Once a smug former child star, Ricky Coogin (Winter) is now the unfortunate face of a shady megacorporation pushing questionable products in South America. But when Ricky and his misfit companions — the endlessly weird Ernie and idealistic Julie — take a wrong turn, they find themselves at a derelict roadside freak show run by the mad scientist/showman Elijah C. Skuggs (Randy Quaid). Skuggs doesn’t just run the show — he makes it. Using a volatile chemical blend and a flair for the grotesque, he transforms poor Ricky and friends into full-blown human oddities, adding them to his gallery of bizarre attractions.
Enter the sideshow crew: a sock-faced philosopher, a walking cow-man hybrid, a talking eyeball, and a mustachioed bearded lady (an incredible supporting cast including John Hawkes, William Sadler, Mr. T, Brooke Shields, Bobcat Goldthwait, Megan Ward, Morgan Fairchild, Michael Stoyanov, and Winter’s old pal Reeves in an uncredited and unrecognizable turn as Ortiz the dog boy. Woof!). Together, they plot to overthrow Skuggs before they’re trapped in the tent forever!
For in-depth thoughts on Freaked, please see my colleague Phil Walsh’s review from its digital release here.
For additional thoughts on Freaked, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:
Video Quality
Umbrella Entertainment and Drafthouse Films present Freaked with an exceptional 2160p transfer in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio sourced from a 4K restoration in HDR/Dolby Vision. Umbrella always impresses with their releases, and it is all the better to get this set considering the film has largely been unavailable since the early DVD days, outside of low-quality YouTube videos. This release comes from a collaboration between Drafthouse Films in America and Umbrella Entertainment based in Australia. Although this set comes from Australia, both the 4K UHD and Blu-Ray discs in this set will play in all Blu-Ray players including those in the United States. Fans who have been waiting for this to be upgraded are blessed with a peerless presentation.
The presentation retains the necessary amount of natural film grain that allows the textural details of the unique locales and the inventive makeup effects to spring forth. The grain is nice and thick but never unwieldy or clumpy. The filmmakers establish a cohesive sense of reality within this outrageous tale that suits the tone of the film. The subtle textures on display in the costumes and within the set design are unbelievable. This disc handles every set piece without a hiccup. The black levels are essentially perfect with nothing in the way of crush present, and highlights show no hint of blooming even when under the beaming sun or stage lights. The enhanced detail and clarity will allow you to pick up elements of the background that would have been indecipherable on the DVD.
One of the most invaluable aspects of the disc is the utilization of Dolby Vision for unforgettable color output that takes this visually fantastical film and allows it to look more impressive than you might imagine. The new restoration features vibrant hues with exquisite complexity. Certain outfits and lighting choices saturate the screen without seeming artificially boosted. This new transfer features nothing in the way of print damage. This dream presentation always appears natural with the added resolution bringing out key facets within the environment. No egregious digital anomalies such as compression artifacts, banding, or other such nuisances manifested here thanks to the encoding from Fidelity in Motion. The good people at Umbrella and Drafthouse have put the appropriate care into preserving this on physical media.
Audio Quality
This 4K UHD Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track along with the original DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio stereo track which both capture this film with the proper complexity. The surround track expands things out with admirable directionality with sounds always emerging from the appropriate channels. The film is not going for bombast and spectacle at every turn, but key moments engage the low end appropriately. Dialogue comes through crisp and clear in the front channel without being drowned out by any sound effects or score. The Kevin Kiner score establishes the madcap tone of the story which fills the speakers well. There are no issues with fidelity or damage to the track. The movie is filled with a smorgasbord of environmental sounds that come alive in the channels. This audio presentation is everything you could ask from this film. Optional English subtitles are provided.
Special Features
The Collector’s Edition of the Umbrella 4K UHD Blu-Ray of Freaked includes a 140-page book featuring behind-the-scenes, new essays by Justin Beahm, Witney Seibold, and Mike Saunders, and fan art. The set also includes a script book, an original comic book, stickers, a pamphlet, and a canvas poster. The on-disc special features are as follows:
Disc One (4K UHD)
- Audio Commentary: Co-writers/co-directors Tom Stern and Alex Winter provide a commentary track recorded in 2004 that is a ton of fun because you can tell they are not holding back in terms of reminiscing and the production, the shortcomings of the movie, interactions with various performers, and so much more that is such a breezy, hilarious listen.
