DARK CASTLE Entertainment sorta kinda rose from the ashes of BORDELLO OF BLOOD. The creative team had some of the same people as Crypt. And HORROR was its calling card. The brain child of JOEL SILVER, ROBERT ZEMECKIS and GIL ADLER, Dark Castle set out, initially, to re-make the movies in the WILLIAM CASTLE canon: HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL, 13 GHOSTS, THE TINGLER…
For a brief moment, it looked as if Dark Castle might catch fire. Its first feature – House On Haunted Hill did okay financially. Its second and third features (“13 Ghosts” and “Ghost Ship”) also performed. But then – when Joel wanted to make a fourth Dark Castle movie – “Gothika” – Gil said no; he didn’t want to make Gothika for Joel.
Instead, Gil wanted to make bigger, tent pole movies for Warner Bros – movies like Constantine, Batman Returns and Valkyrie. And, so, Gil and Joel went their separate ways. Stone cold fact? They haven’t spoken since!
Our telling of Dark Castle’s story starts with Gil’s version of events. Then we’ll meet TERRY CASTLE, Bill Castle’s daughter. We chatted with Terry early in Season Two. She took us back stage and introduced us to the crazy world in which she grew up as the daughter of a mega showman. He was larger than life outside the house. A great dad inside.
She had no idea what was waiting for her in the person of Joel Silver. If you’re a fan of Joel Silver stories, this episode has your name on it (alongside Joel’s).
We’ll also talk to directors WILLIAM MALONE and STEVE BECK. Bill directed HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL while Steve directed “13 GHOSTS” and “GHOST SHIP”. Curiously, after directing “Ghost Ship”, Steve Beck quit the movie business entirely. That’s how bonkers it was.
Dark Castle is still alive as a company though it’s been a while since it actually produced anything itself. It’s kinda sad considering its pedigree.
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