freezerburn

Freezerburn is a sophisticated dark comedy with sardonic wit and universal appeal.

We meet our characters on the first day of filming the 20-year reunion episode of the famous fictionalized television show, ‚’Freezerburn’. Freezerburn had been a hit show in 1981 until the male lead, James Carrigan died under mysterious circumstances. The show tried to continue, writing his death into the plotline. The ratings spiked briefly and upon their fall, Freezerburn was cancelled. Freezerburn had a large niche fan base, considering its short run, which kept the show alive through annual conventions and memorabilia. To commemorate the 20th anniversary of Freezerburn, the network agrees to a reunion show, the premise being that twenty years later there is new DNA technology that could help uncover the killer of Carrigan’s character on the show. The director, Kevin Korlowsky refuses to allow anyone to see the script, including the actors, handing out only the day’s work each morning. This wears on everyone and we understand that there is more going on here than filming a television movie.

We find actors to be a little worse for the wear, bringing to the set their own personalized baggage from the past twenty years. Female lead, Francesca Mason is now the spokesperson for an alien-worshipping cult called ‘Children of Earth’ while precariously surviving on a steady consumption of champagne and Mexican diet pills. Francesca’s assistant Nada, also a member of ‘Children of Earth’, is almost always with her and efficiently handles Francesca’s affairs, but never speaks, which causes much speculation amongst the crew. They are preparing for the day of ‘The Great Syndication’, when the aliens will come to pick up the ‘Children of Earth’. This causes Francesca great anxiety about her schedule as she does not feel reassured that she would be done filming in time. The crew dutifully tries to cater to the needs of the cast, but no one is interested in scheduling around alien transport.

Star Penumbra Gold, former child star is the youngest cast member. She has received more recognition in Europe for her pop music and more recognition in the States for her cocaine problem. Alan Merkel, the supporting character actor seems to have led a steady life of anonymity with an occasional convention autograph signing to mark the passage of time. Michael Reed, the second male lead is desperately trying to hold onto his waning leading man status. The show seems to place Michael under extreme duress and as he confers with Francesca, we understand that he is trying to hide more than his homosexuality.

Before there is time to question Kevin’s relationship to the mystery being carefully uncovered, Michael cracks under the pressure in a confrontation with Francesca. He threatens to confess of the odd sexual message that resulted in Carrigan’s accidental death. Francesca seems unconcerned of her involvement, but cannot be detained any longer by Michael or the filming or potentially, the police, as she needs to return in time for ‘The Great Syndication’. This results in Michael’s violent death and as she is discovered in her drug addled state, in the death of three other crewmembers, with the protective help of silent Nada. The apoplectic bloodbath ends like a finely choreographed French farce with the untimely entrance of Kevin.Francesca composes herself with another glass of champagne and decides to bring him with them.

They make it past an incompetent production assistant without any notice and head to the surreal ‘Children of Earth’ headquarters, two hours away in Pioneertown. They are loosely followed by Lieutenant Manners (the same officer who handled the unsolved Carrigan case), Kevin’s girlfriend Holly (the writer of the script whose identity Kevin had kept a secret) and the FBI who has been tracking the cult’s activities in anticipation of a mass suicide or some similar act of madness. Holly and Lieutenant Manners uncover for us that Kevin is Carrigan’s son and was the first to discover his father’s lifeless body, twenty years ago. When Francesca, Nada and Kevin arrive at the headquarters, cult leader, Roderick Carr, greets them. Carr invites Kevin to join them and they exchange terse words.

The authorities arrive too late and find only Kevin huddled in a corner unglued by what he has seen. It is not clear to anyone how to handle a crime scene where members inside the building have been evacuated in an instant by aliens. Only Kevin is left behind to confirm that they look just like they do in the movies.