The 2024 Action/Adventure film Freaky Tales is, apparently, all about mind games, 1987 and revenge. It is undoubtedly centered all around the year that Wall Street crashed and burned. The film also has Sleepy Floyd and those Warriors as a centerpiece as well. Starring Pedro “Very Much in Everything” Pascal, “Tales” is an oddly entertaining bit of hokum. It takes place in the same year as another 1987 film, Creepshow 2. (IMDb.com)
Based in Oakland right on top of Berkley, Freaky Tales can quite possibly be seen as a passing homage to Night of the Comet. It may also be a tale that makes a reference or two to the good old days of Grindhouse. Or a tight lipped kiss to Chinese Kung Fu movies circa the late ’70s.
Who knows?
Your guess is as good as mine. Writers and directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck throw a little bit of everything in the mix. From the Kill Bill colour of Sleepy’s vest to the throwing knives a’la Desperado. There are a load of references to enjoy.
The Story
Freaky Tales is a 1987 shorthand anthology piece. It is centered around that big game between the Warriors and Lakers. We follow several main characters in their journeys through the film:
Clint pays off a final debt. Tina and Lucid engage in fighting Nazi scum. Too $hort rap battles the duo of Barbie and Entice. “The Guy” pulls off the heist of the decade.
the main cast
Pedro Pascal is Clint.
Ben Mendelsohn is The Guy.
Jay Ellis is Sleepy Floyd.
Too $hort is the Narrator.
Ji-young Yoo is Tina.
Jack Champion is Lucid.
Angus Cloud is Travis.
A little bit sad
RIP to Angus Cloud who actually over performs here as Travis the “fun fact” guy for “The Guy.” IMDb reveals that there was memoriam for the late actor at the end of Freaky Tales. Cloud died in 2023 and I only saw him in one film; Abigail. He did very well but lacked the cohesion of this performance, which rocked.
it works
In terms of anthologies, Freaky Tales works well. Clint is the character intermingling each tale. There is a feeling of empowerment for both the punk culture here and for the females of the piece. Sleepy Floyd is a practitioner of the Psytopic way of life and death.
Folks not around in the mid 1980’s may not remember the then new wave of Mentor led “self help” treatments. Sleepy Floyd may even have been a practicing member of the mind control faction. Although the internet is not clear about this fun fact.
Another fun fact is the “aging” of the film itself. The reel change image in the upper right hand corner of each frame, the grainy quality of each frame, as well as the uneven lighting
These are the work of editor Robert Komatsu. Kudos to cinematographer Jac Fitzgerald for giving us frames that crackle and pop like a rice cereal product. Freaky Tales is a treat to watch and I am quite enamoured with the film and its “freaky” tale.
the verdict
It may well seem like I have been overly generous with doling out 5 star ratings for my recent reviews. However, Freaky Tales has easily earned the 5th star. So much so that I purchased this treat from Amazon.
Freaky Tales can be rented or purchased from Amazon Prime and other popular streaming platforms.
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