Freckled Max and the Spooks: Standard Edition – Deaf Crocodile (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Czechoslovakia/West Germany/Austria/France/Spain/Italy, 1987
Director: Juraj Jakubisko
Writers: Jaroslav Dietl, Joachim Hammann, Juraj Jakubisko, Jozef Pastéka, Alan Rune Pettersson
Cast: Martin Hreben, Gerhard Karzel, Eddie Constantine, Ferdy Mayne, Jacques Herlin, Barbara De Rossi, Viveca Lindfors, Mercedes Sampietro, Andrej Hryc, Bolek Polívka, Flavio Bucci

Release Date: June 10th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 100 Minutes 33 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Stereo Slovak
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $29.95

"It all began under the Frankenstein castle. It was my tenth year with this circus troupe, and we were passing through a bleak territory of vampires, will-o'-the-wisps and water sprites," observes young orphan Max (Martin Hrebeň), just before he runs away and hides out in the ruins of the nearby castle. There he discovers a rogues' gallery of lonely monsters who've made it their home: gruesome but loveable Alojz (Eddie Constantine, Lemmy Caution from Godard's ALPHAVILLE); the marvelous Ferdinand Mayne (Polanski's THE FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS) as Count Dracula; a wonderful, whiskey-voiced Viveca Lindfors (THE DAMNED, STARGATE) as the Countess Frankenstein; Gerhardt Karzel as the irresistibly goofy Frankenstein's Monster named Albert; along with the ghostly white lady Elizabeth Bathory (Mercedes Sampietro) and other assorted phantoms." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Beautifully restored by the Slovak Film Institute for its first-ever Blu-ray release in the U.S. through Deaf Crocodile Films and Comeback Company."

Freckled Max and the Spooks comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 46 GB

Feature: 23.3 GB

Fidelity In Motion delivers a solid encode; the source looks excellent. Flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity is excellent, black levels and compression are solid, and the image looks organic.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD stereo mix in Slovak with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds clean, clear, and balanced, and the score sounds appropriately robust.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an interview with Rastislav Steranka, Director of the National Cinematographic Centre of the Slovak Film Institute (17 minutes 6 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Slovak with removable English subtitles), an interview with assistant director Petra Galková (17 minutes 54 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Slovak with removable English subtitles), an interview with cinematographer Ján Ďuriš (26 minutes 40 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Slovak with removable English subtitles), a documentary titled Portrait of a Film Director, it's a  beautiful and moving portrait of Juraj Jakubisko, shot during the making of his film Sitting on a Branch I Am Fine (42 minutes 47 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Slovak with removable English subtitles), an archival behind-the-scenes look at the making of the miniseries and Freckled Max and the Spooks feature film titled Three Encounters: Film about Film No. 1186 (4 minutes 43 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Slovak with removable English subtitles), a video essay by journalist and physical media expert Ryan Verrill (The Disc Connected) and film professor Dr. Will Dodson titled Frankenstein’s Faster: The Novel That Became Freckled Max (27 minutes 55 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with film historian Samm Deighan, and an insert with a URL that has PDF's for video essay and the audio commentary.

Summary:

Frankenstein's Aunt, a TV series, was edited into a feature-length film titled Freckled Max and the Spooks, derived from its seven episodes.

An orphan who runs away from his abusive foster parents finds refuge in a desolate castle inhabited by a vampire, a werewolf, and Frankenstein's monster.

Freckled Max and the Spooks was directed by Juraj Jakubisko, a filmmaker renowned for his works that embody magical realism. Freckled Max and the Spooks is a surreal fantasy film that’s reminiscent of Federico Fellini and Terry Gilliam. Freckled Max and the Spooks' cast of characters are filled with recognizable famous monsters like Dracula, the werewolf, Frankenstein’s monster, and Elizabeth Báthory, albeit through a distorted lens.

Freckled Max and the Spooks is a film bursting with creativity. Its opening setup does a phenomenal job drawing you into the story that unfolds. Having not seen the TV series Frankenstein’s Aunt, I cannot say how Freckled Max and the Spooks compares to it. That said, Freckled Max and the Spooks’ narrative flows perfectly, and it never feels like something is missing.

The performances are all outstanding, making it easy to become immersed in their enthusiastic portrayals. The cast is filled with recognizable faces like Eddie Constantine (Alphaville), who portrays Alojz, Freckled Max’s companion on his journey; Jacques Herlin (The 10th Victim), who portrays Igor, Dr. Frankenstein’s right-hand man; Barbara De Rossi (Sweets from a Stranger), who portrays Klára, a woman who falls in love with Frankenstein’s monster; and Flavio Bucci (Night Train Murders), who portrays a werewolf named Mr. Talbot. 

The most memorable performance is Gerhard Karzel, who portrays Albert, Frankenstein’s monster. His character's inability to know his strength gives him a menacing quality, while he has a childlike curiosity that makes him disarming. Despite being created and perceived as a monster, Albert becomes human when he fears losing the woman he loves.

Although Freckled Max is the protagonist, the film also tells Albert’s story in significant ways. In terms of content, Freckled Max and the Spooks offers a satisfying blend of fantasy, melodrama, and humor. The most surprising aspect of Freckled Max and the Spooks is how effectively it employs humor, notably when it comes to the character Albert. An area where Freckled Max and the Spooks excels is Guido De Angelis’ (Torso) exemplary score, which does a remarkable job heightening the mood. Ultimately, Freckled Max and the Spooks is an extraordinary film that the young and the young at heart will thoroughly enjoy.

Freckled Max and the Spooks gets an excellent release from Deaf Crocodile that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and informative extras, highly recommended.

Note: There is a deluxe release of Freckled Max and the Spooks that comes in a slipcase, and a 60-page booklet with an essay by film critic Walter Chaw (Film Freak Central), and an essay by screenwriter, playwright and film journalist Steven Peros.

Written by Michael Den Boer