Thursday, May 22, 2014

Forgotten Sequels: Freeway 2- Confessions of a Trickbaby

A Title can really say it all.  Today's film is Freeway 2: Confessions of a Trickbaby, a very-much forgotten Film.  Just take that Title in, won't you?  If you don't know the Film, you probably want an explanation, right?  Well, Freeway was a twisted and modern version of Little Red Robin Hood.  'Hood' is Reese Witherspoon, a tough-girl criminal who takes the ride from 'The Wolf' aka Kiefer Sutherland.  It is a dark, crazy and visceral Film that stands out sharply against her usual body of work.  So, a few years later, the same Writer/Director comes up with another version using the similar motif.  Instead of Hood, it is an updated Version of 'Hansel & Gretel'.  See- the 'Hansel & Gretel' update is no new thing.  With a similar idea and not so different Characters, this Film is labeled as a Sequel, even though it never addresses the Original at all.  Two girls from 'the system' who decide to make a break for it.  I won't SPOIL just how they update the Witch quite yet.  To remember this crazy Film or to learn about it for the first time, read on...
Natasha Lyonne is a troubled girl who gets sentenced to be in a Facility for 25 years!  Mind you, anyone that hires David Allen Grier as their Attorney gets what they pay for.
She doesn't exactly fit in, as if this Exorcist-style response to authority is not a clear sign of that.
She escapes with a fellow Prisoner and they find a place to lay low.  Well, until the lady kills everyone else there.

So yeah, they both have issues.
Things go awry as one of them kills two Border Agents, so the pair flee to Tijuana for safety.  Meanwhile, the F.B.I. is tracking them (although they don't do much).
They do, however, stop for some debauchery and drug use.  You have to leave room to pencil that into any trip, after all.
The pair rob and beat up some people until they discover that a Sister from the Hispanic girl's past is there.  That Sister is...f#$k me- it's Vincent Gallo!
The Sister has some sort of nefarious plan.  Given that this is based on 'Hansel & Gretel,' you can guess what she is up to.
In addition, she is up to some really bad stuff (off-camera, no doubt to help them keep their R-Rating).  I will just say this: it involves baking.
Speaking of baking, our two heroines fight back when the truth is revealed and bust many caps in many asses.  They figure that it is only fitting to shove Sister Gallo into the Oven and bake him to death.  If only I could...

I won't SPOIL the Ending as it is appropriately-weird and fitting the tone of this Film.  The End.
It is just as weird as I remembered- for better or worse.  While it is not a Sequel in any normal way, it does feel like a Film in 'the Series.'  Given the shared Writer/Director, that makes sense.  The tone is the film's biggest draw and drawback.  It is weird, wacky and wicked- the three Ws.  You spend most of your time with the two, well, deviant characters.  They are not nice, but they are given enough back-story for you to see them as more than just criminals.  Even so, I'm sure that alot of you just won't be able to relate to them or just plain won't like them.  That's fine.  I will also say that the Film does spend a long time setting up them meeting up with the Sister.  To counter myself, I will point out that there is not alot to do once they've set up the villain.  They could have spent a little more time with him/her...but it is Vincent Gallo.  I, personally, can only take so much.  This Film is certainly not for everyone.  Hell, I'm a weirdo and even I can say that 'Yes, this is an odd one.'  You can all judge for yourselves.  What about you, Judge John Landis?
Next up, I tackle the newest Feature from The Cinema Snob.  Given the creativity of the Title, I'm sure that it will be great!  Stay tuned...

2 comments:

  1. Vincent Gallo is by far the best thing in this movie. His performance is mesmerizing and completely original.

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  2. Ive seen both movies and they are both awesome. My 2 movies

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