It took a weak mind to produce it and it takes a strong stomach to look at it. Hans, enamored of Cleopatra, ultimately marries her. [22] Among them, Smith cites the freaks' celebration of the birth of the Bearded Lady's baby, and the film's key dinner party sequence in which Cleopatra grows enraged when the freaks sing "We accept her, we accept her, one of us, one of us" as a welcoming song. First I meet the midget and he adores me because we speak German and he's from Germany. Because of its controversial content, the film was banned in the United Kingdom for over 30 years, and was labelled as "brutal and grotesque" in Canada. [80] In 2004, Warner issued the film on DVD for the first time. Freaks (1932), US-amerikanischer Horrorfilm von Regisseur Tod Browning (1932) Freaks – Sie sehen aus wie wir, US-amerikanisch-kanadischer Science-Fiction-Thriller von Adam Stein und Zach Lipovsky (2018); Freaks – Du bist eine von uns, deutscher Spielfilm von Felix Binder (2020); Freaks (Roman), Roman des US-amerikanischen Schriftstellers Joey Goebel (2003) Freak is a 1998 film directed by Spike Lee.The film is a live performance of John Leguizamo's 1998 one-man show on Broadway of the same name.Leguizamo's show was semi-autobiographical as he would talk about many aspects of his life.In the performance piece, he also talks about family members such as his parents, grandparents, uncle, and his younger brother. Meanwhile, other romances flourish among the sideshow performers: the Bearded Lady, who is in love with the Human Skeleton, gives birth to their daughter. Language [85][86] Film scholar Jennifer Peterson cites Freaks as one of the 50 most important American films ever made. The second Film Freak is Edison, a disturbed film buff who hosted a late-night W.U.A.B. Freaks steht für: . English She also conspires to kill him with the help of circus strongman Hercules in order to have his wealth. [59][60] MGM attempted to address criticisms of exploitation by promoting the film as one compassionate toward its subjects, with tagline such as "What about abnormal people? Edward Brophy and Matt McHugh as the Rollo Brothers. Then he shows me a boy who walks on his hands because he was born without feet. At their wedding, Cleopatra begins poisoning Hans' wine but drunkenly kisses Hercules in front of Hans, revealing her affair. Horror Film Wiki is a FANDOM Movies Community. Additionally, Violet, a conjoined twin whose sister Daisy is married to Roscoe, the stuttering circus clown, becomes engaged to the circus's owner. "[65] In The Kansas City Star, John C. Moffitt wrote, "There is no excuse for this picture. Images of Freaks. [63], A number of reviews were not only highly critical of the film, but expressed outrage and revulsion. Club describing it as "the film's greatest cultural legacy... "One of us, one of us, one of us" reliably gets trotted out in situations involving an individual being forced to conform by the masses—I can recall seeing homages on both The Simpsons and South Park, and there are probably dozens of others out there. Blood Sucking Freaks is a 1976 exploitation-splatter film directed by Joel M. Reed and starring Seamus O'Brien, Luis De Jesus, Viju Krem, Niles McMaster, Dan Fauci, Alan Dellay, and Ernie Pysher. Gooble-gobble, gooble-gobble. Strange bumps in the night escalate into a nerve-wrecking encounter with the creature by Charles’ wife, Linda. "[11] However, Cleopatra's mean-spirited amusement at this ceremony soon turns into fear and anger after Hercules jokes that the rest of the entertainers plan to turn her into one of them. "What about the Siamese twins—have they no right to love? "[76], Film critic Mark Kermode awarded the film four out of five stars in a 2015 review, noting that, "today, Browning's sympathies are clear; if there are 'freaks' on display here, they are not the versatile performers to whom the title seems to allude". [23] Film scholars Martin Norden and Madeleine Cahill, however, question Browning's intention of the film's final revenge sequence, in which the freaks mutilate the able-bodied, morally cruel Cleopatra. Todd S Super Reviewer. However the film was shown it its original entireity when it made its world premier at the Fox Theatre in San Diego, California, which advertised it was the only venue where the film could be seen in its original entirity, where it had a successful in-house run. I say, "Why should I faint?" It follows a trapeze artist who joins a group of carnival sideshow performers with a plan to seduce and murder a dwarf in the troupe to gain his inheritance, but her plot proves to have dangerous consequences. Oblivious, the other "freaks" announce that they accept Cleopatra in spite of her being a "normal" outsider: they hold an initiation ceremony in which