Freaks (1932)

What happens when Garret doesn’t watch the time and the ADD train leaves the track and any semblance of structure behind? You get a tangentially related take on the 1932 Horror classic, Freaks, that’s longer than the movie itself.

 

Since MGM freaked out, pun intended, over Browning’s original 90-minute cut, the final available film is a short but not-so-sweet, must-watch that clocks in at just over an hour.  However, the lasting reverberations created by the intended social commentaries can be felt even today in the subsequent generations of cult classics, for better or worse.

 

And how does the krewe feel about it? Well, the boys struggled to update their lexicon with this one, never quite knowing how to reference some of the events or characters of the movie respectfully.  Luckily, they had some 9-month pregnant pauses and sharp side-eyes to tell them where the line was. All in all, there were some definite strong feelings and zany takes on the movie, sprinkled liberally with ADD shenanigans and naked roommate stories for good measure.  

 

And what outdated term does Terry need the Woke PoliceTM to help update? Does he give us a curveball to end all curveballs about where his heart really is? Does Matthew (or is it Mateo Giuseppe?) ever stick up for himself?  We hope not, that’s never ended well for the characters in his beloved mob dramas (RIP Spider). Either way, you’ll need to listen to find out!

 

Show notes/CW:

This episode contains mentions the following: Outdated and ableist language, ableism, amputation, domestic violence, violence against women, and pedophilia. Listener discretion is advised.

 

Sources

Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). Freaks. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved October 11, 2022, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Freaks

Guardian News and Media. (2015, June 14). Freaks Review–‘remarkable beauty’ in once-banned movie. The Guardian. Retrieved October 11, 2022, from https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jun/14/freaks-tod-browning-1932-once-banned-film-review

IMDb.com. (n.d.). Freaks. IMDb. Retrieved October 11, 2022, from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022913/trivia/?ref_=tt_trv_trv

Lopez, K. (2020, October 8). ‘freaks’ is the granddaddy of disabled horror, for better and worse. IndieWire. Retrieved October 11, 2022, from https://www.indiewire.com/2020/10/freaks-disabled-horror-movie-1234590637/

Na. (n.d.). Freaks. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved October 11, 2022, from https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/freaks

Phillips, M. (2021, January 7). Freaks: How Tod Browning’s controversial classic got an unofficial remake. ScreenRant. Retrieved October 11, 2022, from https://screenrant.com/tod-browning-freaks-movie-remake-freakshow-2007-explained/