Freaky Deaky

PUT THAT THING AWAY!
I love a good grindhouse. Heck I even love a mediocre grindhouse. This one didn't make it, and it wasn't just because Christian Slater was in it. The film starts in 1975 then plays newsreel headlines from 1968-1975 just to let us know the writers didn't care about details. We are then fed a story that is highly improbable. All this is find and well for a grindhouse.

What this story lacked was the grindhouse soundtrack and over the top dialouge. Instead they feed us a tale of Woody (Crispin Glover) a rich stoner accused of rape by a woman (Sabina Gadecki) that wasn't sure he actually raped her. The investigator (Billy Burke) gets kicked off the force, but that didn't seem to be a plot point, just an attempt at humor. Meanwhile seductive Robin (Breanne Racano) is after the money and utilizes bomb expect Skip (Christian Slater) to assist her.

The film has a lot of drug use, but lacks decent drug humor. The humor wasn't crude or low brow, it just wasn't well written...

An Inert Crime Comedy That Has Plenty Of Eccentricity But Not Many Actual Laughs
Author Elmore Leonard speaks with a particularly stylized voice. His stories, characters and dialogue can seem very straightforward, even laid back, but there is a surprising intricacy in his tone. Everyone can seem slightly off-kilter and his plotlines can meander ceaselessly, but he always manages to ground even the most outlandish tale with unexpected smarts. Adapting a Leonard novel is no small task, but I was optimistic when I heard Charles Matthau (son of Walter) was taking on "Freaky Deaky." As the writer and director of this piece, Matthau has tried to stay faithful to the source material in plotting. Ultimately, though, the end result never quite gels like vintage Leonard. Most of the movie feels inert and lifeless, which is odd in a movie abounding with eccentricity.

For the sake of argument, I'll contend that "Freaky Deaky" might be considered a cross between two more successful Leonard adaptations as a point of reference. It has the showbiz chicanery of "Get...

Elmore Leonard weirdness at its best
Crispin Glover, is perfect. Loved the book, love the movie even more. Bravo! Stylish and moody, with a strong feeling of absurdity.

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