The late Roger Ebert was known for his entertainingly harsh reviews. The review he wrote of the 2001 film Freddy Got Fingered is one notable example. \"The day may come when 'Freddy Got Fingered' is seen as a milestone of neo-surrealism. The day may never come when it is seen as funny,\" wrote Ebert in his April 20, 2001 review of the film. Humor is subjective and there is no accounting for taste but this thesis will prove that the much-maligned film Freddy Got Fingered is a milestone of neo-surrealism. Freddy Got Fingered director Tom Green has a past that colors the perception people have of Freddy Got Fingered but the film truly deserves to be respected as a neo-surrealist masterpiece. A major studio producing an avant-garde film as bizarre as Freddy Got Fingered is rare and the fact that it was even made is an accomplishment unto itself. This thesis will closely analyze the film scene-by-scene and validate the surrealist bonafides that the movie possesses. The thesis will also point out the similarities to classic Surrealist films like Un Chien Andalou and Anemic Cinema, among many others. There are scenes containing various \"Easter eggs\" that allude to the origins of Surrealist cinema. The themes and sensibility of the film can be linked to Surrealist co-conspirator and avant-garde artist Antonin Artaud, who revolutionized theatrical sensibilities with his 1938 work The Theatre and its Double. Freddy Got Fingered is a masterpiece of neo-surrealism and this thesis proves it.
","abstract_html":"<p>The late Roger Ebert was known for his entertainingly harsh reviews. The review he wrote of the 2001 film<em> Freddy Got Fingered</em> is one notable example. "The day may come when '<em>Freddy Got Fingered</em>' is seen as a milestone of neo-surrealism. The day may never come when it is seen as funny," wrote Ebert in his April 20, 2001 review of the film. Humor is subjective and there is no accounting for taste but this thesis will prove that the much-maligned film <em>Freddy Got Fingered</em> is a milestone of neo-surrealism. <em>Freddy Got Fingered</em> director Tom Green has a past that colors the perception people have of <em>Freddy Got Fingered</em> but the film truly deserves to be respected as a neo-surrealist masterpiece. A major studio producing an avant-garde film as bizarre as <em>Freddy Got Fingered</em> is rare and the fact that it was even made is an accomplishment unto itself. This thesis will closely analyze the film scene-by-scene and validate the surrealist bonafides that the movie possesses. The thesis will also point out the similarities to classic Surrealist films like <em>Un Chien Andalou</em> and <em>Anemic Cinema</em>, among many others. There are scenes containing various "Easter eggs" that allude to the origins of Surrealist cinema. The themes and sensibility of the film can be linked to Surrealist co-conspirator and avant-garde artist Antonin Artaud, who revolutionized theatrical sensibilities with his 1938 work <em>The Theatre and</em> <em>its Double</em>. <em>Freddy Got Fingered</em> is a masterpiece of neo-surrealism and this thesis proves it.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Koshel, Frank"],"institution":"The Graduate School and University Center of The City University of New York","degree_name":"Master of Arts","degree_level":"Master","degree_discipline":"Liberal Studies","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Paul Julian Smith"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2016,"date_issued":"2016-06-03T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2016-06-03T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:59:30Z","subjects":["Other Film and Media Studies","freddy got fingered","tom green","surrealism"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/1351","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Paul Julian Smith"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Koshel, Frank"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2016-04-28T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Liberal Studies"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Master"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["The Graduate School and University Center of The City University of New York"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Other Film and Media Studies","freddy got fingered","tom green","surrealism"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/1351"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The late Roger Ebert was known for his entertainingly harsh reviews. The review he wrote of the 2001 film Freddy Got Fingered is one notable example. \"The day may come when 'Freddy Got Fingered' is seen as a milestone of neo-surrealism. The day may never come when it is seen as funny,\" wrote Ebert in his April 20, 2001 review of the film. Humor is subjective and there is no accounting for taste but this thesis will prove that the much-maligned film Freddy Got Fingered is a milestone of neo-surrealism. Freddy Got Fingered director Tom Green has a past that colors the perception people have of Freddy Got Fingered but the film truly deserves to be respected as a neo-surrealist masterpiece. A major studio producing an avant-garde film as bizarre as Freddy Got Fingered is rare and the fact that it was even made is an accomplishment unto itself. This thesis will closely analyze the film scene-by-scene and validate the surrealist bonafides that the movie possesses. The thesis will also point out the similarities to classic Surrealist films like Un Chien Andalou and Anemic Cinema, among many others. There are scenes containing various \"Easter eggs\" that allude to the origins of Surrealist cinema. The themes and sensibility of the film can be linked to Surrealist co-conspirator and avant-garde artist Antonin Artaud, who revolutionized theatrical sensibilities with his 1938 work The Theatre and its Double. Freddy Got Fingered is a masterpiece of neo-surrealism and this thesis proves it.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Life Experience: Freddy Got Fingered As Neo-Surrealist Masterpiece"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Paul Julian Smith"],"dc:creator":["Koshel, Frank"],"dc:date.available":["2016-04-28T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["The late Roger Ebert was known for his entertainingly harsh reviews. The review he wrote of the 2001 film Freddy Got Fingered is one notable example. \"The day may come when 'Freddy Got Fingered' is seen as a milestone of neo-surrealism. The day may never come when it is seen as funny,\" wrote Ebert in his April 20, 2001 review of the film. Humor is subjective and there is no accounting for taste but this thesis will prove that the much-maligned film Freddy Got Fingered is a milestone of neo-surrealism. Freddy Got Fingered director Tom Green has a past that colors the perception people have of Freddy Got Fingered but the film truly deserves to be respected as a neo-surrealist masterpiece. A major studio producing an avant-garde film as bizarre as Freddy Got Fingered is rare and the fact that it was even made is an accomplishment unto itself. This thesis will closely analyze the film scene-by-scene and validate the surrealist bonafides that the movie possesses. The thesis will also point out the similarities to classic Surrealist films like Un Chien Andalou and Anemic Cinema, among many others. There are scenes containing various \"Easter eggs\" that allude to the origins of Surrealist cinema. The themes and sensibility of the film can be linked to Surrealist co-conspirator and avant-garde artist Antonin Artaud, who revolutionized theatrical sensibilities with his 1938 work The Theatre and its Double. Freddy Got Fingered is a masterpiece of neo-surrealism and this thesis proves it.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/1351"],"dc:subject":["Other Film and Media Studies","freddy got fingered","tom green","surrealism"],"dc:title":["Life Experience: Freddy Got Fingered As Neo-Surrealist Masterpiece"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Liberal Studies"],"thesis:degree_level":["Master"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Arts"],"thesis:institution_name":["The Graduate School and University Center of The City University of New York"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:59:30Z"}