From Deseret News archives:
'Freaks' has warts-and-all approach
Film review
Given the band's cultlike status, a documentary profile of Oklahoma-based art-rockers the Flaming Lips certainly sounds like for-fans-only filmmaking.
And at times, the rather indulgent storytelling in "The Fearless Freaks" certainly makes it feel that way. (Although it should be noted that the recent DVD release features a second disc with extras that demonstrate there was some editing involved.)
What really fuels the movie, however — aside from the constant, buoyant presence of the band's leader, Wayne Coyne — is its warts-and-all approach. Director Bradley Beesley shows each member at his best and worst, and includes an unflinching, horrifying scene that shows the ravages of so-called "recreational" drug use.
"The Fearless Freaks" was culled from more than 400 hours of interviews and concert footage, compiled over the course of 10-plus years by Beesley, a longtime friend of the band.
As the film notes, the Flaming Lips began as a "goof" of sorts for high school misfit Coyne, whose jockish brother Mark was the original singer. When he dropped out, Wayne and his bandmates continued to pursue their musical careers, struggling all the while to make ends meet.
Thankfully, a fluke hit single ("She Don't Use Jelly," which the Lips performed on the television series "Beverly Hills 90210") helped the Flaming Lips get noticed, allowing the band to become a full-time venture — even as drummer Steven Drozd's heroin addiction threatened to end it.
That segment of the film is easily its most compelling, with scenes showing Drozd "shooting up" and subsequent moments where Drozd's bandmates and friends rally around him.
Besides working as a cautionary tale, the film has some pretty funny moments, such as the various descriptions of the group by its members (Coyne calls them "a bunch of normal guys trying to make interesting music," but Michael Ivins opts for "a hillbillies-gone-punk version of the Who").
"The Fearless Freaks" is not rated but would probably get an R for drug content (references, as well as a scene showing heroin use), occasional use of strong sexual profanity and some suggestive slang terms, athletic violence and some violent imagery, gore and nude artwork and some brief female nudity. Running time: 110 minutes.
E-mail: jeff@desnews.com
