Reviews
‘Frankie Freako’ Review: Should You Watch? Shabadoo-it!
Astron-6 is one of the most fascinating and confusing genre production companies out there today. When you look at production studios like A24 and Neon, you see a growing group of films that share many visual and thematic elements. These distro-turned-production studios put tons of effort into creating certain motifs that you expect when you see one of their films. On the other hand, you have Astron-6, who basically says eff it and makes the films they want to make. The Editor is a bloody, riotous Giallo homage, The Void was gloopy, sinewy, Lovecraftian horror, and PG: Psycho Goreman was a fun and goofy creature feature/creature invasion flick. They rarely miss, AND they never let you know their next steps.
Frankie Freako: A Wild Ride Through Horror Comedy
Frankie Freako follows Conor (Conor Sweeney), a seemingly aimless, by-the-books, plain man. Conor goes with the flow and rarely attempts to step outside his norm. His wife, Kristina (Kristy Wordsworth), is at the end of her rope with how bland he is. His boss, Mr. Buechler (Adam Brooks), attempts to manipulate the personality-less putty that is Conor to do his bidding. Everything changes for Conor when he sees a TV ad for Frankie Freako’s (Matthew Kennedy) hotline. Frankie is a small, red party creature ready to give you a good time! Will you call?
Like last week’s Fréwaka, writer/director Steven Kostanski’s latest feature was a film I was supposed to catch at a festival last year. Time constraints made that fall through, and the film fell off my radar. Thankfully, Shudder acquired it, and I figured I should finally check it out! I decided to talk about Astron-6 as a production company at the top for two reasons. One, Astron-6, deserves heaps of respect for their body of work. Second, that exact reason was why I almost got frustrated with the film.
Why Astron-6’s Low-Budget Creativity Shines in Frankie Freako
Astron-6 has always, with only a minor amount in The Void, implemented a form of comedy into their films. That’s expected. But since The Void, they’ve heavily leaned into creature-focused plots. For someone who isn’t super keen on horror comedies, PG worked well for me. Frankie Freako is a creature-focused horror comedy similar to Ghoulies, Gremlins, and Puppet Master. And I don’t like those films. Part of me started to get frustrated that I was watching a film akin to others I don’t like. As the film went on, I was charmed by this original take on a subgenre that never worked for me. Frankie Freako took what didn’t work for those films, made it their own, and made it work way too well.
I recently watched a movie called Sharks of the Corn and was frustrated by the lack of care for the final product. Part of me thinks many filmmakers don’t understand that if they work with the audience, the audience will forgive certain shortcomings. There are certain aspects of film that an audience member is likely to ignore based on budgetary limitations. You can work wonders with a microbudget, and you can work wonders with a low budget. Frankie Freako uses its low budget to its advantage, whereas a film like Sharks of the Corn use it as a crutch.
Freakworld’s Miniature Magic: A Testament to Kostanski’s Craft
There’s a scene where Conor and the Freakos are transported to Freakworld to deal with the film’s big baddie (hilariously voice acted by RLM’s Dick the birthday boy Rich Evans). Rather than putting Connor and the puppets in front of a green screen, Kostanski and team crafted an elaborate set of miniatures to set up the to and fro to Freaklord President Munch’s (Rich Evans) lair. In total, they’re probably in the miniature section of Freakworld for a minute. A lesser filmmaker would have used that moment as a vehicle to get the characters to the antagonist, while Kostanski uses it as a world builder. It’s small moments like that that make me angry when films like Sharks of the Corn consistently give the audience the middle finger.
Frankie Freako is a testament to creativity. Astron-6 is a light at the end of the tunnel. In a media format rife with AI and ‘creatives’ who are only looking for a buck, films like Frankie Freako should remind us that there are still true creatives who care to bring quality art. Whether the film works for you or not is almost moot. Filmmakers and production studios like Astron-6 need to be elevated so the corrupt, evil, despicable, greedy, artless, untalented, lazy, insecure Zaslavs of the world see that we won’t put up with their garbage for much longer.
Most people find that stretching their dollar still barely gets them by in today’s economy. I am very particular about what I spend my spare money on regarding extracurriculars. And no one likes to feel like their money is wasted. Madame Morbid Trolley Tours wasn’t an experience I had been familiar with. Maybe that’s because I’m chronically offline for most of my life. So this leads to the perfect question: in today’s turbulent economy, is Madame Morbid Trolley Tours worth the price? The short answer is unquestionably, yes. But it’s more than just a simple yes.
My wife and I arrived at the designated meeting point 15 minutes before the scheduled departure time. A handful of minutes later, a gorgeous, e-candle-lit trolley pulled up to the side of the road. We were greeted by impeccably on-brand Allison Chase, our tour guide, and trolley driver ‘Mad’ Matt Zaller. The wonderfully cheery duo invited us on the trolley, and the tour was set to begin.
400 Years of Death, Destruction, and Infrastructure
After a welcoming video intro from someone who knows a thing or two about busting ghosts, we set off on the inaugural Madame Morbid Trolley Tour in its ninth year of operation. From the Brooklyn Naval Yard all the way to Dumbo, and more, this tour magnificently chronicles 400 years of history, the good and the bad, expertly. No matter how much you think you may know about Brooklyn history, I can bet there will be something new learned within the first 15 minutes of the tour. From the first-ever plane crash to one of the worst theater fires in history, this tour covers tragedies that the greatest horror writers couldn’t conceive.
