Fresh off the success of Dracula (1931), director Tod Browning sought to bring a short story called Spurs to the big screen. The resulting film, Freaks (1932), shocked audiences and censors, and delivered a fatal blow to Browning's career. A warning had to be shown prior to the film about the nature of it. The fact that the cast was comprised of real life Sideshow Freaks was horrific to some, exploitative to others. It took decades for people's sensibilities to ease and accept Freaks as a true classic horror/revenge film. However, some will still find it offensive, despite the passage of time and the anesthetic of modern media.
Hans and Frieda are a happy midget couple.
When Cleopatra, the sexy trapeze artist, learns of Hans' inheritance, she seduces him and convinces him to marry her instead.
At an initiation ceremony put on by the Freaks, intending to accept Cleo, she gets drunk and reveals that she is only marrying Hans for his money...
Humiliated, Hans is hurt but stays with Cleo. He is taken ill and it is discovered that Cleo has been poisoning him.
The Freaks, abiding by their code, set out to protect Hans and get revenge, through disfigurement, on Cleo and her muscle man co-conspirator...
Freaks- movie trailer
The Sideshow acts in the cast include... Prince Randian, a living torso, who can roll and light cigarettes using only his mouth...
an armless woman...
pinheads...
Siamese twins...
Johnny Eck, the half-boy...
and Schlitzie...
No comments:
Post a Comment