Spooooooky halloweeeeeen
BOO!... Yes, it is indeed halloween time. Forgive me if I'm wrong here,
but halloween just doesn't seem to be played up so much this year as is
usual. I suppose it's because it's on a MONDAY night, which is like not
a night for halloween. In any case, I still greatly enjoy halloween, if
anything because I get an actual excuse to wear a costume. I've been
hastily putting mine together as of late after many times changing my
mind as to what I wanted to be- I'm very satisfied with the end result.
Have I ever talked about how much I dislike myspace in my livejournal? Well, I really don't like it. *sticks tounge out at myspace*
Also, it seems as though many of the "regulars" on livejournal itself have mysteriously dissapeared. Some are still there, but... it just seems more silent than usual. Not that I'm complaining seeing as how I usually post like once every week- and I missed last week- but I just enjoyed the late-night social scene on livejournal of olde. In any case, amid all this rushing and doing physics projects and getting costumes and replying to mysterious emails from people who I hold in very great interest, I've got a movie review for you guys.
Just in time for halloween, I present to you a film by Tod Browning- the director of Dracula and other classic horror movies- a film called Freaks. While the obvious genre for this movie would be, and rightly so, horror, this really is more than just a simple monster movie. The film explores the lifestyle of the travelling circus- and it opens with all types- the acrobats, the clowns, the stuntmen, the strongmen, and gradually shifts its focus to one particular group that has a very close-knit society: the sideshow Freaks. All of them (except the "pinheads" as they are called, although they are actually just deformed mentally retarded people) are completely educated and capable of almost anything the "big people" can do, but since they have some sort of birth defect, amputation, or deformation they are labeled "freaks" and put in the sideshow. The freaks have their own rules and regulations- the most real and terrifying one is that if you insult or hurt one freak, you do the same to all freaks. This being said, all the freaks will hold it against you- and put you to justice. The "real" plot to the story is that a midget man falls in love with a beautiful acrobat. The acrobat, knowing the midget has recently inherited a large fortune, plans to marry him and kill him, getting the money to herself. As you may have guessed, the freaks find out about her plan and horror ensues. The real thrill of this movie is its historical significance. Made in 1932, it featured the real sideshow attractions from Barnum's circus, who are all remarkable. We have Johnny Eck, the half-man
who, although missing legs, walks around on his hands normally and can do most anything anyone else can do- including fire a gun. Another remarkable person would be Prince Radian
who, although missing legs and arms, demonstrates in a famous scene that he can roll and light his own cigarette. But I disgress- it isn't just a matter of "woah, look at this person, look what they can do"... the film has side-stories that let you peek into the interesting- and, for that matter, real-life stories of some of the "freaks". Daisy and Violet Hilton
are adjoined twins but each have their own distinct life and personality. The film explores how each of them can find a separate love and be married- although when one is being kissed the other feels it just as well. All of these people- the human skeleton, the bearded lady, the half-man half-boy were real people and were really treated harshly. Although this movie was banned for 30 years after it was first release, Freaks shocked the public and informed them to how these real people with real feelings were being treated- and as a result, many of them were saved from their caged lives. This was an inspirational, insightful movie- but still one that keeps you on edge. If you're dreaming of a stormy night in the woods with many, many "freaks" meandering toward you carrying weapons of horror- you probably shouldn't have stayed up late halloween night watching Freaks.
Link to the last review is here.
Have I ever talked about how much I dislike myspace in my livejournal? Well, I really don't like it. *sticks tounge out at myspace*
Also, it seems as though many of the "regulars" on livejournal itself have mysteriously dissapeared. Some are still there, but... it just seems more silent than usual. Not that I'm complaining seeing as how I usually post like once every week- and I missed last week- but I just enjoyed the late-night social scene on livejournal of olde. In any case, amid all this rushing and doing physics projects and getting costumes and replying to mysterious emails from people who I hold in very great interest, I've got a movie review for you guys.
Just in time for halloween, I present to you a film by Tod Browning- the director of Dracula and other classic horror movies- a film called Freaks. While the obvious genre for this movie would be, and rightly so, horror, this really is more than just a simple monster movie. The film explores the lifestyle of the travelling circus- and it opens with all types- the acrobats, the clowns, the stuntmen, the strongmen, and gradually shifts its focus to one particular group that has a very close-knit society: the sideshow Freaks. All of them (except the "pinheads" as they are called, although they are actually just deformed mentally retarded people) are completely educated and capable of almost anything the "big people" can do, but since they have some sort of birth defect, amputation, or deformation they are labeled "freaks" and put in the sideshow. The freaks have their own rules and regulations- the most real and terrifying one is that if you insult or hurt one freak, you do the same to all freaks. This being said, all the freaks will hold it against you- and put you to justice. The "real" plot to the story is that a midget man falls in love with a beautiful acrobat. The acrobat, knowing the midget has recently inherited a large fortune, plans to marry him and kill him, getting the money to herself. As you may have guessed, the freaks find out about her plan and horror ensues. The real thrill of this movie is its historical significance. Made in 1932, it featured the real sideshow attractions from Barnum's circus, who are all remarkable. We have Johnny Eck, the half-man
who, although missing legs, walks around on his hands normally and can do most anything anyone else can do- including fire a gun. Another remarkable person would be Prince Radian
who, although missing legs and arms, demonstrates in a famous scene that he can roll and light his own cigarette. But I disgress- it isn't just a matter of "woah, look at this person, look what they can do"... the film has side-stories that let you peek into the interesting- and, for that matter, real-life stories of some of the "freaks". Daisy and Violet Hilton
are adjoined twins but each have their own distinct life and personality. The film explores how each of them can find a separate love and be married- although when one is being kissed the other feels it just as well. All of these people- the human skeleton, the bearded lady, the half-man half-boy were real people and were really treated harshly. Although this movie was banned for 30 years after it was first release, Freaks shocked the public and informed them to how these real people with real feelings were being treated- and as a result, many of them were saved from their caged lives. This was an inspirational, insightful movie- but still one that keeps you on edge. If you're dreaming of a stormy night in the woods with many, many "freaks" meandering toward you carrying weapons of horror- you probably shouldn't have stayed up late halloween night watching Freaks.
Link to the last review is here.