Freaked
| Directed by: | Tom Stern, Alex Winter |
|---|---|
| Written by: | Tim Burns, Tom Stern, Alex Winter |
| Cast: | Brooke Shields, William Sadler, Eduardo Ricard, Henry Carbo |
| Studio: | Fox |
| Genre: | Comedy, Sci-Fi |
| Official Site: |
Let's face it. Freaked was never going to be a massive hit. It was never going to appeal to the mainstream, considering the budget was cut during production and it was from the creators of a now forgotten MTV show called The Idiot Box. It's the type of movie you're either going to love or hate. There are many gross out moments which might turn off some viewers, but I didn't care. Many of the jokes are hilarious, even when they don't work, they might elicit a chuckle.
Here's the story of the film. A spoiled Hollywood actor named Ricky Coogan (Alex Winter, who also co-directed and co-wrote the film) is getting paid by a company to promote their fertilizer. Coogan travels down to South America with his best friend Ernie, who are later joined by an activist (Megan Ward). Unbeknownst to them, the fertilizer is being by scientist Elijah C. Skuggs (memorably played by Randy Quaid) to turn average looking people into freaks of nature. When the three arrive at Skuggs' circus farm, they become victims of his experiments and are later kept captive along with the other freaks at the farm. The freaks are all different in every way with some weirder than others. There's a giant talking worm, a man who farts fire, a bearded lady played by Mr. T, and a talking sock man played by Bobcat Goldthwait. Two interesting casting choices include an unrecognizable Keanu Reeves as Ortiz the Dog Boy and Oscar nominee John Hawkes of Deadwood and Winter's Bone fame as Cowboy, a half-man, half-cow. Together, the freaks band together to escape from Skuggs' hellish circus farm. Will they succeed? See the movie and find out.
Many people put the blame on 20th Century Fox for promoting it poorly. But how do promote something this weird? Even when you watch the trailer, it's showing you what to expect. Even Winter explained that the film was not going to appeal to everybody. Look, if you like impressive special effects and great comedy, then you've found the right movie. Freaked is an in your face comedy that takes chances and gives a middle finger to those who don't appreciate its absurd sense of humor. It's a strange and ballsy movie that deserves to be seen.
IMDb review from 5/14/11
