Ghetto Freaks
| Ghetto Freaks | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster for "Ghetto Freaks" edition of film | |
| Directed by | Robert J. Emery |
| Produced by | George B. Roberts,Paul Rubenstein |
| Screenplay by | John Pappas, Robert J. Emery |
| Starring | Paul Elliot, Gabe Lewis, Mickey Shiff |
| Music by | Tomas Baker, Al Zbacnic |
| Cinematography | Paul Rubenstein |
| Edited by | Robert J. Emery, Ellen Rubenstein |
Production company |
Cinar Productions |
Release dates | 1970 |
Running time | 95 mins. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Ghetto Freaks is a 1970 American independent hippie exploitation film directed by Robert J. Emery and written by John Pappas and Robert J. Emery.[1] It was filmed entirely on location in Cleveland, Ohio, and originally opened in Cleveland under the title Sign of Aquarius, alternately titled Love Commune.[2] Shortly thereafter, the film was retitled Ghetto Freaks and edited to include two additional minutes of footage showing a young, handsome black man performing a blood ceremony with a group of robed young women. The Ghetto Freaks version was marketed as a blaxploitation film, despite almost all the film's actors, including the male and female leads, being white.[3][4]
The film has also been distributed under the title Wages of Sin.[4]
Something Weird Video released the original version of the film on VHS as Love Commune in 1992, and released the later Ghetto Freaks version on VHS and DVD in 2002 and again in 2004 as a special edition DVD.[5]
Plot
The film is largely plotless, following the daily activities of a group of hippies living in a communal apartment in Cleveland, Ohio. The hippies encounter hostile police at a peaceful gathering in a park, get arrested and spend a night in jail. They earn money by panhandling and selling copies of an underground newspaper on the street. They stage a protest march against the Vietnam War on Cleveland's Public Square, discussing their viewpoints with random passersby. For recreation, they attend a rock concert at a club, and frequently use marijuana and LSD. Under the influence of LSD (illustrated by the filmmakers using various psychedelic effects), the hippies engage in nude dancing and uninhibited sex, and one girl experiences a bad trip.
A rudimentary plot concerns the hippies' handsome, womanizing leader, Sonny (Paul Elliot), becoming attached to Donna (Gabe Lewis), a naive young girl who runs away from her parents' home to join the commune after a chance meeting with Sonny at the rock club. Sonny and Donna's newfound happiness is threatened by Billy, a violent drug dealer, who pressures Sonny to push drugs for the local rackets. Sonny refuses, leading to a tragic conclusion.
Cast
- Paul Elliot as Sonny
- Gabe Lewis as Donna (aka Diane)
- Mickey Shiff as Halo
- Jim Coursar as Mousey
- Nick Kleinholtz III as Stringbean
- Toni Ceo as Marla
- Tom Baker as Cleaver
- Virginia Morris as Girl on bad trip
- Bob Wells as Donna's father
Production notes
The film was set in, and shot on location in Cleveland, Ohio. Locations include Public Square and the surrounding downtown area, University Circle, and the Detroit-Superior Bridge.
Bob "Hoolihan" Wells, who in 1970 was well known in Cleveland as a television weatherman under the name "Hoolihan the Weatherman" and as co-host of the late-night movie and comedy program The Hoolihan and Big Chuck Show, appears briefly in the film as the father of a runaway girl who joins the hippies.[2]
The dance scenes were choreographed by Jeff Kutash, a dancer on the locally produced TV series Upbeat.[2]
References
- ↑ American Film Institute Catalog of Feature Films 1961-1970. Univ. of California Press, 1976, p. 987. ISBN 0-520-20970-2.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Weldon, Michael J. The Psychotronic Video Guide. St. Martin's Press, 1996, p. 342. ISBN 0-312-13149-6.
- ↑ Pablo Kjolseth, "Something Weird's 'Hippie Double Feature' on DVD", TCM.com, accessed Mar. 4, 2015.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Ghetto Freaks", grindhousedatabase.com, accessed Mar. 4, 2015.
- ↑ "Something Weird Video (SUV)(us)", IMDB.com, accessed Mar. 4, 2015.