Raymond Castile grew up in the St. Louis area, watching
monster movies on late-night television, reading Famous Monsters
magazine, building Aurora monster models and playing with monster
action figures.
He first made his name in
the horror community as a noted collector of monster toys, masks, movie
posters and other memorabilia. Castile has contributed to several books
and magazine articles on the subject of monster collectibles. His
website, “The Gallery of Monster Toys,” has attracted
hundreds of thousands of visitors since it debuted in 1996.
Castile is one of the
moderators of the Universal Monster Army, an online club for classic
horror fans. He also operates the websites “State of
Horror,” devoted to paranormal phenomena in the St. Louis area,
and “Diary do Demonio,” chronicling his experience working
with his idol, Brazilian horror director José Mojica Marins.
After studying filmmaking at Webster University in the 1990s, Castile
entered the video production world. With his company Monster Castle
Productions, he produced a nationally distributed documentary called
“In Love With Toys” in 1995.
In 1998, Castile changed careers and became a newspaper reporter. For
his coverage of social justice issues, he received a Missouri
Press Association award, two Community Builders awards and was a
finalist for the Harry Chapin Media Award.
In 2006, José Mojica Marins cast
Castile to portray the young Zé do Caixão (Coffin Joe) in “Encarnação
do Demônio” (The Embodiment of Evil), directed by Mojica. The feature
film was released by 20th Century Fox in 2008. The experience inspired
Castile to re-enter the world of filmmaking.
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In 2008, Castile
directed and starred in the short film “The Blind Date of Coffin Joe,”
a horror satire that pays tribute to Mojica’s films. “Blind Date” was
very well received, screening at several festivals in the United States
and Brazil. It received a Rondo Award nomination for best independent production and won the 2009 Tabloid Witch Awards for Best Comedic Horror Short and Best Actor.
“The Devil at Lost Creek” is Castile’s second short
film. More serious and ambitious than “Blind Date,” it represents a
major step forward in Castile’s expanding filmography.
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