Tod Browning Threw A Hell Of A Party
Tod Browning directed the original Dracula. You know, the one with Bela Lugosi. That in itself sets him apart from 99% of everyone else who've ever made films. But he was also fascinated with the circus and, more importantly, with their freakshows. In fact, he even ran away with the Ringling Brothers when he was 16. What's my point? Well, after the success of Dracula, Browning used the substantial pull it gave him to make the movie of his dreams: FREAKS. And so, without further ado, I give you not just a scene from this "classic," but perhaps one of the most disturbing spectacles ever put on celluloid.
posted by Ryan A at 6:24 AM
8 Comments:
Ryan-
Russ has pointed me in the right direction... your blog. Consider yourself bookmarked.
There's an extraordinary print of "Freaks" now available on DVD (I actually showed it to Lisa and your bro one night last year) that has a really great (and extensive) "making of" doc which accompanies the film. You find out MUCH MORE about Schlitzie the Pinhead (who was a dude) and many more fantastic, informative facts. There are plenty of used copies on Amazon.
Also, you might wanna check out the Browning biography "Dark Carnival: The Secret World of Tod Browning" by David J. Skal, if you haven't already. May be out of print but it offers rich insights into Browning's working relationship with Lon Chaney and the shooting of "Freaks".
Thank you, also, for reminding me that October is just around the corner...
Too many members of our family in this clip for comfort.
Max, I will definitely keep my eye open for those items. Also, maybe you can answer a question I've always wondered: Where have all the pinheads gone? We can see all manner of, as you call them, Oddwins on shows like Maury and Sally Jesse and the Discovery Network likes to feature them in the name of "science." So why can we only see these guys in black and white, turn of the century clips? Have they disappeared? Anyone?
Oh, they REMAIN with us! They're just not as readily present and/or accountable in our immediate world culture. For, you see, we've adapted some sort of sick "standard" I can't neccessarily endorse heartily, all told.
But breath a sigh of what-you-will:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14359862/from/RS.2/
Ryan,
you may have done it. Russ and I have been trying to get a relative of ours (keeping with the anonymity) to chime in on his blog for a while now...but "anonymous" sounds alot like her.
Bravo if it is in fact her.
Also, with a little research, I realized there is one among us. In fact, he is quite famous (thanks to the richest carnival barker the world has ever known). His name: Beetlejuice!
If you're interested... here's some humorous "beetle" animation. Music by: STAIND Lyrics by: Beetlejuice Animation by: Kevin Lofton
http://howardstern.com/swf/beetle/
One of the most memorable scenes from all film, for me. That, and of course, the penultimate scene in the film.
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