they pass a loving cup around the table while chanting, "We accept her, we accept her. "[15], The film's depiction of people with disabilities has been a significant point of analysis amongst film critics and scholars. He say, "I want to make a picture with you, Olga Baclanova... Now I show you with whom you are going to play. [51], The truncated version—now only 64 minutes long—had its premiere at the Fox Criterion in Los Angeles on February 12, 1932. [36] Little of the original story was retained beyond the marriage between a dwarf and an average-sized woman and their wedding feast, and the setting—originally France—was relocated to the United States. Freaks wasn't a movie even on my list to watch. [26], Film-studies scholar Joan Hawkins describes the evolution of how the film's genre was perceived, noting that it "started as a mainstream horror film that migrated into the exploitation arena before finally being recuperated as an avant-garde or art project". In the quiet mining town of Prosperity, Arizona, an accident involving a rabbit causes a barrel of toxic waste to land in a reservoir. [47], –1932 press release from MGM responding to accusations that the film exploited its subjects[57], Despite the extensive cuts, the film was still negatively received by moviegoers, and remained an object of extreme controversy amongst the public upon initial release. [1][52] It subsequently opened in New York City that summer, premiering on July 8, 1932. [36] Leon Gordon, Edgar Allan Woolf, Al Boasberg and an uncredited Charles MacArthur would also contribute to the script. The pin-heads, the half-man, half-woman, the dwarfs! A conniving trapeze artist named Cleopatra seduces a carnival sideshow midget named Hans after learning of his large inheritance, much to the chagrin of Frieda, his midget fiance. Directed By [13] Historian Jane Nicholas suggests that the film's conclusion, in which the circus performers mutilate Cleopatra whilst chanting "one of us", is reinforcing the freaks' social currency: "It is interesting that a statement that reads as one of inclusion is often cited as one that embodies horror in the film. Sean Sullivan) and Carol Lynley. [77] Film theorist and critic Andrew Sarris echoed this sentiment, proclaiming Freaks "one of the most compassionate films ever made". "[14], In the book Midnight Movies (1991), critics J. Hoberman and Jonathan Rosenbaum compare Freaks to Gold Diggers of 1933, writing that the former is "almost literally dealing with the same thing [class disparity]... but more directly—because the end product isn't just putting on a show, but slaves breaking their chains and triumphing over their masters. [46], In January 1932, MGM held test screenings of the film which proved disastrous: Art director Merrill Pye recalled that "Halfway through the preview, a lot of people got up and ran out. "[69], John Mosher of The New Yorker wrote a favorable review, calling it "a little gem" that "stands in a class by itself, and probably won't be forgotten in a hurry by those who see it". [29] Smith writes that the inclusion of Freaks within the horror genre "forces our reconsideration of the genre's status [and] challenges readings in which all horror movies are seen to use monstrous bodies to the same effects". The film makes it clear that the big people, personified by Cleopatra and Hercules, scorn the Freaks. The two then share a heartwarming hug and it is presumed that they continue their relationship. They have their lives, too! Cinematography Er handelt von der Restaurantmitarbeiterin Wendy, die plötzlich von ihren Superkräften erfährt. 2) #54 (June 2006) The Film Freak II answers to the surname of "Edison". [7], Though it received critical backlash and was a box-office failure upon initial release, Freaks was subject to public and critical reappraisal in the 1960s, as a long forgotton Hollywood classic, particularly in Europe, and was screened at the 1962 Venice Film Festival. Freaks – Du bist eine von uns ist ein deutscher Superheldenfilm des Regisseurs Felix Binder aus dem Jahr 2020.Der Film ist eine Kooperation des Kleinen Fernsehspiels des ZDF und der Streaming-Plattform Netflix, wo er am 2.September 2020 veröffentlicht wurde. Freaks è un film del 2018 scritto e diretto da Zach Lipovsky e Adam B. Stein. Freaks are the term given to those who have been mutated by the tainted meat distributed by Monsino Farms. Is such a subject untouchable?". [68] The New York Herald Tribune wrote that it was "obviously an unhealthy and generally disagreeable work", but that "in some strange way, the picture is not only exciting, but even occasionally touching". Produced By Such a disdainful attitude was reflected in the real-life social outlook of some business tycoons during the Depression. However, her