FOLLOWING FILMS

Some movies don’t just entertain, they sneak into your life and set up shop in your memories, becoming part of the folklore of your youth. Freaked (1993) is one of those films. Directed by Tom Stern and Alex Winter (yes, that Alex Winter, the “Bill” half of Bill & Ted), it’s a carnival of grotesques, a live-action cartoon of corporate evil, celebrity rot, and mutant rebellion. It’s also one of the funniest, most spectacularly weird comedies ever buried by a studio. My connection to Freaked began the way so many cult-movie obsessions do, with a rented VHS tape. A friend spotted the bizarre cover art at Video Update, took a chance, and brought it to what we generously called a “party” (really just a few comedy nerds eating chips and watching weird movies). We put it on that night and were instantly hooked. From then on, Freaked became a fixture in our little circle. Whenever someone new joined the group, we’d run through the essential films on our mental list, and if they hadn’t see...

In 1993, Freaked hit theaters with all the subtlety of a neon sledgehammer—and then promptly disappeared. The bizarre, anarchic comedy from directors Alex Winter and Tom Stern barely saw the light of day upon release, only managing a handful of screenings before vanishing from the mainstream. Yet in the decades since, the film has developed a rabid cult following, fueled by late-night cable airings, VHS rentals, and word-of-mouth recommendations from those who discovered its one-of-a-kind blend of chaotic energy, surreal humor, and dazzlingly grotesque practical effects. Now, after years of obscurity, Freaked is getting the restoration and digital release fans have been begging for. For the first time, audiences will be able to experience the film in a pristine presentation that showcases not only its outrageous gags but also the eye-popping production design from a then-up-and-coming Catherine Hardwicke, who would later go on to direct Thirteen and Twilight . Part gross-out comed...