Written and directed by leading actor Don Cunningham, in 1863, Doctor Cushing travels to Germany from England in search of his wife. She has been captured by sadistic vampire Baron Finch. The doctor hopes that he can save his wife, or at the least her soul, but has never come across such supernatural beings before, leading him into a series of tragic events he never counted on. Also starring: Jay Pennington, Brad White and Elisabeth Anne Steigelman.
Trying to recreate the style of both silent film and classic monster movies is a great starting point. It establishes a strong atmosphere, there’s plenty of nostalgia and it shows a clear love of the genres and filmmaking. You only need to hear that Don Cunningham’s character is named Dr. Christopher Cushing to know there’s a strong homage at work, and it was a very nice touch. The later switch to colour does throw things off a little but for the most part, Cunningham, along with co-cinematographer Justin Dietert, do a great job of capturing the feel of the 1920s and 1930s.
There are also plenty of touches, like the character names, which show a dedication and passion for the genre. Especially in the way Cunningham uses minimal effects to bring the monsters to life, there’s a slightly quirky personality at work beneath the surface. However, it’s not breaking through strongly because it’s being held back by the slow pacing. The progression is too gradual, without a quicker pacing or pointed editing to embrace the unusual, spooky persona, it’s not reaching its full potential.
On top of that, it prevents The Castle of Baron Finch from building a tangible anticipation and suspense. The building blocks are there but especially with the use of slow-motion, it’s petering out before it can add to itself. There are similar issues with the performances, Jay Pennington does a good job of portraying a menacing persona, with an edge of impishness but the ferocity and threat aren’t quite there, missing out on the full villain presence.
Cunningham however captures that helplessness yet resilience, which is so familiar of the underdog, wholesome characters in monster movies. Elisabeth Anne Steigelman adds to the classic film feel with another familiar character while Brad White accents the finale with a devious quality.
The Castle of Baron Finch is a strong homage to the silent and classic monster era of film. Don Cunningham does well to recreate the look and feel of the era and build a highly nostalgic atmosphere. The short demonstrates a lot of commitment and passion but it moves too slowly to keep its momentum going. It struggles to build up suspense and tension by letting scenes play out in an overly gradual fashion. There’s a lot of potential but not all of it is fulfilled.
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