She Freak
Directed by: Byron Mabe
Year: 1967
“Filmed on actual locations where it COULD have
happened!”
But of course it didn’t. This 1960s B-grade carny flick from the
twisted mind of legendary producer David F Friedman is a poor attempt at
remaking Todd Browning’s classic Freaks but it does have its own charm. The
story follows the trials and tribulations of smalltown waitress Jade (Claire
Brennen) who wants more out of life than working in a diner and fighting off
her sleazy boss. When a carnival comes through town she decides to join up,
seeing it as the only way out. Of course
she also has her eye on her future too with the moneyed up Steve St. John,
owner of the Freakshow tent, right in her line of vision. Trouble is Jade don’t
actually like the freaks themselves and she’s also partial to a bit of the
rough stuff with carnie tough nut Blackie Fleming.
Steve might be naïve to what is going on but
his offsider Shorty (Felix Silla – Cousin Itt!) is keeping an eye on things and
doesn’t like what he sees. Not that it
matters because Jade soon has her hooks in St. John and once those marriage
papers are signed her ugly side comes out.
Blackie and St. John have a knife fight, St. John loses and Jade
inherits the freakshow. Of course if
you’ve seen Browning’s film you know where it’s going from here. In a hilarious scene the freaks come out to
get Jade – the only problem being, there are very few “freaks” – ugly does not
count!! Anyway it all culminates in a
‘classick’ ending even if the cover slick does give it away.
So the movie sounds great right? Well there’s some stuff I forgot to tell
you. Padding for a start, lots and lots
and lots of padding. The whole romance
‘tween Jade and Steve St. John is just footage of them wandering the carnival
with music over top, there’s tons of stock footage of carnival stalls setting
up and then pulling down, there’s the actors mingling with real folk wandering
the carnival, there’s more footage of Jade and Steve… all that’s lacking
sometimes is a corny narrator or you would think you were watching a 60s doco
on small town America. Sure it’s great
as a slice of history but hell, this is supposed to be a horror movie not a
bloody documentary on what fat people were eating at travelling shows in the
mid west!
The film gets slow, reaaaaallll slow at times but finally picks up
again in the second half. Yes it’s a stinker
at times, sure it’s slower than your cousin Tommy who was kept back in grade
three and yes there are better things to do with your time but I can’t deny it,
there is a certain charm about this film and the era it has preserved. And anyway that’s what your thumb is for –
the fast forward button. Neither
Friedman nor Cheezy Flicks ever promised you a classic film – you know what
you’re getting here so just remember -
it could have happened!
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