This week ECHG writer Adam Holtzapfel takes us back to 1967 for a look at the carnival exploitation flick She Freak.
by Adam Holtzapfel
Directed by Byron Mabe and starring Claire Brennen, Felix Silla, Ben Moore, and Bill McKinney, She Freak tries to sell the audience something they’ve already seen, but in a more normal package.
Post credits the film begins much like Tod Borwning’s Freaks where carnival attendees are looking at a box as the barker claims they are witness to the most gruesome “freak” around.
Jade (Brennen) is a waitress looking to leave her job at a diner. While at work one of the carnival personnel stops in for lunch and while chatting gives her his card and tells her to stop by to see if they have an opening for her.
We see Jade tired of waiting tables and getting hit on at the diner.
Fast forward we see Jade basically doing the same job she did at the diner, but now it’s at the carnival. Upon attending the freak show, we see Jade’s disgust and contempt for them. Jade ends up befriending resident “stripper” (it’s more of a burlesque act, but hey the 60’s I guess) Moon and staying at her hotel room.
While Jade is holed up in luxury, back at the carnival grounds a fight breaks out between Pretty Boy and Fleming over her affection. Later we see her in Fleming’s trailer and from there a love story develops even though she marries carnival owner Steve St. John.
Now we have a love triangle which leads to murder and Jade becoming the most gruesome freak on the circuit all of this in a total of 80 minutes (but more like 60 minutes due to all of the filler shots of carnivals and freak shows).
Pair this with the far superior Freaks (1932) and 1993’s Freaked for a freaktified triple feature.
Adopting Dead On Movie Reviews letter grade system this earns a D. It’s heavy on the she and light on the freak. It’s well acted and looks good, but falls short. I’d watch it again as something to have on for background noise.
