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Welcome to the Freak Show

[THE MAIN EVENT]


The cast of Freaky Tales.
Freaky Tales was directed by Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden

Freaky Tales is deliciously weird! You can go in cold but a lil’ prep pack never hurt a cinephile. Here’s a few tidbits to cram before you catch MACRO’s latest banger this weekend.


There’s a Green Spirit Lurking: Says co-director Ryan Fleck: “In the ’80s, there were all kinds of New Age-y things being sold on TV or billboards. Self-improvement was a big deal. I thought, let's tap into something that's genuinely spiritual—that actually works for people—and pretend as if it's real. When the movie comes out, people can take a look for themselves online. Maybe there will be something to read about Psytopics…”


Sleepy Floyd Wide Awake: The Golden State Warrior point guard once scored 29 points in a quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers. Radio announcer Greg Papa screamed “Sleepy Floyd is Superman!" Floyd, played by Jay Ellis, does turn into a superhero of sorts, but he’s more Invincible than Superman.


Jay Ellis Got Diesel: “I’ve never trained so hard in my life,” Ellis told UpRising last year. “I was asked to do six different types of martial arts and learn how to use five to seven different types of weapons. No guns—all swords, daos, butterfly knives, stuff like that. I hadn’t had experience with any of that.


The Origins of Danger Zone: Played by Dominique Thorne and Normani, this rap duo debuted on Too Short’s “Don’t Fight the Feelin.’” “That got me excited about this version of Freaky Tales: What if we tackle Too $hort from the point of view of Danger Zone,” said co-director Anna Boden. “They brilliantly kind of take him down a notch. It fascinated us that he had the confidence in his 20s to put this song on his album.”

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 Grab your tickets for a Freaky Tales showing this weekend, in theaters only.


 

The UpRising newsletter is a mixtape for your mind filled with information that's intellectual and irreverent—no skips. Whether it's film, music, art, food or the culture full stop, UpRising will serve as the starting point to your deep dives.



 
 
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