MOVIE REVIEW: FRANKIE FREAKO

FRANKIE FREAKO Written and directed by Steven Kostanski and produced by Candian film company Astron-6, Frankie Freako is a glorious celebration of the horror/comedies of the 80s. In particular this film pays tribute to little monster films like Ghoulies, Gremlins. Leprechaun and Garbage Pail Kids.

The basic premise is that a very bland workaholic is tempted into calling a party line hosted by strange little monsters but in doing so invites enormous chaos into his otherwise perfectly structured life. In some ways the character of Conor Sweeney reminds me of Rick Moranis’s FBI agent in My Blue Heaven. A guy so square that as his wife is leaving comments to her new lover that he has a “system for EVERYTHING”. He ends up being taught to be spontaneous by the mobster he is protecting under witness protection. This story has the same basic idea, can a bad influence help a guy learn how to loosen up a little.

The film does an excellent job of showing that Conor is a sweetly well meaning man with good qualities. He’s loving, looks good, hard working, tidy, faithful but completely and utterly safe. But even he gets frustrated by his wife calling him a bit square. While Conor goes on this journey of self exploration with these strange alien party animals he never loses sight of who he is. It is reinforced and we find out that despite his lack of spontaneity, many of his attributes are strengths. I actually found his ending in the film more satisfying than I did for Sandra Dee in the movie adaptation of Grease, where Olivia Newton John has basically given up on all her ethics to be with Johnny. Conor does grow but he never does so at the cost of remaining true to himself.

Additionally there are some fun surprises and subplots along the way. Conor’s boss Mr Buechler is a rather remarkable character in the film. He is simultaneously using Conor as a pawn to avoid consequences at the company but also seems to genuinely care about Conor. It takes what should have been a one dimensional villain and turns him into someone rather interesting and he rapidly became my favorite character in the film, ala the boss in Mike Judge’s Office Space. Kudos to Adam Brooks for his low key portrayal. Furthermore was how the film eventually wraps up. While I was expecting something akin to the Cat In The Hat, thanks to a like from the rocker Freako Frankie, instead all my expectations were subverted but in the best possible ways. Not an easy feat so kudos once again. And it was a special treat to have the credits of the film confirm that I was hearing the voices of the gang from the Red Letter Media crew. I literally chortled with joy to see that Rich Evans was President Munch of planet Freako. They are a great fit for this loving recreation of B films of the 80s.

Keeping to the strict feel of the 80s the special effects are largely practical with some optical FX and a tiny bit of CGI. Now I’ve seen this studio step outside of its love for the horror/comedies of decades past to produce the gloriously horrific Lovecratian masterpiece that is The Void. So I know they can do perfect practical FX but I applaud them sticking to the Garbage Pail Kids aesthetic of less than perfect puppetry. It’s the sort of thing that tickles my nostalgia just right and keeps me coming back to auteurs like Charles Band and Llyod Kaufman.

Speaking of Kaufman, the script and acting are not deep or great but purposely so once again. Its Sharknado levels of fun without getting into the more serious nature of say the first Ghoulies film. Still with all of that said the film does drag in a few places and I felt like the pacing could have been tightened up a bit to offset this. But its not a dealbreaker, this film accomplishes its goals of baiting my nostalgia and being entertaining.

SCORE:
4 out of 5

Frankie Freako will be available to stream or download in the UK & Ireland via the Apple Store, Amazon, Sky Store and YouTube Movies from 14th July and can be pre-ordered HERE

Written and Directed by Steven Kostanski (Psycho Goreman, The Void)

STARRING: CONOR SWEENEY (PSYCHO GOREMAN), ADAM BROOKS (DARK HARVEST) & KIRSTY WORDSWORTH (STATES OF MIND) & more….
YouTuber Rich Evans (RedLetterMedia) voices Frankie’s nemesis, President Munch. Kostanski recently served as prosthetic makeup and effects lead on In A Violent Nature.

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