Freak Talks About Sex

This little movie is pretty funny. As far as films in the slacker genre its way ahead of crap like Reality Bites. It makes a nice rental.

The other night I stumbled upon this movie on HBO. After reading the short information screen (that digital cable provides) I thought it was something worth seeing. It sounded like many other young adult pot smoking movies I have seen before. It had an actor I liked in it, Steve Zahn, so I decided to check it out. First let me say this movie was titled all wrong. I believe the DVD title, "Blowin' Smoke" captures this movie. This movie is not just about Freak, nor is it just about Sex. Although they are strong parts of the movie. This movie is about growing up and making decisions. You have two good friends who are two years out of college and going no where with their life. Freak is a crazy pot smoking guy who lives in his mother's basement. He is not really motivated. Then there is David (in my opinion is the focus of the movie) who is a writer who tried moving out of Upper State New York, where he moved to Arizona to work on his writing. It didn't work out and now he is back living in a crappie apartment and working a crappie job. Dave really doesn't know where to go in life. He knows what he wants but just isn't there. I get this feeling through the movie of a Kevin Smith type movie. Even though Smith's movies are really only Cult Classics, they still managed to work better overall than this movie. I won't lie, this movie was watch-able and had its moments. I would suggest just watching it if you have nothing to do. It just really goes no where and often scenes end before they ever were resolved. Almost feels a little incomplete. Just in-case you wanted to see it, I won't tell you what happens. Although in the end, it leaves you wondering what happened to Dave. You know what Freak does, but Dave its a little more open to interpretation. I would like to think he finally decided what to do and who to do it with, but they didn't even do a good job at leading you to that idea.

Overall I wasn't disappointed I saw this, but in the end I knew why I had never heard of it. This movie connected to me because of the storyline. A guy two years out of college who is a writer and moved to Arizona to move in the right direction, but things turned out being one big procrastinating mess. I have been out of college for a few years and I am an artist. I just got back from Arizona in hopes to move there to work on my art, but of course I (too) procrastinate more than I should.

I was hanging out at my friend Derek Slocum's house when a movie called "Blowin' Smoke" came on cable late one night. Derek was amazed by how much the movie touched his heart and tickled his funny bone; he fell in love with it (he was "blown away" - pun intended)! I, too, was amazed by the movie because I had actually seen it in another incarnation...When I was living in Seattle a couple years back (playing bass for the Make Nine Quartet), the movie was screened at the Seattle Film Festival under the name, "Freak Talks About Sex!" That movie touched me tremendously. The "Blowin' Smoke" version is a shorter, fun and still moving showcase of great young actors under the deft direction of a sensitive new director. However, I hope the inspired "Freak" version comes out on DVD one day, as my bandmate James Trescott and I were transfixed by the experience at the film festival. It was the most heartfelt look at post-adolescent ennui I have ever experienced, shining a spotlight on Gen-X without any self-conscious irony. (We also fell in love with director Todisco's short film, "Skanks." My buddy J.T.'s girlfriend Jody Altmyer SWEARS the movie was ripped from her real life) I can't wait to see "Freak" again, nor can J.T., who often quotes lines spoken in it by the

brilliant Steve Zahn. It's rather annoying. In the meantime, "Blowin' Smoke" will nicely suffice as a window into the work of an inspired director who seems to have the mind a philosopher, the soul of a painter, and the heart of a poet. By all means, buy "Blowin' Smoke," enjoy it; and wait for "Freak!"

This is an interesting view of two unlikely guys who are on a journey to find themselves. The humor is much more subtle and intelligent than Garth and Wayne but will probably appeal to the same audiences. There are many technical problems that expose the inexperience of the writers and directors of this film. The editing is bumpy in places and light changes from a drug induced red glow to bright white in a couple of places but the story line prevails and the main characters stay true to themselves. Watch this one more than once the humor is terrific. The stars and writers are sure to be bigger names in a few months and you will be able to chart their creative growth.

I feel I have to come to the defense of this movie by first stating some of its flaws. 1)make-up and 2)trying to make 30 somethings look younger than they are. So just make-up, I guess. I swear, I could NOT believe David's girlfriend in the city was a day under 35. And this movie is clearly about 20 somethings.

Im guessing this might be a play adapted to screen because of the rigid shots and the strong dialogue. Plus Josh Hamilton (David) has a lot of these under his belt. Just look at House of Yes if you're not convinced.

The inclusion of weed as a supporting cast is done tastefully. Lots of movies have relied on it to be a major source of humor. So lets get a few things straight- Weed itself is not funny. Watching people smoking weed and the 'hilarious' consequences of them doing so isn't funny (even on weed). Because of Cheech and Chong, we're repeatedly hit over the head with the stereotypical squishy-headed stoner in all sorts of bad movies. So Don't Do Drugs.

The reality of smoking pot is expressed in this movie (in just a few scenes)in a very truthful way that I sympathized with. This is why Blowin Smoke might be a misleading title though it could be argued that it describes Steve Zahn's character Freak as a guy who likes to talk out his ass.

This isn't the only great thing about the movie. Steve Zahn is dead-pan funny and Josh Hamilton has always been a good man-boy character. Its too bad he'll be older someday.