Live Freaky Die Freaky

It's easy to see why some of the animators flaked out on director John Roecker. Once you see what a pile of crap you're devoting your time to, how can your work seem worth it? Don't be surprised when you see this DVD on the discount racks at Hot Topic. Once you see the cast list, it is apparent that this film was tailor made for the mall-punks who clamor to buy clothing with pre-inserted safety pins that don't open. But indeed the vocal performances are the only reason to sit through this annoying little movie. The cast list is impressive--impressive enough to lure in the curious before they demand their money back.

The program notes for the Chicago Underground Film Festival inform the audience that every line in the film is calculated to offend. It actually should have read "mis-calculated to offend." Every joke misses the mark and most end up being really lame. I almost felt embarrassed for everyone involved. It's really hard to be offended by something that's obviously trying WAY too hard to offend. I get the feeling that Roecker was the kid in your classroom who uncontrollably blurted out random bits of unfunny, snickering to himself while everyone else wish he'd just shut up.

There's no doubt that people will be lining up to see this. I'd also wager that most who do will walk away disappointed. Does this film push boundaries? Yes. But that doesn't mean that it doesn't suck.

Let me start off by saying I am a huge Green Day/Blink 182/Transplants/Rancid. I am also very fascinated by the Manson family. Having said that, I was very disappointed by this movie. I expected to see more of what happened with the nomad that found the book (that is what the summary of it mentions).In fact the summary is false, it says "Their search will soon be over when Charles Manson returns to save them." Unless I missed a major part of the movie, this never happened. This movie was entirely mocking the past, and barely mentions the future. I would like them to make "Live Freaky Die Freaky II" and go in depth with the future. The Soundtrack is good though. It is probably worth the $20 dollars just to be shocked by the movie and to enjoy the original music.

This was a horrible film. Thank goodness it was short or I would feel long-lasting regret over spending significant time on it. It's about Charles Manson and his "family," and how they come to murder the pregnant actress and her friends.

The only reason that I laughed during it is actually a bad reason to laugh at a film, so it doesn't really deserve points. There were plenty of times when the director tried to get me to laugh, but every time I sat silently. I only laughed because it's a poorly done stop motion. Some of the scenes were absolutely ridiculous! I can't believe they even put them in the final project. They are so funny because they are so awful! Haha. I laughed at the movie, not its jokes, because honestly, the jokes were twisted. There are a few different types of twisted humor: there's twisted humor that's funny, and there's twisted humor that goes too far and is just disturbing. This movie has the latter. It has so much of it that I was getting tired by the end of the film. It was never funny, and as the movie kept going it became less disturbing, so it was just there, taking up time. I was bored, and frankly, annoyed that these characters were still on my screen. It is a short movie, but it felt long because it's just so damn not funny. It tries too hard, and it fails.

I am going to give the movie a 10% because it actually had one good thing about it. When the scenes weren't absurdly sloppy, they were actually visually fascinating. The director used good colors, unique angles, and really kinda just trips the viewer out. During a couple of the scenes, I couldn't look away because the director's techniques were so interesting. I appreciate his work for those scenes, but the rest of the movie is so bad that I almost forgot his good points.

It's dialogue is original, yes, but it's not funny. It tries too hard and just ends up disgusting and pathetic. If I had any affiliation to this film, I would change my name and pretend like I had no idea what it was. It's really that awful. It's a portrait of the horror of the human mind, that's for sure. It has one good point that is overshadowed by its many failures. I would never buy this movie. I would never even watch it again. Waste of time.

The only reason I bought this film was because of the cast (mainly Davey Havok!) and I must admit that when I watched it for the first time I was shocked by the sexual content and apparent disrespect for the Manson murders.

Director John Roecker claims he doesn't mean to offend, although I'd find it hard not to be if I was anything to do with the subjects. Victim Sharon Tate's name has been changed to Sharon Hate, and Charlie Manson becomes Charlie Hanson, but all this is a weak attempt at detaching them from the real victims.

All this said, though, I admit that the movie is enjoyable if not thought about too deeply! There are a few comical moments, though they are mainly crude. Not for the faint hearted...

A pornographic puppet show that makes Team America look like the Neighborhood of Make-Believe. Equal parts oddly comforting and supremely disturbing, it has a true punk energy: cheap, weird, offensive, and hates hippies and yuppies with equal vigor. But do I hate it, or do I love it? I think the answer is 'yes'.