#Too $hort

[randomrichards]

FREAKY TALES:

In 80’s Oakland

Green light delivers karma

Misfits connected

[todayinhiphophistory]

Today in Hip Hop History:

Too $hort was born April 28, 1966

[millers-girl555]

had to go see my man on the big screen !! freakytales was so good

[postwatchnotes]

Freaky Tales (2024) - Review

!!! Spoilers ahead !!!

Watched Freaky Tales recently… mostly for Pedro Pascal (no shame). I went in totally blind and honestly? It was definitely something. 😅

It had a sort of teenage graphic novel vibe with the chapter format and little illustrations, which made it fun. The violence was really exaggerated and kinda gross/brutal (that martial arts chest punch thing?? ew 😭), but also weirdly funny. It gave off some Kill Bill energy at times.

The 80s aesthetic was really well done, and I loved the use of the green lights. If you’ve seen it, you know. It was super visually pleasing and helped with the whole vibe. They also touched on social issues from that time, which was nice to see. And Tom Hanks’ cameo? Hilarious, didn’t expect that at all.

The part where all the stories link up at the end? Super satisfying. Didn’t expect it. That said… I was really tired when I watched it and it didn’t exactly keep me awake, which probably says a lot. Oops

I think I was also expecting more of a supernatural twist at some point? Maybe I missed it, or maybe it just didn’t go there. Either way, it was weird, intriguing, and fun in parts, just not enough for me personally. One of those “glad I watched it, won’t watch again” kind of films.

Rating: 6/10

Would I recommend it? Maybe, if you’re in the mood for something strange and chaotic.

[tha-wrecka-stow]

[agentnico]

Freaky Tales (2025) review

This was truly ‘Captain’ marvellous!

Plot: An NBA star, a corrupt cop, a female rap duo, teenage punks, neo-Nazis and a debt collector embark on a collision course in 1987 Oakland, Calif. This four-part anthology is a tribute to Oakland, Calif., to the historic Grand Lake Theatre, to rapper Too $hort, whose song “Freaky Tales” gives the movie its title. It revisits the punk bars and hip-hop clubs of the creative team’s East Bay youth, perhaps as they never truly were but as they remembers them.

It seems this is the year Hollywood directors cash in their Marvel-earned pay checks to create something truly wild and unexpected. Black Panther’s Ryan Coogler poured his love and heart for his culture, music and passion of filmmaking to deliver the vampiric thriller Sinners - a movie that revels in its confidence to do something nuanced yet so straightforwardly engaging. Now directing duo Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck (who’s MCU credit belongs to Captain Marvel) return to their indie roots with their grungy homage to exploitation flicks Freaky Tales.

With its VHS bargain-bin aesthetic and Kill Bill-style gory revenge sprees, it is very evident that Boden and Fleck are fully inspired by the works and mindsets of Quentin Tarantino, Alex Cox, Jim Jarmusch, David Cronenberg, Bruce Lee and even to an extent David Lynch, in that there is a Twin Peaks-level parallel reality of late-80s Oakland, in which residents are able to channel a glowing green cosmic energy and develop mysterious skills, such as a basketball player becoming a martial arts master. But the aspect of Freaky Tales that really works for it is that it never feels like it is stealing or copying from its predecessors, but more so paying respect to the grind house schlock genre that was so popular back in the 80s/90s. This is a very personal film for the two directors, as it’s very much them showcasing what inspired them to want to start making movies, so much so that the film features one of the best surprise cameos ever from a quintessential 80s actor who works in a video rental store being obsessed with the best underdog movies. As a cinephile myself I could have easily enjoyed that scene to go on for another 20/30 minutes and it would have been wonderful.

There are a number of really strong acting performances that deserve praise, especially in a film that has many excellent turns. Pedro Pascal is captivating, as per usual, bringing an unspoken vulnerability to the violent, but moral Clint. Jay Ellis is phenomenal as Sleepy Floyd, although to say much more would ruin one of the most unexpected and incredibly fun parts of the movie. Dominique Thorne and Normani (of Fifth Harmony fame) are both excellent as the musical act Danger Zone. However, perhaps the most outstanding performance comes from the ever-reliable Ben Mendelsohn, who shockingly plays the big bad in Freaky Tales (a perfect bit of casting). Mendelsohn in that way is similar to Mads Mikkelsen - the two look like bad guys and play bad guys really well.

In regards to negatives, my only gripe would be the interconnectivity of the four chapters, with certain ones feeling underdeveloped compared to others. Chapter 2 surrounding a hip hop rap battle, though highly enjoyable, had hardly any impact on the overarching story of the film other than a quick passing run in with one of the Nazis. That being said, as a whole Freaky Tales is wonderfully stylish, gory, and most importantly funny. It’s not for everyone, as I can already imagine many mainstream audiences complaining about this one being an example of style over substance, however if you are someone who loved the 80s VHS B-movies you’d find at your local Blockbuster then this ones for you. Oh, and of course for Pedro Pascal super fans this ones a must. I expect a few girls will cry out in the cinema when Pedro lifts his shirt to reveal four inches of his back.

Overall score: 7/10

[possible-streetwear]

Too $hort

[soupy-sez]

Dr. Dre, T.K. Kirkland, Eazy-E, and Too $hort backstage during the Straight Outta Compton tour at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis, Indiana, June 1989, © Raymond Boyd

[djevilninja]

Beyotch!! Kiss my pimping ass, ‘Cause all the time I didn’t have this cash, Wouldn’t call, wouldn’t give me your number; I couldn’t see ya like Stevie Wonder.

Too $hort feat Ant Banks, Pooh-Man, Goldy, and Mhisani - Something to Ride To

[todayinhiphophistory]

Today in Hip Hop History:

Too $hort was born April 28, 1966

[millers-girl555]

going to see freakytales tonight !! so excited to see pedro in a movie that takes place where i’m from !!

photo from @/pascalscurls on twitter

[mikesfilmtalk]

Freaky Tales (2024): 1987, Mind Games and Revenge

The 2024 Action/Adventure film Freaky Tales is, apparently, all about mind games, 1987 and revenge. It is undoubtedly centered all around the year that Wall Street crashed and burned. The film also has Sleepy Floyd and those Warriors as a centerpiece as well. Starring Pedro “Very Much in Everything” Pascal, “Tales” is an oddly entertaining bit of hokum. It takes place in the same year as another…

[tha-wrecka-stow]

[firebarzzz]

Too $hort - "Cocktales" (1994) • Une immersion g-funk dans l'univers du sexe et de la provocation • [vidéo]

📍La Note Firebarzzz Too $hort – Cocktales : Une immersion g-funk dans l’univers du sexe et de la provocation firebarzzz Too $hort – “Cocktales” – (1994) Sortie en 1994, la chanson “Cocktales” de Too $hort, tirée de l’album Cocktales, devient rapidement un incontournable du genre rap sale. Dans cette chanson, l’artiste se fait le porte-voix d’une masculinité brute et décomplexée, une…

[possible-streetwear]

Too $hort