Frankie Freako

Listen I get that it is supposed to be shlocky fun but ugh it really never lets up reminding you of the "so bad it's good!," angle. It sort of felt like a movie made to test the limits of what masochist fans of purposefully obtuse alternative comedy would be willing to accept. Like if Tim and Eric wrote and directed Chucky. Frankie Freako is just as annoying or awesome as you would imagine that would be depending on your taste. Fans of pure brainrot schlock humor might get a kick out of "shabadoo," spamming but if you still have a pulse you might want to avoid seeing this thing as it will undoubtedly provide you with a long and uncomfortably painful watch experience. If it was a short or part of anthology I probably could have got behind it more but whew it makes for a hard feature length watch imo.

You need to go into this movie appreciating puppet horror. Defiantly a niche type of horror sub-genre, but it does have its audience. For myself, growing up on Chucky, Slappy, Puppet Master, Ghoulies, and Garbage Pail Kids: The Movie. "Frankie Freako" was a pleasant surprise. There is defiantly segments that would have scared me in my youth. Especially Munch's awesome design. I was actually reminiscing of the times I first watched puppet horror while enjoying "Frankie Freako". I got that love letter to this niche from my viewing. The second viewing will be making someone else watch it without the "itch" for the "niche". See what they have to say about the film. "The Void" Is the perfect film and what got me (personally) into H. P. Lovecraft (thank you). I think this film would be better appreciated if you are ALSO a fan of the work Steven, Adam, Conor, and Matthew. A lot of people I am probably not thinking of, but that crew. Everything they create is unique, tongue in cheek, and well, gory-grotesque-lovely-madness. Thank you. I look forward to everything you guys create. 8/10. The ending of "Frankie Freako" is "wonderful". Heckin' the best. SKIP THE TRAILER. Go into this one just like a low budget haunted house with all the thrills and cheeze.

It's what you are thinking, it's campy, fun and absolutely ridiculous. Its"horror" maybe but in the same as the old 80's movies like munchies, it really knows what it is. It absolutely hits the mark. Old 1-900 numbers and back in the day how much trouble you can get into when that phone bill comes in. Now I have to fill this space, well. I have been drinking, doing drugs. I have been waiting for Halloween and this is a great movie for that. Besides, this is the same director that did the void(absolutely amazing) and Psycho Goreman (which is one of the most amazing comedy horrors of all time. Absolutely amazing.

Steven Kostanski is one of the biggest horror prodigies of the 21st Century thus far. All the films he directed, either solo or together with his Astron-6 pals, are greatly entertaining. The list is already quite impressive. "Father's Day", "Manborg", and "The Void" are my absolute favorites, but also "The Editor", "Psycho Goreman", and his belated sequel "Leprechaun Returns" are very adequate and ingenious horror flicks.

Because of all these aforementioned titles, I went blindly into "Frankie Freako" and fully trusted it was going to be another dementedly fun and gooey trash/horror comedy. What a massive disappointment! It is demented and trashy, alright, but sadly in the most infantile and unfunny way imaginable. The film is a sort of crossbreed between "Critters" and the "Puppet Master" series, but with the dumb humor of failed monster-comedies of that same era; - like "Munchies" and "Hobgoblins". I can't imagine there's any target audience for a dud like this. The story revolves around Conor who's the most boring and predictably structured guy in the world. To prove to himself and to his wife that he can be wild as well, he calls a party-hotline and end up with a trio of psychotic goblins in his apartment. I don't even want to bother summarizing the rest of the nonsense. If you're a fan of the previous work of Kostanski and his pals, skip it. If you're a fan of campy B-horror and 80s homages, skip it. In fact, just skip it altogether.

People throw around the expressive praise "the most fun you'll have at the movies this year" quite a lot and it can be hyperbolic screaming off the front of movie advertisements but in the case of Steven Kostanski's Frankie Freako it just might be true. This is a Midnite Movie blast of endearing satirical schlock, a genuinely sweet creature feature in the tradition of stuff like Gremlins and Critters and while it's specific brand of oddball deadpan humour won't be for everyone, I was utterly transported. A relatively buttoned down family man/office worker (Conor Sweeney) has a tame, safe existence to the point that his own wife (Kristy Wordsworth) calls him a 'square.' One day a troupe of howlin' mad little creatures from a maniacal TV ad invade the sanctity of his conservative 1980's yuppie domain and throw an extended, very chaotic house party that more than threatens his benign daily routine. What's a guy to do? Get swept up in an adventure that plays like Troma meets Amblin and surrender to the good times, that's what. Filmmaker Kostanski also previously helmed The Void (2016) and Psycho Goreman (2020) which are already in my personal all time favourite collection. He pulls off a hat trick here with a film so raucously charming and mischievously effervescent it could wipe anyone's bad mood slate clean. Frankie and his adorable band of tiny little goons are all brought to life using lovingly kitschy practical puppet effects that are assured enough to be believable and deliberately creaky enough to pay homage to the films that clearly inspired them. Kostanski has a deep love for everything 80's horror from Lovecraftian cosmic angst to madcap creature feature irreverence and tips his hat while finding his own distinct groove in the genre. Quite literally the most fun you may have at the movies this year.