U.S.Length: 65 minutes
Director: Tod Browning
Cast: Lon Chaney, Norman Kerry, Joan Crawford, Nick de Ruiz, John George, Frank Lanning, Polly Moran
Eric's Impressions: For contemporary film goers, director Tod Browning was the Tim Burton of his time (same initials). They both love to show us the trials and tribulations of humans regarded as curiosities or monstrosities - in other words - freaks. Browning even made a film with the title "Freaks" and Burton is never afraid to make movies centered around them ("Edward Scissorhands"). Team up Browning with Lon Chaney and you've got cinematic gold. Chaney's "disabled" character eats and drinks with his feet, loves with his big heart and steals the entire movie both literally and figuratively. The twisted ending promises to disturb you, but you'll still want to watch this masterpiece again and again.
Natalie's Impressions: It was kind of weird seeing Joan Crawford in this early role. She is hardly recognizable at such a young age. But Lon Chaney steals the show. The physical ordeal he must have gone through having his arms bound is almost as impressive as the dexterity of his feet. The way he uses his feet looks so natural that sometimes I thought his feet were his hands. The way he moves, holds a cigarette, eats, throws knives is a skill I have yet to see in any other actor, including Daniel Day Lewis. I have not yet seen Browning's other films so I didn't really know what to expect. I had heard all sorts of weird things about Freaks and so I got squeamish during the scene where one of the characters has each arm attached to ropes being pulled by horses in opposite directions. In an ironic twist, this character isn't the unfortunate one, but rather the protagonist who gets trampled by the horse.
COUNTDOWN: Just 974 movies to go!
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