Freaky Tales

We went in expecting a messy anthology and came out with a genuinely original love letter to Oakland, 1987 — four stories that start as separate vibes and then click together in the final act like a mixtape that suddenly makes sense.

The setup is pure mood: people spilling out of a cinema after The Lost Boys, a bright green “something in the air” glow hanging over the city, and a pulpy, comic-book style that flirts with Sin City / Scott Pilgrim energy. It’s stylish, funny, and—when it wants to be—ferociously violent.

What we cover in the episode

• The anthology structure: four chapters that interconnect and payoff later, with Oakland culture (music, venues, street energy) doing most of the heavy lifting.
• Chapter 1: “Strength in Numbers – The Gilman Strikes Back”
  A straight-edge punk club gets terrorised by Nazi skinheads… and the punks decide they’re not taking it anymore. We talk wish-fulfilment retribution, the myth-making tone, and the film’s “300-style” brawl choreography.
• Chapter 2: “Don’t Fight the Feeling”
  Two women from rap group Danger Zone get their shot at a battle with Too $hort — and turn it into an 80s feminist mic-drop. The ice-cream shop scene with a vile, racist cop is one of the most uncomfortable (and effective) bits in the whole film.
• Chapter 3: “Born to Mack” (Pedro Pascal)
  A one-last-job crime thread that flips into tragedy and revenge. We dig into how this segment links the others, and why it feels like the “spine” of the film.
• Chapter 4: “The Sleepy Floyd Story”
  A real NBA legend (29 points in a quarter) gets turned into a Kill Bill-style revenge myth — samurai swords, home-invasion carnage, and a final twist that goes full pulpy sci-fi.
• The big theme: modern, direct, and not subtle — Nazis can get in the bin. The film turns that into catharsis, and it lands.

The verdict

This is a labour-of-love movie: inventive, ridiculously well-styled, packed with music, and shot so you can actually see what’s happening in dark scenes (rare these days). It does get very bloody—especially the final stretch—but it’s never boring.

If you want an episode with hype, plot breakdown, and us arguing where the film crosses from “clever urban legend” into “absolute madness,” this one’s for you.

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