Sunday, June 22, 2008

FREAKS

Author(s): Lee
Location: New Jersey

“FREAKS”

DIRECTED BY: DAVID CRONENBERG
PRODUCED AND DISTRIBUTED BY: Weinstein Co.
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY BY: Stephen King

Principal Cast:

CLEOPATRA: Catherine Keener
HERCULES: Ryan Gosling
HANS: Peter Drinklage
FREIDA: Dakota Fanning
ROSCO: Joe Pesci
VENUS: Abigail Breslin

Tagline: “Your diseased tall lady.... You too tall man... We do not want to be like you, you--FREAKS!”

Synopsis: In 1932, a horror film legend was born: "FREAKS," directed by the infamous and misunderstood, Tod Browning, opened to mass digust. England even went as far as to ban it. In the 21st Century, with the advent of the Saw series and other gross out pictures, this new modern version of the classic FREAKS, reclaims its glory, terrorizing those who dare watch it.

The original film chronicles Cleopatra's intention to marry a little person, kill him, steal his money and run off with Hercules, her lover.

This version is more than slightly different. When Cleopatra sleeps with a midget, she runs off with his money, but what she doesn't know, is that she is also running off with something new in her system: a new disease. Unbenownst to her, Cleopatra spreads this plague to Hercules, her lover who was in on the plot of scamming the little person. Once the little person has phoned the police to report Cleopatra and Hercules' wrongdoing, they have already taken off to a nearby village exclusively reserved for little people. The town strongly encourages "tall people" to stay out. But being that it's a circus that runs the town, Cleopatra and Hercules are asked to stay, to serve as displays of FREAKS, being that they are so different looking from all others. Again, Hercules pretends to fall in love with a young woman (little person) and sleeps with her, and passes the disease on to her. Her life is lost. The little people find these new visitors quite curious. Eventually, after several deaths, they discover the plague carried by the two new FREAKS is AIDS.

Disgusted by the midgets with whom they sleep, Cleopatra and Hercules continue to sleep with countless midgets, spreading more disease and causing more Death. One little person, the circus leader, HANS, finally attempts to put an end to their viciousness and evil by joining together with several hundred little people and attacking the tall FREAKS. Cleopatra and Hercules step on hundreds of little people at a time squashing them to their Deaths. A small woman attacks Cleopatra stabs Cleopatra and utters the words, "Tall lady, I not want to be like you, you diseased FREAK! Cleopatra kills the small woman.

Thus, then, all FREAKS in this film, unlike in the classic, are Cleopatra and Hercules.

What the press would say:

Best Ensemble
Best Picture
Best Director: David Cronenberg
Best Actor: Ryan Gosling
Best Actress: Catherine Keener
Best Supporting Actor: Peter Drinlage
Best Supporting Actress: Dakota Fanning and Abigail Breslin
Best Adapted Screenplay: Stephen King

"Catherine Keener," appearing frighteningly tall, portrays the muderous Cleopatra with unsettling ease."

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