User Reviews

"Freak Talks About Sex" is a misnamed dialogue-intensive journeyman flick about a couple of twenty-something middle class unmotivated males and their acquaintances, perspectives on life, etc. A sort of "slice..." flick which doesn't really go anywhere, "Freak..." is a mediocre C+ watch which may be of interest to 20 somethings, older teens looking forward to their 20's, and older people stuck in their 20's. Others will likely find the film shallow, sophomoric, and silly with a few poignant moments.

If a movie stars Steve Zahn, you can always expect some sort of laugh. (well except for Happy Texas) Anyways, what i really found funny, is the fact that it is taking place in the Syracuse, NY area. Me being familiar with the area, i got a kick out of a few places they included in the movie. Like Carousel Mall and the strip club Lookers....go figure. It is actually a real strip club (so i've heard).

The funny part, is that this movie may mirror some peoples lives. When the 2 worldly bachelors go out everynight, they seem to run into everyone from highschool. And every highschool has that one kid who just can't let go. In FREAK, this character is played by Vinnie from Doogie Howser. He only shows up briefly, but man is he ever so irritating. Perfectly played! He made me want to reach through the TV and ring is freakin' neck.

If you have the chance to catch this movie on cable (like i did). Give it a few minutes. you may actually enjoy it...like i did.

This was mostly pretty funny! It does taper off at the end, and we don't really understand what motivates the protagonist to get off his duff and stop wasting his life in Syracuse. But I liked his relationships with his buddy Freak and the high-school girl who also works at the mall.

The other night I stumbled upon this movie on HBO. After reading the short information screen (that digital cable provides) I thought it was something worth seeing. It sounded like many other young adult pot smoking movies I have seen before. It had an actor I liked in it, Steve Zahn, so I decided to check it out. First let me say this movie was titled all wrong. I believe the DVD title, "Blowin' Smoke" captures this movie. This movie is not just about Freak, nor is it just about Sex. Although they are strong parts of the movie. This movie is about growing up and making decisions. You have two good friends who are two years out of college and going no where with their life. Freak is a crazy pot smoking guy who lives in his mother's basement. He is not really motivated. Then there is David (in my opinion is the focus of the movie) who is a writer who tried moving out of Upper State New York, where he moved to Arizona to work on his writing. It didn't work out and now he is back living in a crappie apartment and working a crappie job. Dave really doesn't know where to go in life. He knows what he wants but just isn't there. I get this feeling through the movie of a Kevin Smith type movie. Even though Smith's movies are really only Cult Classics, they still managed to work better overall than this movie. I won't lie, this movie was watch-able and had its moments. I would suggest just watching it if you have nothing to do. It just really goes no where and often scenes end before they ever were resolved. Almost feels a little incomplete. Just in-case you wanted to see it, I won't tell you what happens. Although in the end, it leaves you wondering what happened to Dave. You know what Freak does, but Dave its a little more open to interpretation. I would like to think he finally decided what to do and who to do it with, but they didn't even do a good job at leading you to that idea.

Overall I wasn't disappointed I saw this, but in the end I knew why I had never heard of it. This movie connected to me because of the storyline. A guy two years out of college who is a writer and moved to Arizona to move in the right direction, but things turned out being one big procrastinating mess. I have been out of college for a few years and I am an artist. I just got back from Arizona in hopes to move there to work on my art, but of course I (too) procrastinate more than I should.

This movie is still one of my favorite no-reason to be made movies. It's plain good, and very funny. The actors are great in it, the comedy is right on. I have very little negative to say about it. The worst claim you could make is that it wasn't amazing, but I dont think it was supposed to be. Its just a cool, good movie, no strings attached. The rating on here is way to low, it should be at least a 6.5. its good real good so good real good and still good.

I can't believe I wasted an hour and a half of my life watching this movie. The reviewer before obviously has not seen many movies if this passes for worthy. I've been more entertained looking at grass grow. The characters are two dimensional and the story goes absolutely nowhere. To say this movie looks like it was made for television would be insulting to the made for television genre. Do yourself a favor, rent a Cheech and Chong film if you want to see to guys actually smoking pot and having fun adventures. 2 out of ten is generous in my eyes. There are very few things I am sure of in my life, but one is that I will never watch this movie again.

Filmed in Syracuse, my hometown as of 2009 - this is a very low-key but actually hysterical comedy that has fallen by the wayside over the last 20 years.

