Freckled Max and the Spooks is a 1987 Czech horror/comedy film from writer/director Juraj Jakubisko (Perinbaba, An Ambiguous Report About the End of the World and Bathory: Countess of Blood) starring Martin Hreben (Juzná Posta, Panelák and Frankenstein’s Aunt), Gerhard Karzel (Tatort, Frankenstein’s Aunt and Le Gorille), Eddie Constantine (Alphaville, The Long Good Friday and Frankenstein’s Aunt), Viveca Lindfors (Creepshow, Stargate and The Adventures of Don Juan) and Ferdy Mayne (Where Eagles Dare, The Fearless Vampire Killers and Conan The Destoyer). 

Freckled Max and the Spooks is actually a 96-minute recut of the Czech TV series Frankenstein’s Aunt, which in turn was based on the book of the same name written by Swedish author Allan Rune Pettersson. Often described as a Gothic fairytale, Freckled Max… is exactly that. The plot follows a young boy, Max (Hreben), who is a member of a travelling circus who are passing the ruins of the nearby Frankenstein castle when he decides to run away. Max hides out in the castle grounds, where he discovers and befriends a group of lonely monsters who have made the ruins their home. We’re introduced to a host of monsters, including Alojz (Constantine), Dracula (Mayne), Countess Frankenstein (Lindfors) and of course, Albert aka Frankenstein’s monster (Karzel). Max forms a strong friendship with Alojz, who gives him the surname, Freckle. The local villagers are less impressed with the collection of monsters hiding in the ruins of Castle Frankenstein, however, it is the monsters who steal the show, particularly Constantine as the kindly Alojz and Karzel, who is brilliant as the childlike Frankenstein’s monster, Albert.

Freckled Max is a very enjoyable film, which at the condensed 96 minutes seems to work very well. It has the same charm that many Czech films possess. It’s quirky and has a surreal element that sets it apart from other titles. On the other hand, it is also easy to see why it has been compared to The Monster Squad, Rocky Horror Picture Show and Malpertuis, it does bare similarities to those titles through its veneration of the Universal Monsters, its use of comedy and a certain surreal quality that is evident in all of the above-mentioned films. Visually, Freckled Max is beautifully shot and the print of the movie used for this release has been painstakingly restored to ensure that it looks better than it probably ever has.  The Blu-ray release from Deaf Crocodile has added some nice bonus materials, such as an interesting and informative audio commentary from Sam Deighan, there are video essays that highlight the ties between the movie and the book as well as featurettes on the film’s production, its director and more. 

Overall, this is a remarkable release for a couple of different reasons. Firstly, it’s surprising to see so much love lavished on such an underappreciated gem. The amount of work that has been put into this release is quite astonishing, and it’s such a joy to behold. Secondly, it’s not often that we get a movie that is essentially a recut of a longer-form TV series given such a good release. This sort of thing is usually given short shrift; however, it revels in its truncated form, and I firmly believe I have added a near-lost cult classic, gothic fairytale to my collection. Thank you, Deaf Crocodile, for one of the most charming and surprising new releases of the year.