Freakshow

I just don't know what to say about this film, it was so bad on so many levels that at the end of the 90 minutes I feel a mixed emotion of disappointment at time wasted and a curious wonderment as to if I've actually seen what I think I've just seen.

Now, I don't know the movie Freaks however I wasn't expecting the story line to be particularly original but it was worse than that. A clichéd storyline only marginally bolstered by an unusual setting. It may have been carried by some reasonable acting, but if the word had been defined by the standard in this movie then I think actors would still be waiting tables as it bought in a higher salary.

The production values were awful as well, with an dire soundtrack and even more abysmal editing. I assume the sound and costume were supposed to give us a feel for the era of the film as in itself it did little to set the audience expectation. But the soundtrack did little more for me than want to smash the damn gramaphone to splinters (you'll see/hear what I mean).

So what then made this a horror? Well it was those last few minutes. Although the concept, the hook if you will, was quite gruesome and to some extent deserves a little merit. Now the imagination can create a disturbing empathy given the right nudges and it made me feel uncomfortable so job done! Right? But still, even though the idea was great in the end it was the ham fisted execution of the concept that will probably make any self respecting movie go-er recoil in horror the most.

This isn't so much a comment as it is a warning. I've been watching horror movies since I was able to watch movies. I have them on tapes and dvds, I was originally going to school for forensic science (all this info is to explain that I DO have the stomach, strength, etc to watch horror movies/gore/etc). This movie sent me to therapy. Seriously. It effected me in such a way that I still can't sleep (it's now exactly one week after I rented this movie). I'm anxious, nervous, and the day after I watched this movie I had a panic attack and had to schedule an emergency appointment to speak with a psychiatrist. The last ten minutes of this movie are THE most disturbing ten minutes I have ever seen in absolutely any form (film, photography, written word, etc.) Just typing about it and making me think about it is making me start to get anxious.

Oddly enough everyone I watched it with was totally unaffected by it. My boyfriend doesn't understand why he has to stay awake with me every night. But for some reason, the last scene hit me in a way no movie, no book, no image has ever effected me before. Not hostel, or the hills have eyes, or house of 1000 corpses, or Texas chainsaw massacre, or any other horror flick involving torture/gore/disturbing images.

Maybe I'm the only one, but I can understand why it was banned.

This movie is a really poor retelling of Todd Browning's 1932 classic Freaks.

It is essentially the same story of circus folks (offend one, offend all, etc) but instead of genuine freaks you get heavily tattooed people into body modification as the main freaks. Guys with stretched-out earlobes and excessive tats do not a freak make.

The only redeeming feature I can recall is the "cannibal girl" who is notable for her beauty and is not a freak in any way other than being freakishly hot. She is the only reason I did not bestow a rating of 1 on this movie.

The original Freaks movie was great because it had all those genuine circus freaks in it and was very controversial at the time of conservative film making.

This flick borrows, nay, steals heavily from the 1932 Freaks and even steals it's "banned in X countries" logo from the original. The only reason this modern Freakshow movie might be banned from anywhere would be for plagiarism.

In a side-show circus owned by Lon (Christopher Adamson), the greatest attractions are the deformed people that are bonded with Lon as family. When a group of five outsiders join the circus to work in security, they actually are criminals that intend to steal one week ticket sales. However, the greedy and sexy slut Lucy (Rebekah Kochan) finds that Lon owns a fortune and convinces her partners that she could seduce Lon, get married with him and later kill him to become the heir of his fortune. When the youngest freak is murdered by the gang, the side-show performers seek revenge and join forces to hunt each criminal. Then they capture Lucy and transform her into the next attraction of the show, the Worm Woman.

The violent and graphic "Freakshow" uses the same storyline of Tod Browning's "Freaks" (1932) and is a good remake of the classic, with a modification of the plot and characters. The make-up is excellent and the production is also very careful with the music score. This movie is absolutely underrated in IMDb, maybe because the voters are influenced by the negative propaganda that was written about this film or maybe by the inhuman and extremely graphic conclusion. Anyway, I believe that real fans of harsh slashers will like this horror movie. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Freakshow – O Circo dos Horrores" ("Freakshow – The Horror Circus")

The movie was great. What's wrong with you people? I loved the movie! You people say you are such horror freaks but that is complete bullshit! A real horror buff would enjoy every movie that comes out no matter how corny or bloody it is. I seriously think Asylum Studios has some awesome stuff. I am a definite fan of them since I have seen Freakshow and I hope they come up with some more movies. To those who enjoyed it e-mail me at niteowel2684@yahoo.com if you are horror freaks and could send me some scary movie recommendations or maybe a website that gets people like me together. Now a movie I would recommend is Reincarnation by some Chinese Asian people or whatever. But that's not the point. It's an amazing film that will just get to you and want to see all over again.