left, I’ll admit. But I guess we’ll have to wait and see what happens. This has been a good season so far. Let’s hope they stick the landing.

4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

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If you’re a fan of my work, please check out my latest story, Nova, on Paper Beats World. New chapters launch every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

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Goosebumps, Give Yourself Goosebumps

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This episode of Goosebumps is named after the Choose Your Own Adventure spinoff books. Also known as my favorite way to spend an afternoon as a kid.

Cover from Give Yourself Goosebumps

I still have some of these. I can tell you what they smell like. They smell like childhood joy.

It was nice to be reminded of these wonderful times. It was even better that I was reminded in this wild ride of an episode.

The Story

We begin our tale with the revelation that Mr. Bratt is actually Harold Biddle. And to make sure these meddling kids don’t spoil his plan, he’s trapped them inside of his notebook. The notebook looks very much like the living room of the cabin.

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There, the teens find the real Mr. Bratt. He’s been trapped in the notebook since Biddle took over his body. And he hasn’t made much headway in escaping.

Meanwhile, Nora is finally being released from the psych ward. And she is not thrilled with Victoria. Seeing as how Victoria has been drugging her, this is understandable.

But Nora is done being passive now. She heads right to her garage and packs Slappy up in a canvas sack. Why Slappy was in her garage, where her child hangs out, is beyond me. But here we are.

As she’s trying to leave, Colin finds her. He’s rightfully looking for some answers. But he’s not going to get it from her. She informs him that she has to handle something, and she cannot explain what’s going on. Then she drives off with Slappy.

Poor Colin, looking for some support, goes to see Isaiah’s dad, Ben. He lays out the whole situation, looking for support.

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But Ben hears something else in Colin’s tale of woe. He hears that Slappy is free. And so he takes off, leaving Colin sitting in his living room alone with no answers.

Colin has got to be wondering why he’s still living in this town at this point.

Back in the notebook, Nathan and the teens realize that if Nathan is hurt, he goes back into his own body. This leads to a wonderfully funny scene of the kids taking turns punching him in the face.

Still from Give Yourself Goosebumps.

Eventually, he gets partial control of his body. But Biddle is still there, and still ready to do battle. And when the notebook is tossed out the window and lands in a puddle, the kids find themselves in an even worse situation.

What worked

I want to start by praising a subtle detail that absolutely blew me away. Right before the teens realize they’re no longer in the real world, there’s a color shift. The whole picture becomes a bit browner. Again, it was subtle. But it was such a wonderful transition.

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I also want to bring attention to Justin Long, again. His acting in this season has been so laugh-out-loud funny. In this episode, we saw him jumping back and forth between Nathan Bratt and Harold Biddle in the blink of an eye. Or, the time it took Isabella to punch him. The way he flops around, is clearly either not comfortable or not in control of his body. It’s a delight.

Finally, despite the number of grownups who are now involved, the kids are still clearly the heroes. They are the ones working together, sharing information, and trying to fix their situation before they die. They are not waiting for rescue, like Mr. Bratt. They are not ignoring the problem. They are not working with Slappy, as I suspect one of the parents might be. The kids, in this show, are alright. And they are certainly the good guys.

This season just gets better and better. And the best part is that Slappy isn’t even awake yet. We haven’t released the big bad. And the good guys are already overwhelmed. So what are they going to do when Slappy is back?

4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

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If you’re a fan of my work, please check out my latest story, Nova, on Paper Beats World. New chapters launch every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

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Goosebumps, Night of The Living Dummy

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After the very alluring ending to the last episode of Goosebumps, this one had a lot to live up to. It is also, of course, named for possibly the best-known Goosebumps book. Night of The Living Dummy is the book that gave the series its mascot character, and our primary antagonist, Slappy the Dummy. It’s safe to say that this episode was going to change the course of the season. And I’m happy to say that it lived up to all of those expectations.

If you’re into detailed, elaborate, multigenerational backstories, then this episode is going to be a real treat.

The story

After Biddle/Mr. Bratt invites the kids inside, he sits them down on the couch and starts to tell them an elaborate backstory. This story begins with his great-great-great-grandfather, Ephraim Biddle.

Slappy in Goosebumps

Ephraim was a failing magician until he finds Slappy the Dummy in a magic shop. After accidentally bringing Slappy to life (do not repeat strange words you find on a piece of paper out loud) his act takes off. Eventually, though, he discovers that Slappy has plans to hurt people. And so he bricks him up in the wall of his basement.

Years later, Harold Biddle and his parents move in. And Slappy calls to Harold, who was bullied at his last school. He’s worried that he’ll be bullied again. Slappy talked to those fears. And, as is too often the case, this worked like a cursed charm.

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What worked

I’d like to start with how our main characters responded to Harold Biddle’s tale. Because I loved it possibly as much as he hated it. But they are correct when they say that their parents weren’t to blame for what happened to Harold.

They didn’t bully him. They took him into their group, or at least they tried to. And after Harold stood up on stage and aired out their secrets, Nora was quick to defend him. They even wanted to protect him from Slappy.

And yes, their actions caused his house to catch on fire. But they would have gone back and saved him if it hadn’t been too late.

I felt so bad that Harold’s unhappiness was completely self-fulfilling. He assumed people would hate him, so he didn’t give them a chance. This is a lesson we don’t see much of.

Of course, the bulk of this episode’s greatness came right in the last few minutes. This ending was perfect.

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When Margot asks “How do you know all of this, Mr. Bratt?” And his response is, “That’s right, the twist,” that was it for me. Because of course, Goosebumps books were always known for that last killer twist. And I think we all love a good fourth-wall joke around here.

This, of course, led us to the big reveal. And this was perfect. It was a cool line. The effects were flawless. The kids’ reactions were hilarious and completely understandable.

Oftentimes in horror, when we finally see the monster it can be a bit of a letdown. Stephen King talks about this struggle in Dance Macabre. When we can’t see the monster, it’s the worst thing we can imagine. After we see it, we often realize it isn’t that bad. It might even be unintentionally funny.

Because the point of this scene isn’t really the monster’s revelation to the audience but is instead focused on the revelation to the characters, it works much better.

What didn’t work

Sadly, the rest of the episode didn’t work quite as well. Starting with the flashback to Ephraim Biddle. While I understand the value of this story, it was slow. It wasn’t nearly as interesting as the rest of the episode or the season. It certainly dragged this episode down. Which isn’t to say the actors didn’t do a fine job. It was just that the story itself was a little dull.

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Cover for Goosebumps, Night of The Living Dummy.

Finally, though, I have one primary complaint. And this has been an issue I’ve had with the season so far.

If Slappy was supposed to be a big mid-season surprise, maybe he shouldn’t have been plastered on every single bit of advertising for this season. It took some of the joy away honestly. When we first saw the dummy-sized case, we all knew who it was going to be, because we’d already seen his face. Worse, Slappy’s appearance couldn’t be a surprise, because we saw him as soon as we knew the show was going to happen. It took some potential fun away to have that expectation already established.

That being said, this was still a fun episode. And it certainly left me eager to see what’s going to happen next.

4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

If you’re a fan of my work, please check out my latest story, Nova, on Paper Beats World. New chapters launch every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

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