Customer Reviews

Freak

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Freak" is a fantastic piece of writing and an amazing performance by its writer, in his HBO one-man show. What I don't understand is why HBO wouldn't put it out on DVD. They've done it with Chris Rock's shows... If you can get your hands on a tape, watch it. It's funny and heartbreaking.

Though nothing could be as good as Leguizamo's performance in his one-man Broadway show Freak, this short book comes close. If you've seen Freak, you will definitely want to own this print version. It is not exactly the same, but it is very similiar. Outstanding!

Freak was a one-man show in San Francisco and off-Broadway, then moved to
Broadway, gathering Tony nominations. In October 1998 it was an HBO special. For most performers, comedians, it would be just another stand-up concert, a type of program common to HBO. But this is Leguizamo's "Semi-Demi-Quasi-Pseudo Autobiography" and he brings to it such intensity, such a variety of personalities -- as he remembers his family and friends -- that it transcends this description and becomes like, well, a Broadway play.

John Leguizamo has had a remarkably varied career. Fans of the Spawn movie will recall his huge, even monstrous role there. His character and costume was very different in the oddly titled move To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar. He probably reached one of his largest audiences early in his career in the usually pasteurized television mass market, briefly enlivened, energized and diversified by his "Latino variety show" "House of Buggin'."

This is a book based on the one man show and HBO special, edited to be
read, so it of course differs from the performances, which would include some ad lib. One might have expected to save the experience of this show with a tape, or a spoken-word recording, but this paperback is an inexpensive, permanent way to revisit and savor Leguizamo's work again and again, at your pleasure and convenience.

A very enjoyable book, highly reccomende

John's book was one of the best that I have read, and I've read quite a few books. It sounds just like John to me making jokes of himself and others. I think John put effort into this book, at least that's what I think. His book is really funny, but also serious too if you think about it for awhile. You would have to read it to understand.

Like Augusten Burroughs' hysterical autobiography "Running With Scissors," Leguizano's family of loose screws made him a screwball, for better or for worse.

At turns morose and gross, and gutbusting and bitingly real, you will transported by a family, though superficially unlike your own, eventually begins to resemble your childhood memories.

Buy this book,go see the show,try to find a copy of the show on video tape.It's great.

In my opinion, John Leguizamo is both funny and talented, but this book exploits neither of these qualities. It's an extremely quick read (about 60-90 minutes), and while there are 1-2 chuckles here and there, it's much too compressed to be an effective autobiography, and not enough humor to be a decent "gag" book. It does live up to it's "semi-demi" title, but unfortunately it adds up to be disappointing.

John Said Himself That This Was Based On His Life And How He Really Exaggerated It For The Play And Then To The Book.I Have Seen Part Of The One-Man Show On HBO And I Thought It Was Really Funny.The Book Contains Some Pretty Funny And Weird Subject Matter.I Think That The Elaberation Of The "Characters" In The Book Were Really Funny And Had Some Cool Dialoge.One Part I Thought Was Grose-Out Funny Was His Father's Way Of Trying To Get The KFC Lady To Help John Became A Man.It Is Certinaly Not For Delicate Ears And Open For Open Minds.Hope You Like My Review...Feel Free To Look At My Others.Bye,Bye Now.....Have A Good Day