I tried looking for this under the former title "Freak Talks About Sex" which was on HBO/Cinemax throughout the late 90s and early 2000s but could not find it anywhere. A friend and I were chatting about obscure movies at a fire and he brought his one up and was like - "Yeah, it was a big deal back in the day because it was filmed in Syracuse!" - before I moved there. Only place I could find it was on DVD and IMDb finally gave me the golden ticket - the changed title "Blowin' Smoke" in 2002.

It's 100% character driven comedy, and you're almost thrust into a casual observer into the main character's downtrodden life in Syracuse. Characters are introduced with little or no explanation of who they are, which is actually part of the allure, with a number of non-sequiturs. Lots of real-life references to 'Cuse - half of the time spent at the main character's dead-end job at Carousel Mall (now Destiny USA). Some absolutely great one-liners from Steve Zahn, who bears the name in the former title - however in passing I think he might be in less than half of the movie. He plays one of those roles - like the old myth that Ferris Bueller is just Cameron's alter ego - where he might be just a figment of the main character's imagination to motivate him to perceive his life differently...he's relatively unnoticed by any of the other characters. However, it's seriously not that deep. All in all, a very obscure stoner comedy predating Steve Zahn's larger comedies like "Saving Silverman" or "Daddy Day-care" and if you're a native of Central NY, you'll enjoy some of the sight-seeing from the Syracuse days of yore.

Josh Hamilton plays Dave Keenan (already, who gives a Christ, right?). Let us hope the story has something to it. OK, so Dave Keenan left Syracuse for a new life in Arizona. When that didn't work out, he moved back to Syracuse. He works a dead-end job at a department store in a mall, his car has broken down and the mechanic is taking forever to repair it and his ex- girlfriend wants him to join her in New York City. To make matters even simpler, one of his co-workers, a high school girl played by Heather McComb seems to be getting interested in him. But that apparently not the part that is supposed to matter. The reason we are supposed to want to see the movie is Dave's best friend Freak, played by Steve Zahn, who is always around him pontificating nonsensically about such philosophical observations as the automatic improvement of any and all films with the addition a lesbian sex scene, or his very generic theory on four states of conscious development.

I watched this movie. However, is there a reason for such a thing? I don't know it. And what's more, I got nothing out of it. I didn't even get a reactionary feeling out of it, whether it's a really bad movie or just a pointless, languid one. Don't I get something? I'm the audience here. Everything that seemed as if it would be entertaining was only entertaining because of the degree of willpower I had to propel me to do something other than watch this movie. That degree was a low one.

It may not be another 'Mallrats,' but it does have awesome comic scenes for any bored college student looking for an hour and a half worth of laughs. For all those contemporary fiction fans, it leaves you with the appropriate semi-depressed smile at the end. I loved it!

I very much enjoyed this film. The performances are commendable, the photography is tight, and it is well-written for the most part. However, I think there is a possibility that viewers could come away a bit confused due to the character arc of the protagonist, Keenan. There are many gaps in the exposition of the character, some of which (such as the ex-girlfriend we never see) work in favor of the development of Keenan. However, his motivations aren't apparent enough for the average viewer. Although Josh Hamilton does an admirable job with the material, this is a major flaw given that the story unfolds very subjectively through the eyes of Keenan. Steve Zahn's performance as freak is fantastic and practically carries the film along with its snappy photography. But there's something else about this film, something which isn't easily pinpointed. There is evidence that there is a mind at work behind this film, evidence of vision. There is an amazing attention to detail and intuition at work here. I'd keep my eyes on director Todisco and others... we may see good things from them in the future.

Okay, I admit that both the title and the plot of this movie is pretty stupid, but I aside from those two things, this is a really good and funny movie. Steve Zahn gives a truly memorable performance as the title character, Freak. He gets all the best lines, yet David Kinney steals the show as Big Steve. ***

I caught this movie the other night on HBO at my friend's house while he was playing PS2. The capturing dialogue made me keep watching, and when it was over, I searched through TV Guide to find out what it was called. An instant addition to my top ten.

I had wanted to see this movie since it was advertised on HBO. It was pretty entertaining and just fun to listen to (especially when they're on the reefer). I'm guessing if you like movies by Kevin Smith, you'll like this one. Lots of dialogue.

