How do I even begin a review for a film like “Freaked”? I can tell you a stumbled upon it as a child and watched it mostly due to the fact Alex Winter was in it (I was a huge “Bill & Ted” fan). I was fascinated by the movie and felt a bit special because no other kid I knew had seen this hidden gem. I felt a bit special, like I was the only person allowed to see this movie (I was a kid after all).
The film follows former child star Ricky Coogin as he accepts a deal to endorse a chemical called Zygrot 24 which acts as a toxic fertilizer in South America. Ricky and his friend Ernie travel down to South America to promote Zygrot 24 where they cross paths with environmentalist Julie and trick her into accompanying them to a freak show run by Elijah Skuggs. Skuggs ends up capturing the three and uses the chemical Zygrot 24 to transfer the trio into freaks to be used in his freak show.
It’s impossible to review this film without noting how bizarre the humor is on top of a ridiculously insane and over the top premise. This is the kind of film that could never be made now within the studio system. Perhaps this is what sets the film apart the most. The humor certainly isn’t highbrow and often relies on it’s gross out factor, but it also has a charm behind it because you can sense the passion that went into it. It reminds me a bit of a Troma film with a larger budget and more experienced cast.
Alex Winter, who stars and co-directed the film, provides a great performance which is quite different than his role in the “Bill & Ted” franchise. This was Winter’s last non-cameo role until 2013. I am a big fan of Alex Winter and if you ever have the pleasure of meeting him (he does conventions from time to time), he is one of the nicest and most appreciative stars you will have the pleasure to see. I remember meeting him along with my mom shortly before she passed away and he was so wonderful to her and myself. It was refreshing to see a celebrity who enjoyed meeting his fans and didn’t seem jaded by appearing at a comic convention.
The rest of the cast was also entertaining in their supporting roles. Randy Quaid was delightfully chewing up every scene he was in. Megan Ward was also great in this film and I really wish her career took off more. I remember loving Mr. T’s role as the bearded lady a lot and I am still surprised he took the role. The film also featured a little “Bill & Ted” reunion with co-stars Keanu Reeves and William Sadler also appearing in the movie (although Reeves is almost unrecognizable). The only cast member I didn’t love was pretty much Michael Stoyanov of “Blossom” fame. I found his performance to be too annoying.
The film wasn’t released theatrically (except in a handful of theaters) because the Fox executive who saw it thought the film was too weird to be successful. The film also did receive poor test screening performances and mixed to poor reviews upon it’s release but has since become something of a cult classic. It’s easy to see why some people hate this movie while others adore this film. I feel like most dark comedies become rather divisive but with this film’s unique humor as well as it’s makeup and animation effects, this film is a cut above most other dark comedies.
Ultimately I believe this film was actually a bit ahead of it’s time and I think a lot of the humor was lost on people at the time. It was self aware and cheesy. It’s certainly not everyone’s cup of tea and if you don’t enjoy self aware potty humor, this isn’t the movie for you. If that sort of thing sounds interesting to you, I strongly advise you seek out the film “Freaked” and thank me later.
Grade: B
