Randy Quaid plays freak show proprietor Elijah C. Skuggs, who captures insufferable young teen heartthrob actor Ricky Coogan (also Alex Winter) and his cohorts, Julie (Megan Ward) and Ernie (Michael Stoyanov) and turns them into his newest attractions, using a highly toxic fertiliser known as Zygrot-24 (made by the evil Everything Except Shoes corporation).
Ricky is transformed into a revolting creature – half-jerk, half-beast. Julie (a sloganeering feminist-environmentalist) and Ernie (a sexist dope) are Siamese-twinned.
Most of the film’s $12 million budget was spent on visual effects. and the makeup people clearly had tremendous fun fashioning all the supporting mutants, especially the Worm (pince-nez spectacles seem the perfect accessory for a human annelid) and Nosey (let’s face it, a man-sized schnozz is going to have a few unsightly hairs).
Sockhead (voiced by Bobcat Goldthwait) resembles a frantic reject from The Muppet Show, and big bad A Team star Mr T looks quite comfortable as that ubiquitous carny fixture, the bearded lady.
Other specimens in the freakshow menagerie include a bovine “Cow-boy” (John Hawkes), the flatulent “Eternal Flame” (Lee Arenberg), Rastafarian security guards Eye ‘n’ Eye (Michael Gilden and Joseph S. Griffo) and a dog-faced boy named Ortiz (Keanu Reeves in an uncredited appearance for which he was paid $1 million).
The freaks play Hollywood Squares, dress up as milkmen and plot to thwart Skuggs’ evil scheme. It’s all very noisy and rambunctious.
The story is told in flashback as Ricky gives an interview to vapid talk show host Skye Daley (Brooke Shields), and the film’s climax is interrupted by a lame commercial parody. But there’s something to be said for a movie in which the Toad Man (Jaime Cardriche) eats bunnies whole and reads the National Review.
Skye Daley
Brooke Shields Dick Brian
William Sadler Ricky Coogan
Alex Winter Elijah C. Skuggs
Randy Quaid Julie
Megan Ward Ernie
Michael Stoyanov George Ramirez #1
Eduardo Ricard George Ramirez #2
Henry Carbo George Ramirez #3
Deep Roy
Mihaly ‘Michu’ Meszaros Kevin
Brian Brophy Stewardess
Morgan Fairchild Stuey Gluck
Alex Zuckerman Toad Man
Jaime Cardriche Bob Vila Look-A-Like
Nicholas Cohn Worm
Derek McGrath Nosey
Jeff Kahn Cow-boy
John Hawkes Bearded Lady
Mr T Sockhead
Karyn Malchus Sockhead (voice)
Bobcat Goldthwait Eternal Flame
Lee Arenberg Rosie the Pinhead
Patti Tippo Frogman
Tim Burns Editor
Don Stark Clown
Arturo Gil Cheese Wart
Gibby Haynes Nun
Pamela Mant Professor Nigel Crump
Joe Baker Larry ‘Bud’ Melman
Calvert DeForest Eye ‘n’ Eye
Michael Gilden
Joseph S. Griffo Bill Blazer
Ray Baker Biker
J.D. Silvester Giant Stuey Monster
Jon M. Chu Giant Rick Monster
Vincent Hammond Ortiz the Dog Boy
Keanu Reeves
Director
Tom Stern
Alex Winter
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Most of the film’s $12 million budget was spent on visual effects. and the makeup people clearly had tremendous fun fashioning all the supporting mutants, especially the Worm (pince-nez spectacles seem the perfect accessory for a human annelid) and Nosey (let’s face it, a man-sized schnozz is going to have a few unsightly hairs).
Skye Daley
Julie
Kevin
Nosey
Rosie the Pinhead
Larry ‘Bud’ Melman
