11. BREAKING THE MOLD: Greater than make up, this one is when sensible results masters make use of their crafting expertise straight to creating the entire rattling film.
Freaked
Actually nice artwork slips by way of the cracks each single day. Music, books, and films higher than something you’ve ever recognized are consistently getting swept away within the crushing firehouse of cultural output earlier than they’ve an opportunity to land within the welcoming arms of an adoring viewers. Living proof: Freaked, the 1993 particular results masterpiece written and directed by Alex Winters and Tom Stern.
Mix the visible enchantment of Pee-wee’s Playhouse with the gross-out issue of The Ren & Stimpy Present, and you’ve got Freaked, a film a few mad scientist who makes use of obscene experimental know-how to show kidnapped people into deformed acts for his roadside attraction known as Freek Land.
Take a look at this solid: Alex Winter, Michael Stoyanov, Randy Quaid, Megan Ward, William Sadler, Bobcat Goldthwait, Mr. T, Keanu Reeves, Brooke Shields, Derek McGrath, and Morgan Fairchild.
Take a look at this soundtrack: Butthole Surfers, Parliament Funkadelic, and Henry Rollins and Blind Fool God.
This, my buddy, is early-’90s ✨gold.✨And twentieth Century Fox knew it, too—Winters later mentioned in an interview that the studio was so stoked they agreed to dump $12 million into the film earlier than the script was even achieved!
And but, after a management shakeup on the studio resulted in a lot of the movie’s post-production funding and promotional price range getting slashed (at the least in response to Wikipedia), Freaked hardly noticed any promoting, and landed with a thud. It reportedly made simply $6,957 on opening weekend, relegated to cult standing at finest. And that may be a goddamn disgrace as a result of Freaked is fucking pleasant.
It’s funnier than you’d count on, it’s smarter than it must be, and the make-up results used to show individuals into speaking, human-sized cows, worms, canine, and different creatures have been achieved by big-timers together with Tony Gardner, Invoice Corso, and Steve Johnson with a multi-million greenback price range. It ought to’ve been large! Alas. Don’t let the truth that the studio shit throughout Freaked earlier than it had an opportunity to thrive idiot you into considering it’s a flop. It’s not; Freaked is incredible.
So far as I can inform, the movie isn’t out there for (authorized) streaming, so that you’ll have to purchase the DVD or head to Scarecrow to lease it, and wouldn’t , on the time of this writing, they’ve a number of copies out there in each DVD and Blu-Ray format.
Greatest quote: “Hey, I’m okay!”
Snack suggestion: Jelly Stomach Bean Boozled jelly beans. I can’t clarify why, it simply is smart.
The Stranger is collaborating in Scarecrow Video’s Psychotronic Problem all month lengthy! Each October, Scarecrow places collectively a listing of cinematic themes and invitations of us to comply with alongside and watch a horror, sci-fi, or fantasy flick that meets the factors. This yr, Stranger staffers are becoming a member of the enjoyable and we’re sharing our every day suggestions right here on Slog! Learn extra about Scarecrow’s 2024 problem—and get the watch checklist—right here. And you’ll observe our every day suggestions right here! 💀
