Freeway (Bright, 1996)

[Michael]

You probably see Freeway in tons of video-store bins, thinking that it has poor production or horrible direction. It's nothing of that kind. In fact, it's one of my all time favorite films and it's always one of the top five films that I make sure to recommend to everyone I know. Never one single negative reaction in return.

So technically well-made and also carefully written. Reese Withespoon gives her most gorgeous performance to date - as a white trash diva! Freeway is a modern and clever take on one of our most beloved fairy tales but with an extremely dark twist. Consistently hilarious and surprising.

Paramount has apparently acquired the rights to the Republic library if I'm not mistaken. (Isn't Santa Sangre a part of that library also?) Does anyone knows if Freeway is going to get a new edition?

Annie Mall, have you seen Freeway? If not, buy it NOW! It's only five bucks.

[dx23]

Well, just in the nick of time, thanks to dvdtimes.co.uk:

[quote]3 Paramount Catalogue Titles in May
Paramount Home Entertainment have announced the Region 1 DVD release of three catalogue titles for 23rd May 2006. Priced at $14.99 SRP each are the following films covering a variety of genres…

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Chipmunk Adventure - The adventure begins when David Seville takes off for Europe on a solo business trip, leaving the disappointed boys at home with Miss Miller. All three chipmunks dream of world travel, but Alvin has a foolproof scheme to make it happen. Before Simon can say “Are you out of your mind!â€

[Michael]

Great news! Thanks.

[Lino]

Michael, you must be John Waters twin brother or something - Freeway was one of the movies he recently presented on the gay TV channel (whose name I don't remember right now). Here are the others:

L.I.E.
Fuego
Irreversible
Baxter
Glowing Eyes
Clean, Shaven
Pink Narcissus
The Hours and Times
Who Killed Pasolini?
Beefcake
Criminal Lovers
The Fluffer
Dottie Gets Spanked
Sissy-Boy Slap-Party

Consider it as a priority on my to-watch-list!

[Michael]

I'm not surprised that John Waters is a fan of Freeway. The director Bright likely had him in mind when filming Freeway. Annie Mall, you will LOVE it. I just know it. Ignore the cover art beause it doesn't really capture the film.. not a speck of it. It's really beyond your imagination.. impossibly bizarre, shocking and funny.

Have you seen Glowing Eyes aka Porn Theatre? I love that one a lot also.

John Waters is coming to my town this weekend. I can't wait. I will be sitting in the front row... right in the middle!

[Lino]

Lucky bastard!

Haven't seen Porn Theater yet as well as many movies that he chose to present (God, I wish I had that channel here!). Time to play catch up!

[Polybius]

Nice to see this brilliant little gem get a properly respectful treatment. This is the film that Natural Born Killers could have been. Utterly irreverent and pretty mean spirited.

The depiction of the way that Sutherland's character is embraced by a lot of the public is dead on.

And it is Reese's best performance. "Oh yeah? Well I get claustrophobic sucking strange cock!" A line that will outlive us all

Michael, you must be John Waters twin brother or something - Freeway was one of the movies he recently presented on the gay TV channel (whose name I don't remember right now).

Do you mean Logo?

L.I.E.

Another one I recommend wholeheartedly.

[cafeman]

That was the role Reese should have won the Oscar for. I`ve been a fan of this film since its original relase in 96 or 97, can`t remember.

On top of everything, it has the most insane score by Danny Elfman!

[Michael]

That was the role Reese should have won the Oscar for.

Absolutely! One of my many favorite parts is when she stands in a street corner in the barrio wearing a short skirt, baby tee, and high heels, saying in the most white trash Spanish accent you can imagine - "Sexo! sexo! Muy bueno! Tu Quieres! Sexo!" Priceless.

Reese's also great in Election.

[zombeaner]

I want to ressurrect this thread, if only to add to the chorus of praise. I saw this on video shortly after it was released when I was in high school and tried to show my friends. Only one of them "got it", it is a brilliant play on the Little Red Riding Hood story, and should be a midnight movie classic by now.

[oldsheperd]

I thought Danny Elfman's brother made this movie? Am I wrong?

[mrannouncer]

I thought Danny Elfman's brother made this movie? Am I wrong?

The director, Matthew Bright, was one of the original Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, along with both Elfman brothers and bunch of other folks. Bright is in Richard Elfman's "Forbidden Zone," but "Freeway" is all Bright.

[PerfectDepth]

The Roxie Theatre here in SF had a lot of success playing Freeway during it's initial run. It was something of a cult hit. I especially love how much fun Dan Hedaya and Wolfgang Bodison seem to be having (especially Bodison) in their roles as the detectives.

However, I haven't seen this film in years. Actually, seeing the follow up, Confessions of a Trick Baby, retroactively made me much less interested Freeway. It was way to over the top, not even Vincent Gallo could save it. Now that I think back, It was that hair of restraint shown in Freeway that helps make it so enjoyable. Especially in the performances.

Thanks to zoom for resurrecting this exactly three years after Michael's last post. This should be fun to revisit.

[zombeaner]

I actually found this thread while doing a search for "Sissy Boy Slap Party". I need to watch Freeway again, I think all of the principles do a great job with their part and I find Kiefer Sutherland particularly disturbing, though Reese is pretty unsettling for a heroine as well.

[skeets kelly]

i remember the commentary to the LD where bright practically drools over reese through the whole movie.

best line, though, is when he says: "look at that profile. she looks like tweety bird."

so that's all i think about when i see her.