FANTASTIC FEST 2024: "FRANKIE FREAKO" (2024) Gives Little Stinkers New Life! (REVIEW)
As the sun shines down on the city of Austin, TX with it so do the lights of the Alamo Drafthouse in South Lamar for the 19th annual Fantastic Fest! For eight days, some of the best genre films worldwide will showcase the current and future talents in genre filmmaking while celebrating some classics in new, revitalized restorations. This year, Macabre Daily is fortunate enough to have some boots (well, one person) on the ground basking in the glory of all the genre has to offer. As part of our coverage, we will post reviews, interviews, and previews of upcoming films and games taking center stage here, including some exciting new horror games from the indie studios showcased in Fantastic Games presented by Day of the Devs! We are honored and privileged to be here, thank you to our partners at Fons PR, and now let’s get to the good stuff with Shout! Studios’ and Steven Kostanski’s latest “freako” creation, “Frankie Freako!”
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
Workaholic yuppie Conor is in an existential rut until one night he catches a bizarre ad for a party hotline hosted by a strange dancing goblin: Frankie Freako. Could this be just the recipe to spice up his boring life?
HOW IS IT?
Some trends go out of style, but that doesn’t mean that they should. One of those trends is the “little stinker” movie Sure, it’s not as big of a subgenre as many other films, but these uniquely weird and comedic movies were a staple of the 80s. Chances are, you probably have watched at least one “little stinker” movie and maybe not realized it. Movies like “Munchie”, “Ghoulies” (all but the first film), “Garbage Pail Kids”, and one could even argue that 1990’s “Problem Child” fits the bill despite missing the puppet-laden practical effects. Steven Kostanski knows these movies well and has quickly become one of the go-to genre filmmakers with a keen understanding of how to do homage the right way. Especially when dealing with obscure subgenres like Tokusatsu (to which his 2020 film, “Psycho Goreman” is a tribute) and now the oft-forgotten “little stinker” film. With “Frankie Freako”, Kostanski demonstrates that there are no limits to his creativity as he executes both the tone and visual style of these films to an almost frightening degree. This movie won’t be for everyone, but those who it’s for will be bowled over with delightful madcap mayhem.
Conor (Conor Sweeny) is your typical office drone just trying to get ahead. With a beautiful, supportive, and hard-working girlfriend, Kristina (Kristy Wordsworth) Conor also has a boss (Adam Brooks) who may or may not be a major criminal and trying to pin his crimes on Conor. In short, things are going great, sort of. Conor is a workaholic who doesn’t take time off and has become extremely uncool in the process. In a way, a lot of us who have been in (and are still in) the corporate world know this feeling. Giving your all, and possibly the best years of your life, to a corporation that really couldn’t care less about you, is kind of like an abusive, one-sided relationship. Conor is on the receiving end of this situation, and it’s made him a bit of a bore until he calls up a 900 number (remember those?!) and invites a host of interdimensional puppets into his home to fucking party! The titular Frankie Freako is the head honcho of these havoc-wreaking little stinkers, and his main goal is to get Conor to loosen up by showing him just how unserious life can, and maybe should be. What follows is a hodgepodge of interdimensional travel, puppet bad guys, and a heartfelt ending that harkens back to the simple and tidy feel-good conclusions of 1980s films. The story, as you may be able to tell, isn’t the point of the movie. For those unaccustomed to this kind of genre, the characters may seem almost obtusely weird and the situations are reality-adjacent, but that’s all part of the charm. “Frankie Freako” isn’t concerned with appeasing modern sensibilities as much as it is stroking the nostalgia centers of those who, like Kostanski, want to see more movies like the ones they grew up with. This may turn off some viewers because of how silly it all seems, but again, that’s the point and part of the genius of “Frankie Freako”.
While Conor may seem like some proxy for a standard white, hetero-male archetype (which he is), he also represents the part of us that abandons the fun of youth as we get older. How we lose our sense of playfulness and replace it with seriousness, sometimes to our disadvantage when we work jobs we hate, for bosses who hate us, and have nothing left to show for it expect depression. Maybe this is too deep of a read, but “Frankie Freako” is a reminder that we should regress sometimes to a state of reckless abandon and joy that is often a hallmark of childhood. What helps to bring viewers in is the masterful puppetry and practical effects work. Even if you don’t connect with the narrative or the nods it is throwing to decades-old obscure films, you can’t help but be impressed with the imagination and artistry on display. Each puppet has a life of its own and some even have catchphrases (“Shabadoo!”). It’s part “Garbage Pail Kids” meets “Eureka’s Castle” and is an absolute joy to watch. At just 80 minutes it is also a breeze to get through, another nod to a tradition long-passed of reasonable runtimes, but it also efficiently doesn’t overstay it’s welcome. Truthfully, we found ourselves craving even more as the credits started to roll, but know that sometimes too much of a good thing is just too much.
LAST RITES
“Frankie Freako” is a triumphantly fun and funny homage to a niche subgenre of films that a very specific demographic of genre fans will remember. It is playful, visually fascinating, and refreshingly unserious which are all the ingredients necessary for one helluva fun movie. Some may be turned off by the silliness, but that just leaves more freako for the rest of us!
THE GORY DETAILS
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Where can you watch it?
Frankie Freako will be released in theaters on October 4, 2024, from Shout! Studios!
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