I said "MEHH!". No but seriously, this movie is alright, not a bad watch if you enjoy "slacker" or just "slice of life-ish" light comedies. Being a Steve Zahn fan is also a big plus, though I coulda stood for a little more screen time for him (he does get plenty though). Not a whole lot of plot here which is, in my mind, where this movie kinda fumbles. I think that was kinda the point though. Anyways basically, just shows a month (few weeks, or so who knows) period in the life of a post college wanna-be writer (not sure who the actor was, he was alright), chillin with his stoner buddy (Zahn) working at the mall, and random run-ins with old high-school acquantinces. Subtly makes its way into a somewhat (IMO) poignant coming of age (some age anyway) story. Dont want to give anything away - not that it would matter much or that theres even much to give away - but at the end I was actually left somewhat affected by what I considered to be the message. That could be because Im in generally the same circumstances as the guys though. Overall , if this sounds like something you would like you probaly will to some degree. I wouldnt consider this an immediate must see or anything though. If this genre, or the actors dont interest you, I cant see you liking this much. Hope this helps Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaate

The Seattle Film festival presentation of this film was quite a compliment. I was impressed with Steve Zahn's acting ability. He has the potential to become the next star to receive the grammy! The movie, I have recommended to my friends to watch, if it does come out in the theater. It was a real eye opener, and really got my emotions involved at times. I could relate with Josh Hamilton's character, and I really thought it was well done. Hope it comes to a theater soon, I'd really like to see it again!

I was flipping around on cable one night and saw Steve Zahn doing a bong hit and I stopped flipping. The movie was dead on and an accurate portrayal of these guys who just get stoned and look for the next party. Well cast, well done, but, my god, one of the worst titles ever in the history of films. Were they TRYING to make sure it wouldnt find an audience with the title "Freak Talks About Sex". Maybe they thought with that title it might tittilate people, but if I was flipping through a TV Guide or at a video store, I wouldnt want to watch it. Script is meandering but wise and honest.

I really liked this film but I can understand that its not for everyone. The film seems to meander around while focusing on the life of Josh Hamilton as David who's stuck in a major post-college, post-heartbreak, rut. All he wants to do is put in his time working at the mall and get stoned with his high school pal, a likable goofball named Freak (perfectly acted by Steve Zahn). This slice-of-life film with its many seemingly random scenes, dry humor, and a gentle epiphany at the end, really worked for me.

I will start off this review by saying I am totally and completely biased. This movie was filmed in my hometown, shot in our actual mall, and has a bunch of locals as extras, including the film makers parents. If anyone finds this movie boring, it's because Syracuse, NY is the worlds's most boring town with high levels of poverty and where the biggest employer is the mall. This movie is scarily like watching a documentary. It captures what it is like to be stuck in upstate perfectly.

I watch this movie and I see my life when I was ages 15-20 and some of the lines sound exactly like things my friends and I have said to each other.

"Why do you work at the mall?" "What else am I supposed to do?"

I also am biased because I love Josh Hamilton, and have since I saw "Kick and Screaming." I think he does a great job in this movie, although certainly Steve Zahn is perfect as well.

The movie has little plot per se. It's not a movie about moving forward, it's a movie about being stuck in a time and a place and being unable to escape. Everyday is eerily the same and the characters are just trying to not pay attention to how bored they are. Josh Hamilton's character is trying to get over his life before, a life outside of Syracuse. It hurt him badly and he is just trying to nurse his wounds in a place where life stands still. Freak is someone who is simply trying to make a life where he is. The two men share the same habit of smoking weed, but clearly for two different reasons: one, like a true addict, to forget and try to blur his brain back to a place where he can feel comfortable without his lost love and the other, in a more juvenile way: just because it's there.

If you have ever been stuck in a situation you are simply tolerating or felt lost during your big choice making years, this movie, like "Kicking and Screaming" covers you. Yes, it meanders, but the point is that life happened before and after the movie, and this middle part is just life standing still in the giant void that is Syracuse.

I still love love 90's slacker movies because I relate to them even now. This is one of those ones that no one seems to know about that I've always adored. It's a perfect representative of the time but it also holds up today especially if you're someone like me who's never quite figured out what to do with his life despite having many different dreams. Steve Zahn and Josh Hamilton are fantastic and were always such underrated acors to begin with. This movie just makes me feel at home and I can watch it at any time. The soundtrack is great too but I'm sure it probably doesn't exist. LOL. If you like a good 90's slacker movie, I highly recommend this one.

