“Sleepy Floyd is Superman!”

Some of you will remember that moment in basketball history.  Some of you won’t.  Regardless of your age, there’s quite a bit of fun to be had in the moment as Warriors guard Sleepy Floyd drops more than 29 points in the fourth quarter when he goes toe-to-toe with some neo-nazis in writer-director Ryan Fleck and his filmmaking partner Anna Boden’s return to independent films.

Freaky Tales is fantastic, at times.  It is also completely forgettable.

And quite a lot has changed for the team, yet - when it comes to having a blast with some frequented hot spots in Oakland, California circa 1987 - the duo is deliciously in the pocket.  Freaky Tales is a four-part anthology where the bizarre meets reality as supernatural forces - which might be alien in nature - seem to guide the underdog characters which are sprinkled throughout this movie as they take revenge against vicious skinheads, corrupt racist cops, and all the rest of the low-lifes around them.

Whether its rap battles or actual fights in the street, Freaky Tales operates as a slice of retrograde VHS offerings from a bygone era.  There’s a certain amount of cheese spread throughout the flick - whether it comes to the slight pops and cracks in the image or the throwback synths or, hell, even the sheer amount of violence thrown in - and this is all in good fun, complete with a surprise cameo from Tom Hanks as the greatest video store owner to ever exist.

The only problem is that the stories come across as mere vignettes, with some being much weaker than others, as they overlap and criss-cross each other, yet never really feeling fully fleshed out.  The cast - featuring fine performances from Pedro Pascal as Clint, Jay Ellis as Sleepy Floyd, Ben Mendelsohn as The Guy, Tom Hanks as Hank, Video Store Owner, Angus Cloud as Travis,  Normani as Entice, Dominique Thorne as Barbie, Jack Champion as Lucid, Ji-young Yoo as Tina, and Keir Gilchrist as Josh are fun, dependable, and - at times - absolutely deadly as characters deflect, defend, and dare to do the impossible . . . even if that includes some AWESOME action beats.

Freaky Tales is just not as shocking and as surprising as it ought to be, especially when you consider the talents involved.  This is fun, late-night entertainment for sure, but it’s not going to draw enough attention to the independent market.  And that’s a shame.

The film is now available on home video thanks to Lionsgate Limited, who are offering the film in a Retro-themed VHS-style clamshell box with 4K and Blu-ray discs and a collectible sticker sheet inside.

Lionsgate Limited Exclusive VHS retro packaging | Late Night Video Edition | 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital

Home Video Distributor: Lionsgate Limited
Available on Blu-ray - June 3, 2025
Screen Formats: 2.39:1, 1.85:1, 1.33:1
Subtitles: English SDH; Spanish
Video: HDR10
Audio: English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1; Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1; Audio descriptive
Discs: 4K Ultra HD; Blu-ray Disc; Two-disc set
Region Encoding: 4K region-free; blu-ray locked to Region A

Set in 1987 Oakland, Freaky Tales is a multi-track mixtape of colorful characters — an NBA star, a corrupt cop, a female rap duo, teen punks, neo-Nazis, and a debt collector — on a collision course in a fever dream of showdowns and battles. Executive produced by hip-hop pioneer Too $hort, and featuring an all-star ensemble including Pedro Pascal, Ben Mendelsohn, Jay Ellis, Normani, Dominique Thorne, Jack Champion, Ji-young Yoo, Angus Cloud, and Tom Hanks, this pulpy blend of explosive action, edgy humor, gory kills, and sly twists and turns makes for one wild ride.

VIDEO

Don’t adjust your set.  The 16x9 (1.33:1 / 1.85:1 / 2.39:1) Presentations throughout the film are all by design.  Retro, remember?  That’s the theme here but, look, the details throughout this feature are all insane.  Lots of depth and lots of graphic violence, too.  All rendered with eye-catching details here.

AUDIO

Make no mistake here, the English 7.1 Dolby TrueHD brings a whole lot of rumble and bass to the party.  Turn it up and enjoy the retrograde vibes!

Supplements:

Commentary:

• There is a fun one, which features Writers-Directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, and Actors Pedro Pascal, Jay Ellis, Ji-young Yoo, and Dominique Thorne!

Special Features:

This nostalgic ode to 1980s Oakland, with compelling storytelling that unfolds over four chapters in one exhilarating movie, features a star-studded cast, including Pedro Pascal, Ben Mendelsohn, Jay Ellis, Normani, Dominique Thorne, Jack Champion, and Tom Hanks.  It was Executive produced by hip-hop pioneer Too $hort, with an eclectic soundtrack evoking the richness and cultural diversity of the movie’s time and place.  It is exclusively available through Lionsgate Limited, this VHS box art features bold, kinetic illustrations by artists Phantom City Creative and Tom Ralston.

• Audio Commentary with Writers-Directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, and Actors Pedro Pascal, Jay Ellis, Ji-young Yoo, and Dominique Thorne
• These are the Tales, the Freaky Tales
• Design of a Decade
• Art + Soul: The Tune of the Tales
• Gag Reel
• Theatrical Trailer

	Movie
	Video
	Audio
	Extras
Composite Blu-ray Grade

MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime: 107 mins
Director: DAnna Boden; Ryan Fleck
Writer: Anna Boden; Ryan Fleck
Cast: Pedro Pascal; Ben Mendelsohn; Jay Ellis
Genre: Action | Adventure | Comdy
Tagline: In 1987, Oakland was hella freaky.
Memorable Movie Quote: "Where's my rocky road?"
Theatrical Distributor: Lionsgate
Official Site: https://lionsgatelimited.com/products/freaky-tales-vhs-late-night-video-edition?variant=42945047036015
Release Date: April 4, 2025
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: June 3, 2025.
Synopsis: Four interconnected stories set in 1987 Oakland, CA. will tell about the love of music, movies, people, places and memories beyond our knowable universe.