FRANKIE FREAKO

(director/writer: Steven Kostanski; cinematographer: Pierce Derks; editor: Steven Kostanski; music: Blitz/Berlin; cast: Conor Sweeney (Conor), Kristy Wordsworth (Kristina), Adam Brooks (Boink Bardo/Mr. Buechler), Colin Cunningham (Bored worker), Rob Schrab (Robe Delaney), Voice of Matthew Kennedy (Frankie Freako), Meredith Sweeney (Dottie Dunko); Runtime: 82; MPAA Rating: R; producers: Melanie Murray, Steven Kostanski, Pasha Patriki; SHOUT! STUDIOS; 2024-Canada)

“No substance.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

Steven Kostanski (“The Void”/”Psycho Goreman”) is writer/director of this mindless cult comedy. It’s an absurdity with no substance, that aims for camp, shock and schlock.

Conor (Conor Sweeney) has a nice desk job in an office, working under his sleazy, controlling boss, Mr. Buechler (Adam Brooks). He’s a dull yuppie weirdo, who is married to the beauty Kristina (Kristy Wordsworth). His idea of making love is to hold hands with her in bed. With his wife out of town for a few days because of work, he calls from home a 1-900 TV ad number for a party hotline and soon finds his place invaded by the little red goblin Frankie Freako (voice of Matthew Kennedy) and his associates, Dottie (voice of Meredith Sweeney) and Boink (voice of Adam Brooks). These characters take the form of grotesque puppets as they cause chaos in his house, and make the horror pic into one big joke.

Some jokes are dumb, others are smart.

The retro film might appeal mostly to the frat boy crowd and others in need of an 80s-like Gremlin fix for weird monster movies. I give Kostanski his props for skillfully pulling off this difficult to make comedy, but it’s just not my type of a dark comedy and its attempt at nostalgia went by me.

It played at the Fantastic Fest.

REVIEWED ON 11/22/2024  GRADE: C+
dennisschwartzreviews.com