- Re-Release Trailer (1:51)
Disc Two (Blu-Ray – Feature)
- Audio Commentary: Co-writers/co-directors Tom Stern and Alex Winter
- Deleted Scenes: A seven-minute collection of unused footage is provided, upscaled from standard definition.
- Hijinx in Freek Land – Featurette: A 12-minute collection of amusing fly-on-the-wall footage from the set.
- There Are No Weirdos Here – Featurette: A nearly six-minute look at some rehearsal footage.
- It’s The Troll! – Featurette: A three-minute look at rehearsal footage with the young terror.
- Under Construcshen – Featurette: A nearly four-minute look at the construction of some of the sets.
- Behold…The Beast Boy! – Featurette: A seven-minute look at the application of certain make-up effects.
- A Conversation with Writer Tim Burns – Featurette: A 23-minute archival piece in which one of the co-writers delves into his involvement with the film.
- Transformed by the Goop – Silent Make-up Tests (1:13:13)
- The Freaky Tapes – Extended Behind-the-Scenes Footage (2:03:14)
- Petty Degradations – Uncut Behind-the-Scenes Footage (42:31)
- NYU Sight & Sound Project – Short Film by Tom Stern and Alex Winter: A 54-second short film about an odd exchange on a park bench.
- Jake Boston on Cult Movies & Their Second Life on Physical Media: A new 12-minute video essay that takes a look at the importance of physical media in buoying the cult status of various movies.
Disc Three (Blu-Ray – Supplements)
- Workprint Cut (1:24:49)
- Rehearsal Cut (1:23:49): An option to watch a full rehearsal run-through of the film.
- The Night’s Special Guest – Co-Director/Writer & Actor Alex Winter on Freaked: A new 34-minute interview with the creative in which he discusses the origins of Freaked, his relationship to the cast members, his love of prosthetic effects, the second life of the film, entertaining stories from the set, and so much more.
- Very Special People – Co-Director/Writer Tom Stern and Writer Tim Burns on Freaked: A new 39-minute conversation with the pair in which they discuss why they wanted to make a movie about “freaks”, the path to the movie, coming up with different characters, working with different creative figures, and more.
- The Glass Cyclops – Cinematographer Jamie Thompson and Camera Operator Harry Garvin on Freaked: A new 18-minute piece with these creatives in which they discuss working on Freaked, what they learned making low-budget movies and music videos, inspirations they brought to their work, memorable days on set, memories of the performers, and more.
- The Freemaker – Special Makeup Designer Tony Gardner on Freaked: A new 15-minute interview with the artist in which he discusses getting involved with the project, the delegation between the different effect houses, settling on a look for Keanu Reeves’ character, working with the filmmakers, the evolution and implementation of certain ideas, and more.
- Strange Days in Santa Flan – Production Designer Catherine Hardwicke on Freaked: A new 11-minute interview with the filmmaker who discusses her work as a production designer on Freaked, pulling a prank on the filmmakers, the freedom felt to build out this world, various inspirations, getting caught up in the LA riots, and more.
- The Weird Revolution – The Butthole Surfers’ Paul Leary on Freaked: A new seven-minute piece with the musician in which he discusses befriending Tom Stern, their history with movies, the evolution of his involvement with the project, and more.
- A Conversation with Alex Winter and FX Make-Up Artist & Art Department Supervisor Bill Corso: A new 25-minute conversation in which the pair discuss the massive special effects undertaking, creating the look of Alex’s monstrous appearance, how they achieved certain effects, Alex sleeping in the makeup, and more.
- The Insanimator – Stratacut Maestro David Daniels on Freaked: A 19-minute conversation with the designer of the title sequence in which he delves into how he created this ambitious bit of art. He is also joined by others who helped him accomplish this.
- Re-Release Trailer (1:51)
- Original Trailer (1:59)
Final Thoughts
Freaked is an extremely ambitious genre delight that may not knock it out of the park with every gag, yet it offers a twisted perspective that delivers pretty consistent laughs and even a bit of heart. Having this nearly become forgotten in time is a major shame, as it deserves a cult status far greater than it has garnered to this point due to its scarcity. The makeup effects alone are mesmerizing enough to potentially convince impressionable younger viewers to want to get into the field themselves. It’s a really fun time, and it is a blessing to finally have it easily accessible once again. Umbrella Entertainment has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a glorious A/V presentation and an overwhelming array of special features. If you are a fan of the film, this is the type of release you have been dreaming about for years. Recommended
Freaked is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD + Blu-Ray Combo Pack in a standard edition and a Collector’s Edition.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Umbrella Entertainment and Drafthouse Films have supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
