Review of Freaked (1993) by Eric H — 21 Jul 2016

Alex Winter is primarily remembered as the dumb to Keanu Reeves' dumber in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. Though in recent years, he's given the Alex Gibneys of the world a run for their insight as the auteur behind documentaries (Downloaded and Deep Web are both highly recommended) that probe the tenuous intersection of technology, oversight and personal freedoms.

But 22 years ago, he earned his feature-length directorial stripes with the inspired Freaked, a gonzo genre exercise boasting Randy Quaid as a carnival barker in bed with corporate scum who's eager to exploit their latest chemical concoction and turn innocent passersby into mutants for his circus.

Freaked is about as kitchen-sink as it gets, but it's endlessly quote-worthy, bursting with cartoonish sight gags and claiming an ensemble that includes Mr. T as the bearded lady, Bobcat Goldthwait as a talking sock and Reeves himself as the man-dog hybrid in charge.

Freaked may lack mass appeal, but it's also among the last true big-studio cult films to live up to that rep without pandering to it.