Awesome Movie

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

Here at IMDb it's called "The Mutations"; the version I saw was called "The Freakmaker." No matter what title you give it, the result is one pretty bad movie.Donald Pleasance slums mightily in the role of a college professor/mad scientist whose ultimate dream is to create a race of half plant/half human creatures. He enlists the help of a horribly deformed owner of a carnie freak show to find human subjects for him to experiment on. These subjects end up looking like artichokes and cabbages, and are played by actors wearing rubbery costumes that don't look remotely realistic. Meanwhile, a group of students begin to unravel the mystery of the professor's doings, while the members of the carnie freak show (played by actual circus sideshow members, in an homage to Todd Browning's 1932 classic "Freaks") become increasingly angered by their boss's abuse and take revenge.This sounds like the makings of a juicy cult classic, one that if nothing else would be in the "so-bad-it's-good" category. Indeed, this is why I watched it. Let me save you the time and trouble of finding out on your own that it's not so-bad-it's-good -- it's just bad. Bad as in fairly boring, poorly acted, poorly written. Much of it doesn't make any sense. It's almost unbelievable that Jack Cardiff, a film artist with a number of prestigious credits to his name, directed this. This is the sort of thing my wife and I might make using a video camera and some friends. Actually, I think we could make a better movie than this.And am I the only one to wonder why the color in the film is so bright as to actually hurt my eyes at times? Grade: D

I, along with maybe 20 million other male baby boomers, first fell in love with British actress Jill Haworth after her film debut in "Exodus" in 1960, and one of her too-rare screen appearances in 1973's "The Freakmaker" was reason enough for me to rent this film out. And while her role in this picture is disappointingly small, the film does have much else to offer. To begin with, it tells the unusual story of Dr. Nolter, a professor at an English university whose hobby is trying to cross plants with humans and, through genetic manipulation, create a new hybrid race. His human guinea pigs are conveniently provided by the Elephant Man-like proprietor of a local freak show, and Nolter's many failures are just as conveniently dumped in that circus. The film features much talent both behind and in front of the camera. Legendary cinematographer Jack Cardiff directs the picture competently (if undistinctively), and an outre, discordant jazz soundtrack has been provided by one Basil Kirchin. In a very interesting cast, Donald Pleasence underplays the part of the mad doctor; future "Dr. Who" star Tom Baker is unrecognizable behind his Elephant Man makeup; little person Michael Dunn offers up the film's best performance; and Norwegian sexbomb Julie Ege emotes most awfully (but honestly, who cares?!?!). Not to mention yummy Jill Haworth, in her small role. The film makes at least half a dozen references to the 1932 movie "Freaks," and fans of that Tod Browning classic should enjoy the real latter-day freak show that is on display here. Despite the plot holes and cheesy plant monster FX, the picture is undeniably fun, although certainly nothing great. Fortunately, this fine-looking DVD from Subversive Cinema, loaded with extras, shows it off very nicely. "Plant" yourself down and watch!

Grimy, effective English shocker from Jack Cardiff is not a remake of Browning's "Freaks", but it does recreate several sequences from the 30's classic and uses some real, highly impressive freaks (to its credit). The tabletop scene, which introduced the "One of us!" mantra, is here, as is the scene in which the freaks turn on one of their own. One of the little people in this version even produces a threatening switchblade, mirroring the original.Often titled "The Mutations", a title I prefer, the film is entertaining and filled with the great stuff of horror films -- deformities, a mad scientist, a sleazy carnival, half man/half monsters looking for love, a fiery conclusion.The film feels like Gary Sherman's "Raw Meat" at times with its 70's dialog and haircuts, and the female characters wear a little Women's Lib on their shoulders, again reflecting the period. But what really distinguishes the film is director Jack Cardiff's effort to make some of his most hideous freak creations sympathetic. In particular, Tom Baker (TV's best Dr. Who, in my opinion) is gruesomely tragic as Mr. Lynch, a facially disfigured monster who begs mad scientist Professor Nolter (Donald Pleasence) to find a "cure" for his infliction. A scene where Lynch visits a prostitute and begs her to say "I love you" to him (for an extra pound) is quite touching..."I've got a nice selection of obscenities," she tells him when he initially asks her to say "things" to him.The film is a rich tapestry and its theme is summed up in a couple of lines of dialog: "We are all a product of mutations. We mutated to survive." Plot involves Nolter's efforts to forcibly mutate local lasses and lads who end up as monsters running the streets in search of blood. The sideshow of a local carnival provides the perfect hiding place for some of the good Professor's rejected experiments. A particularly chilling scene involves one of the film's protagonists discovering a missing girl in a cage.The make-up effects are more than adequate for their time and disturbingly gruesome. The score by Basil Kirchin, which combines animalistic sound effects with traditional strings, adds immeasurably to the atmosphere. Great time lapse photography of plants, too, cut to ultra-creepy music.I like this accomplished horror film very much.

Anytime Tom Baker graced the screen his characters were always memorable. Here he plays a freak with a self loathing that must be seen to be believed. The story concerns a scientist who tries to turn people into plants. He succeeds with a cross between human and venus fly trap. The makeup isn't great, but it does the job. First time director Jack Cardiff made a great little horror film. Donald Pleasence plays the doctor. I saw this on Cinemax during the 90's. Basil Kirchin from Abominable Dr. Phibes did the music. I wish this was out on DVD. Columbia Pictures has done worse.