Frankie Freako and his freaks are ready to dominate your television sets, so don’t adjust the motion smoothing (actually turn it right off), kick your feet up and get ready to get lost in this absolute maddening blast-from-the-past nostalgia kick of insanity again, and again, and again, like a proper late Saturday night movie. If you haven’t seen Frankie Freako yet, there’s still time in select theatres, otherwise, you know exactly what you’re getting into with Steven Kostanski’s (PG: Psycho Goreman) newest devilishly good time. While Frankie Freako may play differently to people (depending when you grew up and what twisted Saturday night shenanigans you got into), for me, personally, Frankie and his gang of freaky friends reminded me of tv’s Ed the Sock, though this does not appear to be the main source of inspiration as Ed was inspired by what truly inspired Frankie — other hotlines from the ‘80s and ‘90s versus Ed who was more of a perverted explorationist than anything.
Conor Sweeney as Conor in FRANKIE FREAKO. Photo courtesy of Shout! Studios.
We reviewed Frankie Freako previously, and my thoughts on the movie can be found here, so I won’t repeat myself too much. The movie focuses on Conor (Conor Sweeney), who is just drudging through life. Nothing exciting happens, nothing interesting happens. He’s married to Kristina (Kristy Wordsworth), who is more interesting but is also bored with Conor’s indifference and boredom. However, everything changes for Conor one day when he sees an ad on television to get his freak on, essentially, and join the chaos with Frankie Freako (Matthew Kennedy) and his friends. The phone line is more than just a means of communicating, it’s a way of life and chaos truly reigns supreme in exploring the adventure that unfolds thanks to Freako and his pals.
A scene in FRANKIE FREAKO. Photo courtesy of Shout! Studios.
While still showing in theatres as listed here (but also check local listings for any other showtimes), Frankie and his friends can now be brought home on glorious 1080 p and his antics and shenanigans can be enjoyed at home at your convenience any time, any day. While I am *not* a 4K-or-bust type of person like some others are, it is important to note that while this is a 2024 release, its heart, soul, and aesthetic are pure ‘80s chaotic fun, a movie that, if it was truly released in the ‘80s, would’ve been touted as one of the best ‘80s B-movies to exist. And I’d argue today it could be classified as such as it truly is a delightful blast. While the ‘80s vibes are unparallelled, boosting this to 2160 p (4K) would’ve been a disservice. There is no reason for it, truly. The darker tones and colors are vibrant and entrenched in ‘80s lore and the Freako gang excel in the vintage looking vibe and creation – truly a movie that does not need to have the highest format as it takes away from that nostalgic vibe. VHS is making a come back and a proper tape of Frankie Freako with some static to introduce it would honestly be the quintessential format to watch this delightful throwback to a chaotic world one truly has to see to experience.
L-R: Matthew Kennedy as Frankie Freako, Conor Sweeney as Conor, and Meredith Sweeney as Boink in FRANKIE FREAKO. Photo courtesy of Shout! Studios.
When it comes to Shout! Studios doing home releases, the special features are usually one of the high points, so it brings me absolutely no pleasure to announce that the special features on Frankie Freako are anything but special, unfortunately. With almost *every* release now, I almost expect a commentary track. It’s no longer something special as almost every boutique release has one now, almost every regular release has one now. It’s become almost as expected to have a commentary track as it is to get a slipcover on a new release. The commentary track is with writer/director Steven Kostanski , lead Conor Sweeney (PG: Psycho Goreman), and cinematographer Pierce Derks (In a Violent Nature). There is also a “Fasten Your Freakbelts” feature which starts with an introduction from Sweeney and then is just behind-the-scenes footage with no commentary or talking heads or anything, just something like proof-of-concept videos. It’s weird not to hear anything, but the behind-the-scenes footage is always fun to see. Secondly, there is “Conor & Frankie: A Conversation Between Actors,” which feels more like a rejected Saturday Night Live sketch than anything. It plays weird and is a little uncomfortable, but, nonetheless, any feature is better than no feature. The other three features are the commercial for Frankie himself, the trailer, and the Antique Connoisseurs segment which feels out of place. Overall, the features are not the needed extra push that usually motivates people to grab a Shout! Title, but the movie and owning it physically is the main factor in purchasing Frankie Freako.
Frankie Freako Special Features:
- Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround & 2.0 Stereo
- Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Steven Kostanski, Actor Conor Sweeney and Cinematographer Pierce Derks
- Fasten Your Freakbelts – Behind the Scenes of Frankie Freako
- Conor & Frankie: A Conversation Between Actors
- Frankie Freako’s Funtime Phone Commercial
- Antique Connoisseurs Segments
- Trailer
Available on Blu-ray November 5th, 2024.
For more information, head to the official Shout! Studios Frankie Freako webpage.
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Categories: Films To Watch, Home Release, Recommendation
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