The Deadly [Charming] Docent
Allison Chase led the fascinating tour in character from the moment we stepped on the trolley until our departure. But Allison’s character was not forced or fake; you could feel Allison’s passion for not just morbid history, but the accuracy of it. Some of the stories we heard were steeped in historical context, and it was not boring for a single second. The Madame Morbid Trolley Tour is not your standard full-talking tour. It’s a mixed-media adventure of some of Brooklyn’s darkest moments.
During “downtime” (the times between locations), we were edutained by mini documentaries (that were quite funny). Some of the “downtime” was filled with traffic trivia (I won a needle pen!). And other times were show-and-tell-like, with objects passed around for us to examine. But there was never a moment of silence that wasn’t purposeful. All in all, Allison’s knowledge and passion shone like the luminosity of a full moon.
Is Madame Morbid Trolley Tours Worth It?
The Madame Morbid Trolley Tour was not just a fun night out for my wife and me, but it was a delightfully dark night of edutainment. It should also be noted that ‘Mad’ Matt’s driving skills were fantastic. There was a time when I had become enamored with how Matt handled the narrow streets of Brooklyn before realizing that I needed to refocus my attention on Allison. The Madame Morbid Trolley Tour is an exceptionally fun evening of horror and history that will make you think twice next time you walk down the streets of Brooklyn. It is worth the money, and then some. There’s no better activity for a cold, dark October night than the Madame Morbid Trolley Tour.
For more information on Madame Morbid Trolley Tours, and to get your tickets, click here!
I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I should have watched the Stephen King adaptation Cujo a million years ago. First of all, I was a voracious King reader in middle school. The other thing I was obsessed with during those years was Friends. You know, the show that hinges a major episode’s subplot on Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) watching Cujo for the first time. Whatever the reason was, I never got around to it, but I’m rectifying that oversight now.
What is Cujo About?
Cujo tells a relatively simple story. Donna Trenton’s (Dee Wallace) a housewife who’s cheating on her husband Vic (Daniel Hugh-Kelly) with local handyman Steve (Christopher Stone). There’s no accounting for taste, because Vic is 10 times hotter and Steve doesn’t own a bed frame. Look, Donna. I know Vic has that awful David Hasselhoff hair, but I promise the 1980s will end sooner or later. It’ll be OK.
Donna’s attempted termination of this affair ultimately leads to its discovery. Amid this drama, her car breaks down at a mechanic’s isolated farmhouse, trapping her and her son, Tad (Danny Pintauro). You see, the mechanic’s dog, Cujo, freshly christened with rabies, is patrolling the area and attacking everything in sight.
Dee Wallace Is Cujo’s Not-So-Secret Weapon
It would be impossible to start a worthwhile review of Cujo without praising Dee Wallace. The woman is a genre icon, naturally. Think about this: She had only appeared in seven theatrical movies before starring in Cujo. Four of those movies are The Stepford Wives, The Hills Have Eyes, E.T., and The Howling. But this woman didn’t become an icon simply by accidentally stumbling into some iconic titles. She is simply terrific as Donna, using her darting eyes and taut expression to deliver oodles of subtext. You instantly get the sense of how trapped she feels by marriage and motherhood without her uttering a single word.
A good performance is vital, here. Because there’s a hell of a lot of drama to get through before she’s trapped in that damn car. But Wallace instantly shoves you into Donna’s perspective, whether you like it or not. This makes it all the more potent when she is menaced by Cujo. Her desperate attempts for survival, also impeccably performed, have true weight because she seems like a real person. She is also given an incredible scene partner in Danny Pintauro. The future Who’s the Boss? star, who was only six when shooting Cujo, has a perfect everychild quality. His innocence heightens the peril. But so does that fact that he is just as irritating as every six-year-old you’ve ever met.
This movie truly captures how annoying it must be to be stuck in a life-and-death situation with a child. This is a compliment, I swear! Donna is worn down by every aspect of the situation, including her own son’s inability to cope with it. And this ratchets up the tension even further, to an almost unbearable degree.
Cujo Is a Mixed Bag, But Worthwhile Overall
The movie doesn’t work if Cujo himself doesn’t work, and at first I was real worried that he wouldn’t. In the first half, the St. Bernards that play Cujo onscreen are often shown to be wagging their tails in delight. Which kind of undercuts the reality of the situation, I’d say. But the editing and the special effects step in to fix what animal training couldn’t. The attack scenes in the second half are constructed with quick cuts that never let you get too much purchase. It’s a good approach for keeping viewers off-kilter.
Also, Cujo becomes less and less recognizable as a cuddly canine the further the movie gets. It’s a simple trick, really. He ends up getting coated with more and more slime. Saliva, pus, blood, and what have you. This is good for making him feel like a true movie monster. Plus, it’s a good mirror for the sliminess inside the car as it gets covered in sweat, blood, and grime.
The second half of the movie ultimately works like gangbusters. It’s a shame that Cujo is too cowardly to get Donna and Tad in the car before the halfway point. This decision is somewhat faithful to the book’s structure as I remember it. However, it diminishes the weight of the long days that they spend in the car. We really need to feel that crushing stretch of time, and we don’t. When Tad is suffering from dehydration, it’s not a gut punch. Honestly, I just found myself asking, “Already?” It’s good that they gave the movie a happier ending, because the classic grimdark Stephen King finale wouldn’t have landed.
Is Cujo Worth Watching in 2026?
At the end of the day, Cujo is a solid movie and I’m glad I finally watched it. However, it’s not such a stone-cold classic that I’m not at least a little intrigued by that upcoming Netflix remake…
