"Freaks" (1932) coming on Tuesday

[Tim Casey]

I saw it in the Best Buy circular this Sunday. If you're into old horror films, you need this disc. It's the strangest thing that ever came out of MGM. Lotsa real circus freaks in it. I thought it was great (except that it would have made a better silent movie, because of the god-awful dialog, thick european accents and sundry speech impediments). When we saw it as a thirteen-year-olds at the Orson Welles Cinema in Cambridge, MA, my buddy had to run to the bathroom and puke!

By the way, whoever makes up the sunday circulars for Best Buy occasionally throws in a picture of a title like this in the "new DVDs" section, which shows that even in McCorporate America there are a few renegades with good taste. Once they even pictured the twofer of "Koyannisqatsi" and "Powwaqqatsi"!

[merkinmuffley]

This film was directed by Tod Browning, who also directed Bela Lugosi in "Dracula." I recommend this film to people all the time because it is one of my favorite horror films. About half tell me they hated it. Read more about it at this link http://www.brightlightsfilm.com/32/freaks.html

[22dRow]

Anyone know if they screwed with the ratio or if it looks like a faithful transfer?

[Jimbo]

"Dressed like a priest you was
Tod Browning’s "freak" you was..."

--David Bowie, "Diamond Dogs"

[bldg blok]

This film was directed by Tod Browning, who also directed Bela Lugosi in "Dracula." I recommend this film to people all the time because it is one of my favorite horror films. About half tell me they hated it.
Well, those people aren't very savvy, IMO. Sure, there's no "Academy Award" performances in "Freaks", some of it's actually scenery chewing, but it's far more imaginative than most of what I see coming out of Hollywood these days. People are so turned off to what they consider "old" movies it baffles me. I burned a DVD-R for a friend of the letterbox "Dr. Strangelove off TCM a couple months back because he mentioned to me how much he liked Peter Sellers. I saw him after that and he said he fell asleep during the film and he commented how "dated" the film seemed. I guess these are the people who think that "Bedazzled" w/ Liz Hurley was an original. :rolleyes:

[Tim Casey]

" I saw him after that and he said he fell asleep during the film and he commented how "dated" the film seemed."

You should give him a copy of Browning's "Dracula". He'll go into a coma!

Audiences are pretty jaded nowadays and can't stand anything subtle - they just don't have any attention span.

[fjhuerta]

That movie is so... dark, depressing, and odd. It's one of my favourite guilty pleasures. No one I know likes it. I'm getting it as soon as it comes out on DVD (my tape looks awful now).

[Ed Bishop]

It's a fine film. Has 'cult' status, but only because, for its time, it was very out of the mainstream. Indeed, I would even now hesitate to call it a 'horror' film, since it is, at root, more of a thriller. It also is suffused with humanity: the director showcases his subjects, but, unlike a few characters in the film itself, never looks down on them as 'inferior,' just different.

Upon first viewing, I can understand if someone thought it was nothing more than an outrageous freak show. But given a chance, it reveals itself to be deeper and more thoughtful than it might first appear to be.

Amazing Browning managed to not only get the movie made, but for M-G-M!

:ed:

[Michael]

I find it disturbing, how did this slip by the PC champions? Saw it years ago...nothing more than an exploitation film. Art?

[Ken_McAlinden]

Essential viewing for anyone who wants to catch the reference to it in The Ramones' "Pinhead". Other than that, essential viewing for anyone not likely to be unnerved by the subject matter. Definitely not for all tastes. I think there is a bit too much empathy involved to dismiss it as just an exploitation film. YMMV.

Regards,

[Ed Bishop]

I find it disturbing, how did this slip by the PC champions? Saw it years ago...nothing more than an exploitation film. Art?

A mere exploitation film--think REEFER MADNESS--wouldn't be held in such high regard today if that's all FREAKS had been. Not for all tastes, but then, neither is Bergman or Antonioni, yet who would deny their greatness?

