Review date: 3-Oct-2009

Director Charles Roxburgh and producer/actor Matt Farley (“Monsters Marriage and Murder in Manchvegas“) team up for “Freaky Farley,” a horror/comedy with an 80′s B-movie slasher vibe. The story circles “Freaky” Farley Wilder, a loner who’s gradually become insane due to his father’s overbearing nature. Farley (Matt Farley) spends his days (when not being quizzed by his father) wandering the woods, riding his inner-tube in the creek, listening to his radio, and most of all being a Peeping Tom among the town’s hotties.

There’s hope for Farley when he meets Scarlett (Sharon Scalzo), a free spirited and curious girl writing a book about their small town. Farley’s newfound confidence is soon hushed when he discovers a dark secret involving the woods and the truth behind his mother’s death. Farley’s inner psycho is released soon enough, bringing forth all sorts of mayhem. It’s at this point we realize why he is narrating his story in the confines of an asylum.

The film starts out slow, but surely grabs the viewers’ attention. Throw together a tough guy named Air Force Ricky, a silent ninja, a witch, a hobo, and some monsters and you have one odd piece of cinema. The film style and directing are great, much reminiscent of low budget cult classics. One of the film’s biggest downfalls however is the acting. As with “Monsters Marriage and Murder in Manchvegas,” the film’s stars are mostly friends and family of the filmmakers as well as first time actors. This gives the film that comedic low budget charm, but at the same time one realizes the film could be so much better if there were some more effort put forth in the performances.

Also this review cannot be complete without mentioning the score, comprised of some great vintage sounding creepy tones that perfectly compliment the depressing atmosphere. “Freaky Farley” is a nice stray from the norm. Fans of B-movies and aspiring filmmakers alike will love this. It has it’s flaws and could have been better in certain aspects, but overall it was a decent effort and an entertaining ride.

Rating: 4.5 out of 7

IMDb/trailer

DVD at Amazon