Category Archives: movies

Freaks: The Soundtrack Album.

The 1932 cult classic film Freaks finally has its own soundtrack album. At first I was expecting the vintage orchestral music heard throughout the film but it actually gets better than that. Some band called The Unknown Orkestra has pieced together nine tasty tunes played on acoustic instruments that have a vintage jazz flavor while blending in electronic effects and dialogue from the film. Much like the freaks themselves, some may find the music bizarre and frightening but others like myself will find it irresistible and oddly satisfying. You can download the album here, and if you haven’t seen the movie already, you can watch or download it here.

In appreciation of Freaks.

39Freaks

One of my favorite horror movies is Freaks. I first read about it in a library book on classic horror movies I checked out when I was a kid. I didn’t actually see the movie itself until many years later when I rented it from a video store. Yes, back then there were actually video stores in business offering movie rentals on VHS tapes. Anyway, when I first saw Freaks I too felt its punch but then became so mesmerized by it that I later bought my own copy for repeated viewing enjoyment.

The film takes place in a circus featuring actual sideshow freaks with every deformity imaginable, but ironically, the real monsters are the humans who conspire to murder a wealthy midget  to inherit his fortune. When word of this conspiracy reaches the sideshow gallery, the freaks intervene to save him and turn one of the conspirators into a monstrosity more horrific than all of them combined.

Freaks was so shocking when it was first released in 1932 that it was banned for many years, but fortunately, our society has since evolved into one more open-minded and tolerable enough to finally give this movie the appreciation it deserves.

I really don’t think Freaks is a horror movie at all. It’s more of a drama with some amusing moments but the appearance of the freaks themselves does add some shock value. I myself felt this shock when I first saw the movie but the shock quickly gave way to the fascination I now possess.

Medical science has indeed progressed to the point where there will never again be freaks like the ones featured in the film. It’s a safe bet to say that there will never again be a movie like Freaks.

Freaks is now in the public domain and can be viewed online or downloaded from the Internet Archive in a variety of file formats, all of them offering very good video quality. You can find the subtitles here.

The Terror of Tiny Town.

The Terror of Tiny Town is one of the strangest movies I’ve seen since the cult classic Freaks. It’s a musical western comedy from 1938 with an all-midget cast that still delivers just about everything a western movie aficinado could ever ask for.  There’s the handsome hero, the evil villain, the usual shooting scenes and high-speed minature horseback chases. I found the movie to be very charming with the occasional bits of comedy that made me laugh out loud. You don’t see movies like this very often.
This movie is in the public domain so it’s free for downloading and burning to DVD for repeated enjoyment.  The Cinepack AVI version has the best video quality, in my opinion. I used the DVD burner that comes with Windows Vista and had no problems making the DVD so it should work well for you too.

The Tunnel of Doom.

The Tunnel is a horror film from Australia that I rank as one of the scariest movies I have ever seen. It’s a refreshing approach to film making that’s no doubt going to have an impact on not only how movies are made but how they’re marketed as well.
This movie tells the story of a reporter and her camera crew who descend to the tunnels deep under downtown Sydney to find out the reason why the homeless people there are disappearing and not only do they find it, it finds them. That’s all I’m revealing about the plot.
The Tunnel is highly effective because it’s presented as a very convincing documentary, complete with interviews with the reporter and her cameraman as they tell the story of their ordeal. The acting is so solid that the movie feels like a reality show.
And of course, there’s the atmosphere in the tunnel itself, which is terrifying and tense as our fearless crew ventures deeper and deeper underground to explore the pitch-black halls and chambers with their flashlights and camera lights as their sole source of illumination and hoping the batteries don’t run out. Add the occasional strange sound and you have yourself the perfect horror movie. It’s one you won’t forget anytime soon.
The Tunnel isn’t rated but does contain adult language and of course the usual horror elements, so it would most likely carry an R rating should it play in theaters here in the States. To download the movie all you need is a BitTorrent client such as uTorrent. Then head to this site and download the movie torrent. You can download the subtitles here.
They say Foster’s is Australian for beer. The Tunnel is Australian for horror.

Get Snowblind.

Snowblind is a visually stunning spaghetti western from Germany that takes place in a snowy, post-apocalyptic world. While the acting and storyline are both commendable, it’s the visuals that steal the show. As revealed during the end credits, the movie itself was shot in a small room with green walls. It took two people nearly one year to create the computer-generated world where the story takes place. This adds a very artistic edge to the film that just grabs your attention and doesn’t let go until the last of the end credits scroll off your screen.
Grab a copy with your favorite BitTorrent client here and enjoy the show.

Kudos to the Dark Knight.

The Dark Knight is easily one of the best movies of the summer. Action movie aficionados will not be disappointed. Heath Ledger’s Joker is by far the creepiest villain I’ve ever seen. His “why-so-serious” attitude is one that will haunt me for a long time to come.

The Nutty Professor.

One of my favorite comedy classics is the original Nutty Professor starring Jerry Lewis. I recently bought the special edition on DVD and was impressed by the bonus features. It includes deleted scenes, bloopers, TV promos, a theatrical trailer and some additional test footage. Clearly, Jerry and the crew had a lot of fun making this movie as evidenced by the pranks pulled by the actors and even Jerry himself.
What really impressed me was the music, which takes full advantage of the DVD medium. When heard through a stereo system, the musical soundtrack takes on a surround-sound quality to give the Purple Pit scenes a totally new perspective. Close your eyes and you’ll swear you’re sitting right there at the bar.
It’s awesome to see a comedy classic get the kind of treatment that makes watching the movie even more enjoyable.