I find FREAKS to be a fascinating side trip into a world I'd never imagined existed(Jim Rose updated the idea decades later, and in an X-FILES episode, the human side is also shown along with the inherent freakiness).




:ed:

[TSmithPage]

This film is not to be confused with the most disturbing film I've ever seen, which as I recall, was titled "Blood Sucking Freaks." Apologizing in advance for the thread crap, but has anyone else ever seen that one?

[dcooper]

Anyone know if they screwed with the ratio or if it looks like a faithful transfer?

Saw a clip of it last night on Ebert & Roeper, and it was 4:3.

[Steve Hoffman]

Anyone care that at least 1/2 hour of the movie has been missing since 1935?



One of us, one of us......

[Ed Bishop]

Anyone care that at least 1/2 hour of the movie has been missing since 1935?


Of course....does that missing footage still exist? And if so, why hasn't it been restored?


:ed:

[stereoptic]

Anyone care that at least 1/2 hour of the movie has been missing since 1935? One of us, one of us......

I do! - geeba gobba. what's missing and why?

[fjhuerta]

Anyone care that at least 1/2 hour of the movie has been missing since 1935?



One of us, one of us......


Most of the old films I love have some parts missing. "The Lost World", IIRC, has 30 minutes of footage missing. "Metropolis" has 30-45 minutes missing (the infamous "brothel" scene).

I have come to accept the fact that most of the old classics will be deteriorated and cut... :( So sad nobody thought about preserving them.

That's why I'm so happy about you, Mr. Hoffman. You are doing a great job in preserving what we love :love:

[Steve Hoffman]

Most of the old films I love have some parts missing. "The Lost World", IIRC, has 30 minutes of footage missing. "Metropolis" has 30-45 minutes missing (the infamous "brothel" scene).

I have come to accept the fact that most of the old classics will be deteriorated and cut... :( So sad nobody thought about preserving them.

That's why I'm so happy about you, Mr. Hoffman. You are doing a great job in preserving what we love :love:

Javier,

Thanks for the compliment.

I wish the missing footage from FREAKS could be restored; film studios don't deal with collectors and that is why things like this are allowed to happen. Bugs me, but the suits run things so what can we expect?

[vinyl anachronist]

One of us, one of us......

I always use that reference, and no one ever gets it. When I saw "The Player" in a theater, I think I was the only one who laughed when Lyle Lovett says it.

[Tim Casey]

It's too bad a collector couldn't take matters into his own hands and simply throw it out for free on the grey market.

[Steve Hoffman]

It's too bad a collector couldn't take matters into his own hands and simply throw it out for free on the grey market.

Nothing to go to jail over....

[Tim Casey]

Now that I think of it, are the missing 35 minutes just the stuff that exploitation exhibitors tacked onto it in the forties? I know the scripted ending was much more involved (though I don't know if it was actually filmed), but I can't imagine another 35 minutes. Tod Browning mostly worked in 75-minute films, and the current print is about 61 minutes (I think).

[stereoptic]

... I know the scripted ending was much more involved (though I don't know if it was actually filmed), but I can't imagine another 35 minutes. ...).

Special Features advertised for the new DVD includes 3 alternate endings!

[ZIPGUN99]

This film is not to be confused with the most disturbing film I've ever seen, which as I recall, was titled "Blood Sucking Freaks." Apologizing in advance for the thread crap, but has anyone else ever seen that one?

All I remember from seeing it on video in the early 80's is that I felt it was indeed, the most worthless piece of @#%$&# crap that was ever released.

"Freaks" I love, I first saw it in '74 at the Thalia Cinema in NYC, first was the "Popeye Follies" then "Freaks" at midnight, than a Israeli horror movie I've never come across since "Once Upon Time." The night before I saw "Andy Warhol's Frankenstein" and a midnight showing of "Pink Flamingos." That weekend of movie viewing probably warped me for all time.

[Joseph]

I saw Freaks in the 60's. Prior to showing the film they had a fake doctor come out in a white robe and give us a "scientific" lecture about freaks of nature. They also gave away copies of the "Freaks" book. Anyone else have a copy?