plot proves later to have dangerous consequences. [88] It is also listed in the film reference book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, which says "No mere plot summary can do justice to this alarming yet profound movie, which truly must be seen to be believed. Browning's ambiguity on this point only enhances the film's unsettling properties. The plot centers about events that happen in a circus full of so called "freaks", people with deformities. "[55] Nonetheless, the film has still been noted for its stark horror imagery in the 21st century, with Joe Morgenstern writing in 2009 that it boasts "some of the most terrifying scenes ever consigned to film". The Film Freak II: Will Pfeifer David López: Catwoman (vol. The film is based on elements from the short story "Spurs" by Tod Robbins. Take your favorite fandoms with you and never miss a beat. Little does he know, his entire family is being watched. I wanted to cry when I saw them. Freak, a 1998 film based on the Leguizamo play; Freak (online drama), an online teen drama for MySpace by FremantleMedia Its consensus reads, "Time has been kind to this horror legend: Freaks manages to frighten, shock, and even touch viewers in ways that contemporary viewers missed. [18], Angela Smith, a scholar of film and disability, similarly notes that Freaks presents numerous scenes in which the freaks engage in routine and ordinary domestic behavior. With Wallace Ford, Leila Hyams, Olga Baclanova, Roscoe Ates. But don't faint." The freaks then capture Cleopatra and sometime later, she is shown to be a grotesque, squawking "human duck" on display for carnival patrons; her tongue has been removed, one eye has been gouged out, the flesh of her hands has been melted and deformed to look like duck feet, her legs have been cut off, and what is left of her torso has been permanently tarred and feathered. Directed by Zach Lipovsky, Adam B. Stein. Country In the film's climax, Hans confronts Cleopatra with three of the entertainers as backup thugs. … Release Date(s) Although the spiders have ingested the toxins, he is oblivious since the arachnids seem unaffected. [61] Freaks became the only MGM film ever to be pulled from release before completing its domestic engagements,[62] and it was pulled from distribution after its New York engagements concluded in the summer of 1932. If you are normal go and see them for yourself, if not, well, use your own judgment. "[70], In the mid-late 20th century, Freaks began to garner critical reassessment after developing a cult following in Europe, and was subject to renewed praise by critics and audiences. [48] Much of the sequence of the circus entertainers attacking Cleopatra as she lies under a tree was removed, as well as a sequence showing Hercules being castrated and made into a castrato, a number of comedy sequences, and most of the film's original epilogue, which included Hercules singing in a falsetto (a reference to his castration). The song was featured on their album Leave Home.[95]. —Toronto International Film Festival A seven-year-old girl, Chloe, who lives with her father, was told that the outside world was dangerous and was spending lonely days in her house. Merritt B. Gerstad Tod Browning's Freaks (based on his earlier short story Spurs) is a 1932 horror film that used real carnival sideshow performers with real deformities.. At first, the movie gained a lot of controversies and extremely negative feedback from test audiences. [32] Ultimately, Thalberg decided not to cast any major stars in the picture. Film critic Melvin Matthews has interpreted Freaks within the context of the Great Depression, writing that it "is essentially a story of the little people (average Americans) versus the big people (the rich and businessmen). Freaks of Nature is a 2015 American comedy horror film directed by Robbie Pickering and written by Oren Uziel. "[12] Film studies academic Jennifer Peterson similarly identifies Freaks as an example of an "outsider film". "[89], Several sequences in the film have been noted for their lasting cultural impact, particularly the freaks' climactic revenge sequence, which was ranked 15th on Bravo TV's list of the 100 Scariest Movie Moments. It is a supreme oddity (freak?) "Freaks" jostles you around too much with sequences that may or may not be real—like when she talks to a girl her age named Harper , who accuses reclusive Chloe of breaking into her sleepover—and the film doesn’t come off as intricate, so much as unfocused. [a] The film was shot on the MGM studio lot in Culver City, California. [8] Ed Gonzalez of Slant Magazine wrote in a 2003 retrospective that the film's moral significance has often been obscured by critical attention to its more shocking elements, noting that