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Overall Rating : 3/10
Directed By : Christian James
James Heathcote (Evil Aliens)
Dan Palmer (Evil Aliens)
Nicola Connell
Yazz Fetto
Supplied By : Anchor Bay Entertainment
Film Reviewed By : Rick L. Blalock
Date Reviewed : Nov. 2, 2006
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| PLOT Merv Doody is the ultimate horror movie geek until the day a notvery- dangerous escaped mental patient lands on his doorstep. With the help of his ambitious buddy Onkey, the two decide to groom this feeble nutcase into a legendary slasher-movie maniac. But when the masked wacko develops a taste for bloodshed, he becomes a walking, stalking killing machine that only Merv and Onkey can stop. |
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| THE REVIEW Imagine discovering a mental patient was in your home, and do to you having a growing obsession with slasher flicks, you decide to teach this person the tricks of the trade so that he can be your very own serial killer - well that's just what happens in the British Horror Comedy FREAK OUT. In FREAK OUT. we follow around young Horror fanatic Merv Doody and his obnoxious pal Onkey as they groom this mental patient to be their ideal killer, from his actions, attire as well as his name - they have made him to their exact liking. It isn't long until their killer, whom they call simply 'Looney' is out slaying the innocent folks of Red Water - so much so that Merv, the one that started the whole thing begins to regret it, soon Doody and Onkey find themselves in a battle against their own creation before he happens to massacre the whole town... I have seen praise for FREAK OUT practically everywhere on the internet, but I always had the feeling that FREAK OUT just wasn't for me. Well as I started watching this low budget slasher comedy, it became quickly apparent that I was correct, that it was not for me. Sure the plot is an awesome one, in fact I would normally read a plot like this one and say 'wow this should be interesting' but in this case the film just did not do it for me. I am usually a fan of the dark comedy brand of movies - but have never been so much a fan of the type that are open and go for the intentional funny, therefore more times then not, over doing it and trying hard to get a laugh out of you. There are many times in Freak Out that were intended to be 'funny', that I just didn't find funny at all - in fact I don't recall that I laughed once in the entire film. The camera work and photography by James is both amateurish and grainy. The movements, and shots seem to me, to lack any imagination and was not very fluent overall, often looking like a shot on hand-held porn in which the character of Doody might watch in his Horror memorabilia plastered bedroom. The acting by James Heathcote and Writer/Producer Dan Palmer has often been praised as well, but once again, I am on the other side of the fence. The character's of Merv and Onkey - meant to be extremely funny, most of the time become obnoxiously annoying. Of course this is my opinion and no one else's for that matter, but I just don't find this type of comedy very funny, instead boring. FREAK OUT is a low budget Horror Comedy film that will attract some, not all viewers and I guess i'd be a prime example of that. This is a film that tries to be funny but in the end fails with it's immature, dry and tasteless sense of humor.... |
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| GORE
METER 4.5/10 All of the killings found in FREAK OUT are done in a very goofy and cheesy manner...many of The Looney's slashings are done with a spatula....go figure. |
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| MUSICAL
SCORE 5.5/10 Believe it or not I kind of liked the film's backing soundtrack. Many of the songs used are spoofs of popular songs, most importantly, a parody of "Maniac" from the film FLASHDANCE. |
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| OVERALL
IMPRESSION OF THE FILM I feel really weird, kind of like I am am the only one who did not like this film, but if that's the case then so be it. FREAK OUT is supposedly funny in the way that SHAUN OF THE DEAD was, another British film everyone seemed to like, yet another one I didn't - As far as recommending FREAK OUT, I won't say yes or no, this is one for an acquired taste....it's not for everyone! This DVD will be released on November 7, 2006 |
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