This little movie is pretty funny. As far as films in the slacker genre its way ahead of crap like Reality Bites. It makes a nice rental.

Nothing really new here, just another paint by the numbers 'we graduated from college and now were waiting for life to start' flick. The formula has been done better, several times by Zahn himself(Dancer Texas, SubUrbia, and the classic Reality Bites) and a lot of this film feels lifted from other projects, the bad job at the mall, the car that won't start, going to the dessert to write. But thats not to say it doesn't work. Josh Hamilton is earnest and engaging, Zahn is always worth watching, and newcomer Heather McComb holds her own. Worth watching if you like this type of movie, and I do.

I was hanging out at my friend Derek Slocum's house when a movie called "Blowin' Smoke" came on cable late one night. Derek was amazed by how much the movie touched his heart and tickled his funny bone; he fell in love with it (he was "blown away" - pun intended)! I, too, was amazed by the movie because I had actually seen it in another incarnation...When I was living in Seattle a couple years back (playing bass for the Make Nine Quartet), the movie was screened at the Seattle Film Festival under the name, "Freak Talks About Sex!" That movie touched me tremendously. The "Blowin' Smoke" version is a shorter, fun and still moving showcase of great young actors under the deft direction of a sensitive new director. However, I hope the inspired "Freak" version comes out on DVD one day, as my bandmate James Trescott and I were transfixed by the experience at the film festival. It was the most heartfelt look at post-adolescent ennui I have ever experienced, shining a spotlight on Gen-X without any self-conscious irony. (We also fell in love with director Todisco's short film, "Skanks." My buddy J.T.'s girlfriend Jody Altmyer SWEARS the movie was ripped from her real life) I can't wait to see "Freak" again, nor can J.T., who often quotes lines spoken in it by the

brilliant Steve Zahn. It's rather annoying. In the meantime, "Blowin' Smoke" will nicely suffice as a window into the work of an inspired director who seems to have the mind a philosopher, the soul of a painter, and the heart of a poet. By all means, buy "Blowin' Smoke," enjoy it; and wait for "Freak!"

This is an interesting view of two unlikely guys who are on a journey to find themselves. The humor is much more subtle and intelligent than Garth and Wayne but will probably appeal to the same audiences. There are many technical problems that expose the inexperience of the writers and directors of this film. The editing is bumpy in places and light changes from a drug induced red glow to bright white in a couple of places but the story line prevails and the main characters stay true to themselves. Watch this one more than once the humor is terrific. The stars and writers are sure to be bigger names in a few months and you will be able to chart their creative growth.

i just recently saw "freak talks about sex" aka "blowin smoke", and it was so great! although not an oscar worthy film, it was great to see because it was filmed in my home town! it was hysterically funny and steve zahn was brilliant. i now work in the mall that you see in the film. also, a lot of my friends were in it, which was super cool! i totally think people should see this movie, it's just so damn funny!

I feel I have to come to the defense of this movie by first stating some of its flaws. 1)make-up and 2)trying to make 30 somethings look younger than they are. So just make-up, I guess. I swear, I could NOT believe David's girlfriend in the city was a day under 35. And this movie is clearly about 20 somethings.

Im guessing this might be a play adapted to screen because of the rigid shots and the strong dialogue. Plus Josh Hamilton (David) has a lot of these under his belt. Just look at House of Yes if you're not convinced.

The inclusion of weed as a supporting cast is done tastefully. Lots of movies have relied on it to be a major source of humor. So lets get a few things straight- Weed itself is not funny. Watching people smoking weed and the 'hilarious' consequences of them doing so isn't funny (even on weed). Because of Cheech and Chong, we're repeatedly hit over the head with the stereotypical squishy-headed stoner in all sorts of bad movies. So Don't Do Drugs.

The reality of smoking pot is expressed in this movie (in just a few scenes)in a very truthful way that I sympathized with. This is why Blowin Smoke might be a misleading title though it could be argued that it describes Steve Zahn's character Freak as a guy who likes to talk out his ass.

This isn't the only great thing about the movie. Steve Zahn is dead-pan funny and Josh Hamilton has always been a good man-boy character. Its too bad he'll be older someday.