this "seriously underplay[s] the film’s blistering humanity and the audacious aesthetic and philosophical lengths to which Browning goes to challenge the way we define beauty and abnormality". [64] Harrison's Reports wrote that "Any one who considers this entertainment should be placed in the pathological ward in some hospital. Freaks (1932) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. https://horror.fandom.com/wiki/Freaks_(1932)?oldid=149091, Daisy and Violet Hilton as the Siamese twins. [32] Harry Earles, a dwarf who had appeared in Browning's The Unholy Three (1925)—and who would ultimately star as Hans in Freaks—had originally proposed the idea of making a film version of "Spurs" to Browning. It stars Adrian Edmondson, Viola Davis, Michelle Williams, Karl Urban, Dwayne Johnson, Deep Roy and Meredith Eaton. [47] Filming was completed on December 16, 1931, and Browning began retakes on December 23. Freaks is a 1932 American Pre-Code horror film in which the eponymous characters were played by people who worked as carnival sideshow performers and had real deformities. 1 Background 2 Characteristics 2.1 Biology 3 Appearances 4 References In the Fallout film treatment, Max refers to some mutated villagers as Fallout freaks.1 He comments that they “Came out of their vault too early. Frieda tells Hans not to blame himself for what happened and that she still loves him. [41], Also featured were the intersex Josephine Joseph, with her left-right divided gender;[42] Johnny Eck, the legless man, who was scouted for the role while performing in Montreal;[43] the completely limbless Prince Randian (also known as The Human Torso and miscredited as "Rardion");[44] Elizabeth Green the Stork Woman; and Koo-Koo the Bird Girl, who had Virchow-Seckel syndrome or bird-headed dwarfism and is most remembered for the scene wherein she dances on the table.[32]. [24] "The implications of the violence against [Cleopatra] are far from clear", they write. "[79], Freaks was first issued on VHS by Warner Home Entertainment in 1990. Freaks starts out (or so you think) as a film which promises to deliver some uncomfortable moments between an overprotective dad who may or may not be outright crazy as well as possibly dangerous, and his cute, socially-inexperienced, defenseless and mostly awkward little girl. Cleopatra also conspires with circus strongman, Hercules, to kill Hans and inherit his wealth. One of us, one of us. The plot centers about events that happen in a circus full of so called "freaks", people with deformities. They have such nice faces, but it is so terrible... Now, after we start the picture, I like them all so much. Freaks (also re-released as Forbidden Love and Natures Mistakes[6]), is a 1932 American pre-Code horror film produced and directed by Tod Browning, and starring Wallace Ford, Leila Hyams, Olga Baclanova and Roscoe Ates. While some versions end on Cleopatra as the human duck, another ending shows Hans, now living in a mansion off his inheritance and still humiliated, visited by Phroso, Venus and Frieda. Burt Weston is a wannabe actor who dreams of getting a big break by playing quirky villains, because those kinds of villains were rich. [54] In the United Kingdom, the film was banned by the British censors,[54][55] and remained as so for over thirty years before being passed with an X rating in August 1963. [80], Freaks is now widely considered among director Browning's best films. [65] Variety also published an unfavorable review, writing that the film was "sumptuously produced, admirably directed, and no cost was spared, but Metro heads failed to realize that even with a different sort of offering the story is still important. Directed by Tod Browning. Venus's boyfriend, Phroso, attempts to stop Hercules but is nearly killed before the rest of them intervene and injure Hercules, saving Phroso. [6] The film had test screenings in January 1932, with many of the audience response being harsh, finding the film as too grotesque. Media in category "Freaks (1932 film)" The following 13 files are in this category, out of 13 total. Shot under the title Sardu: Master of the Screaming Virgins , it was retitled The Incredible Torture Show during its original theatrical run. The review went on to state that the story "does not thrill and at the same time does not please, since it is impossible for the normal man or woman to sympathize with the aspiring midget. Freaky is a 2020 American slasher comedy film directed by Christopher Landon, from a screenplay by Michael Kennedy and Landon, and starring Vince Vaughn, Kathryn Newton, Katie Finneran, Celeste O'Connor, and Alan Ruck.A twist on Freaky Friday, the film centers on a teenage girl who unintentionally switches bodies with a middle-aged male serial killer.