Blyss's Movie Review for:
Main Cast of Characters:
Jamie Martz...........Bobby
Scott Clark.........Grant
Jessica Keenan..........Melanie
Jeana Blackman.........Jeanie
Michael Amos..........Tommy
Phil Fondacaro...........Dr. Graves
Curran Sympson..........Aelita
Shyra Deland...........Digestina
Peter Spellos...........Conjoino
Fred Pierce...........Hans, the Bug Boy
Brinke Stevens...........Madame Volosca
Alicia McCutcheon...........Hilda the Faceless Girl
2000. Rated: R. Genre: Horror; 90 minutes
Wanna be a sideshow freak too?
Six teens: Bobby, his wheelchair-bound little brother Grant, Jeanie, Melanie, Tommy, and Jeanie all go to the carnival that is town. Tommy fixed Bobby up with his date, Melanie's best friend on a blind date and neither of them seem very happy to be together. Bobby seems shy and Jeanie is very self-conscious about her appearance. They go into a fortune teller's tent and she gives them free passes to Dr. Graves's freak sideshow. Then they all get fortunes except Bobby. For Tommy, he will get all that he deserves. For Jeanie, she will get what she's always wanted. For Melanie, she will get what she always dreamed of. For Grant, he will get what he must have. They then move onto the sideshow which Grant is totally excited about and Bobby seems a little nervous about. They see great terrors of freaks who do not appear to be as "staged" as Grant assured them they probably would be. Bobby gets freaked and leaves. Then when one of the freaks come out with a perfect body, Jeanie gets upset and leaves. After the show, the group of people she came with cannot find her. They think she is still inside of the tent even after the show is over and they begin to search. But Jeanie had wandered around to the back and entered "The Great Unknown" maze at the back of the sideshow tent. She tells Dr. Graves that she wished she looked like the bust of a girl in the back with a perfect body and he promises her that if she will step into his machine. Little does she know, the machine grants their wishes but also puts them into Graves sideshow. He gains more freaks and they get what they want. How perfect for him! But Tommy and the others will not give up looking for Jeanie. Will they become a sideshow too because of their refusal to give up?
This is what you would call a "B" horror movie. All of the elements of a horror film are in it but some are more intense than others. For instance, for some reason the results of Graves's sideshows did not bother me. I found them rather interesting but I guess that is just my interest in the macabre. I think my favorite character was Digestina, a woman who exists solely in a vat of stomach acid and can eat anything at all. I found her surrounded by all of the green acid somewhat strange but interesting. It was also very unique because I had never heard about that one before like some of the other freaks in the show. All of them ultimately got what they deserved in the end except for Grant. I started the movie feeling sorry for him and I ended the movie feeling the same way. My favorite actor in this movie was Jamie Martz, who played Bobby. He has a nice soft voice that is easy to listen to and he is not bad on the eyes either!
The special effects were what made this film when it comes to the freaks. Most of them looked really realistic. All of them except Conjoino. He looked like an appliance added. But the rest of them were outstanding. Another example of great special effects was Aelita, the inside out girl. She is so nasty that you almost have to turn your head.
Even though this is a "B" movie, it is a Full Moon Production and about 85% of those films have been really good. The only thing I would have liked to have known more about is Grant's condition. We are to understand he has a debilitating disease but we are never told what it is. I was just curious.... All in all, I would recommend this film as a once in a while watch.
I rate this film: 8
Blyss