Townies

Stark, low-budget sideshow of freaks set in the fictional town of Schlarb, Ohio. Right from the opening shot we are introduced to Dickie, Pricey, Crazy Connie, William, The Clapper, The Licker, and Caduceus: seven outlandish and very unique individuals whose misadventures immediately become the premise of the film. I found this gritty production to be oddly funny, extraordinarily absorbing, and curiously heartwarming. Harold's non-judgmental depictions of the characters, both the good and bad ones, were one of the many enjoyable aspects. This is from the same man who brought us the "Killer Nerd" movies, which were good but not as complex as this.

The film opens with a warning from star Toby Radloff like the one in James Whale's FRANKENSTEIN and even includes an intermission with a "courtesy flush."

This film is a journey into a real zone of twilight, a surreal exploration of the mind and strangeness. Radloff, star of KILLER NERD and BRIDE OF KILLER NERD, plays one of his strangest characters yet -- Dickie, the necrophiliac explorer of trash.

Just remember, if you dare to watch, that, as we are told at the end, "the squirrels were really dead." Warning: the film ends with an unsolved mystery which means that there could be a sequel. In other words, the saga of Schlarb, Ohio, has just begun.

As someone who's already seen all the vintage John Waters, all the Troma's, all the LBP epics, and all the Italian Cannibal epics. Townies, to me, ain't nothing special. Then again, if you've seen (and approve of) all of the above, then I guess you might as well give this one a chance as well.

Schlarb, Ohio may or may not have ever been a nice place to live. As for these days, the freaks have taken over. Not so much taking over, as they're not going around killing everybody or anything like that, but there's just so damn many of them. Seriously, they're everywhere, giving weird looks and whatnot.

Dickie the dumpster-driver hasn't had a lady-friend in quite a while. Actually, the poor little fellow has never had such a thing. If you've seen him in Killer Nerd, or not, you won't find this hard to believe. All of this is about to change. For today is Dickie's lucky day. Dickie has found a corpse in the dump. And yes, in case you were wondering, it is a lady corpse. Goodbye loneliness!! Dickie has finally got himself a girlfriend.

Pricey is only semi-retarded, you understand. Actually, she's even semi-hot. Unfortunately, poor Pricey is completely mute. It's alright, because Pricey has her baby (a doll) to keep her company, along with a family who she usually spends her time waiting for, outside their house, for them to either wake up or come home... yeah, kinda like a dog. After Pricey's doll/daughter is stolen, she panics and quickly finds the next best thing.

Caduceus the big bald mute doesn't have many fans. The ladies are especially repulsed by this creepy reject. Avoiding Caduceus would be the sensible thing for any woman who finds this guy questionable. Yet, here in good ol' Schlarb, we got women trying to Caduceus over with cars, and convincing their boyfriends to make his life even worse. He may not seem all there, but Caduceus knows a thing or 2 about revenge.

And did I mention that all of this was accomplished with a three hundred dollar budget? I don't know about you but Townies is by far the most low-budget movie in my collection. And might I add that the black and white was a very nice touch, which would be the only thing that's nice about this mean-spirited trash-fest.

I don't know why Townies has been compared to Todd Browning's Freaks as much as it has. It's mostly about the trials & tribulations of a bunch of brain-damaged misfits, which, to me, is much more entertaining than a bunch of midgets and amputees, but that's just me.

For more in worthwhile modern trash, I Spit Chew On Your Grave is a must-see. If freaks is what you're in to, Frank Henenlotters newest masterpiece, Bad Biology will definitely do it for you. But if some nice pitch-black humor is what you're after, then you won't go wrong with Townies. 7/10

This is one of the funniest movies I have ever seen! It's something a little different than most comedy movies these days. The Characters are hilarious. Lines are rememberable. There are, however, a few "gross" scenes.

Although so many thing contribute to the Movie, nothing compares to the "Genuine Nerd" Toby Radolff. He is great. Get the Special Edition D.V.D. if you want to see more of him in hilarious web segments.

I give this Movie 10 out of 10

I would recommend Skinned Alive to anyone that likes or think they might like this Masterpiece movie.

Townies is not a movie that is easily fitted into any particular genre. It's not a comedy. It's not a drama. It's not a horror film. Yet there are elements in it that are comedic, dramatic, and horrifying. And I for one like a movie that does that. As my idol Lloyd Kaufman often says: "Why are we so limited in the emotions we can arouse with movies? We can make you laugh, or we can make you cry. Why can't we make you cringe, or groan with displeasure?" While not an exact quote, it does summarize perfectly what I feel about Townies. Townies will make you laugh. Townies will make you cry. But Townies will also make you cringe and groan with displeasure. But if you're up for the adventure, it is well worth it. If you come in expecting ONLY to laugh or ONLY to cry, and to NOT cringe or groan with displeasure, don't waste your time. I for one am going to go watch it again. And you're welcome to join me.