FREAKED (1993)
Official synopsis
A vain actor (Alex Winter), his best friend (Michael Stoyanov), and an activist (Megan Ward) end up at a mutant freak farm run by a weirdo scientist (Randy Quaid).
Review
Zany! Madcap! Bonkers! Freaked is all of that, and more. Codirectors Tom Stern and Alex Winter, who cowrote the screenplay with Tim Burns, throw rapid-fire gags galore at the wall and seemingly don’t care whether or not they stick — someone’s going to find even the lamest ones funny, right? Thankfully, loads of the humor worked for me, and thanks to the absurdity on display and the amazing practical effects makeup work, I was highly entertained throughout. The effects alone — looking great here, in a stunning 4k restoration — are well worth giving Freaked a watch, but the film’s infectious, undeniable energy seals the deal. Make no mistake, the film is not a horror comedy. Rather, it is sheer comedy that boasts horror elements. It may be a “not for everybody” comedy, but if you love incredible practical effects makeup and enjoy humor that leans toward both the surreal and the Rabelaisian, paced frenetically and acted in over-the-top style, you’ll want to give Freaked a try.
Drafthouse Film’s 4K UHD restoration of Freaked will be available on digital starting October 7th. Collector’s Edition 4K UHD + Blu-ray drops November 5th (preorder now live).
BEFORE THE FALL (2008)
Official synopsis
The world learns that an earth-shattering meteorite will arrive in 72 hours.
Review
Javier Gutierrez’s Spanish chiller Before the Fall is harrowing, and be warned, no one is safe in this feature that combines both nihilism and optimism for humanity. The UN Security Council announces that the world will end in three days when a meteor collides with Earth. Chaos reigns, including convicts escaping their prisons, which leads to a child killer coming to finish a job that Ale’s (Victor Clavijo) heroic brother interrupted. The initially uncaring Ale soon finds himself in charge of protecting his nieces and nephews, from whom he keeps the news about the imminent end of the world. The performances are top notch, the direction suspenseful, and the heat and dryness of the land palpable. Gutierrez, who cowrote the screenplay with Juan Velarde, mashes up apocalyptic science fiction and psycho killer horror elements to great effect, and finds the search for light among unrelenting bleakness. The gorgeous 4K restoration brings out the details in Director of Photography Miguel A. Mora’s fine work vividly.
Freaked and Before the Fall screened as part of Fantastic Fest, which ran September 18-25, 2025 in Austin, Texas.
