The Mutations is a low-budget 1974 British-American science fiction/horror film directed by Jack Cardiff. The film was also released under the title The Freakmaker. Plot The film depicts a deranged genetic scientist, Professor Nolter (Donald Pleasence), a man with the self-proclaimed goal to break through to the next stage in human evolution, crossbreeding anthropophagous Venus flytraps with abducted college student guinea pigs from his own class. He plans to "create a race of plants that can walk, and men that can take root" through an exploitation of certain nucleic acids. The failed experimental mutants are then given to a cruel circus freak show owner, Mr. Lynch (Tom Baker) who exploits them to the fullest. However, the mutants and the circus freaks will not be denied justice. Production Inspired by Tod Browning's film Freaks with a science fiction twist, this film is full of pseudo-scientific jargon, stop motion visuals, makeup effects, references to psychedelics, comical gore, nudity, and appearances by actors with actual genetic abnormalities as well as some fictional disabilities including a man with "rubber bones" known as the Human Pretzel, a lady with reptilian skin (Alligator Lady), a Monkey Woman, a Human Pincushion and Popeye. Among the other scenes of "freaks" it depicts a reversed stop motion capture of the professor reviving a mouldy orange, and the professor feeding a rabbit to a Venus flytrap. A dissonant and jumbled orchestral score composed by Basil Kirchin provides the backdrop. Cast Donald Pleasence as Professor Nolter Tom Baker as Lynch Brad Harris as Brian Redford Julie Ege as Hedi Michael Dunn as Burns Scott Antony as Tony Jill Haworth as Lauren Olga Anthony as Bridget Lisa Collings as Prostitute Joan Scott as Landlady Toby Lennon as Tramp John Wreford as Policeman Eithne Dunne as Nurse Richard Davies as Doctor Release Home media The film was released on DVD by Subversive Cinema on September 27, 2005. Subversive Cinema later re-released the film on January 29, 2008 including with it commentary tracks with Jack Cardiff, Robert Weinbach, and Brad Harris as a part of its 2-Disk Greenhouse Gore movie pack. It was last released by Desert Island Films on February 18, 2012. Reception Author and film critic Leonard Maltin awarded the film 2 out of 4 stars, criticizing the film's predictable story and what he called "grotesque elements and characters". TV Guide awarded the film 1/5 stars, writing, "Though at times the film