Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Field Freak’

Written by Scott Edwards

Distractions can be a killer for writers these days, especially since everything is written on a computer…  sorry, what was I talking about? I was just watching highlights of a basketball player kicking other players straight in the nuts. I have no idea how the heck this guy is still in the league after doing something so blatant, he only gets a technical foul and gets to keep playing. See what I mean? Finding news stories or crazy links to things that you never thought you would watch, much less care about destroys a train of thought. But it is not only the computer that can be a killer, the distractions of a big city can be just as bad as you sit and look out the window and see all of the fascinating things unfolding outside and you want to be a part of it. If you are not able to keep focused on the task at hand, you may never complete your project, even If you know you have a deadline to make.

Charles Bear has found the perfect place to get back to his writing in Beaver Pelt Falls and is taking his family along for the journey. Although his wife Linda and son Lonnie are not so high on this process, Charles has a deadline that he needs to make for his next novel and the city life is not allowing him to create anything new. Finding an old cabin at the right price, the scenery around their new home will be just what he needs to create his next masterpiece. But there is something living in his woods that might be looking to change his life forever if he does not correct the problem.

Lonnie would rather be back in Chicago with his friends but has found something cool on the property while wandering around. A large bear cave is hidden in the brush and Lonnie is dying to know what is living inside of it. Showing the cave to his father, the two want to investigate further, but time is not on their side as they quickly find out. While Linda is cooking breakfast for her boys, she sees something frightening outside of the window and is scared out of her mind. Charles is able to calm his wife down but has no idea what is stalking his property and calls in an exterminator to take care of the raccoons or whatever is hiding in the woods.

Heading into town to kill some time while waiting for the exterminator to show up, Charles sees a sign for Root Beer and cannot pass it up. Finding Ned Perkins in the middle of nowhere, the family hears about the Field Freak and what it is capable of doing at his old house. Just thinking that Ned is crazy and meeting Jerry the Exterminator, Charles finds out a little more about his new home and the murders that happened there some forty years ago. The Perkins family was torn limb from limb and the only survivor Ned, should have been the primary suspect in the case, but the kid lost his leg in the attack, so he was let off the hook. Not knowing how much stock to put into the stories, Charles and his family are in for the ride of a lifetime when the Field Freak comes looking for something other than blood.

I am still torn on the overall story that was put on the screen, but I must admit that it was just silly enough and had enough frightening moments that I enjoyed it. I can feel for Charles and his process of trying to make another masterpiece and being distracted by everything going on around him. I was a little surprised about his journey in the movie, since he kind of made himself bigger than he thought he could while trying to protect his family, but Lonnie and Linda were much stronger than he could ever be. I think the story really revolved around Ned however and his quest for revenge more than anything. While not everybody took a fancy to the one-legged, famous Root Beer making man, he really knows what he is doing and helps develop everyone in the family. With a monster, some cheap thrills, a touch of blood and crazy beavers, this is just really a fun movie that is worth giving a shot, it’s so silly, what’s not to like? Stay Scared.

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