Frankenhooker
- Directed by
- Frank Henenlotter
- Written by
- Frank Henenlotter, Robert Martin
- Produced by
- Edgar Ievins, James Glickenhaus
Why it’s HorroRated
Frankenhooker is Frank Henenlotter operating at the peak of his particular genius: taking a premise that shouldn't work and committing to it with such total conviction that it becomes something genuinely singular. The Frankenstein homage gives the film real structural backbone underneath the exploitation surface, and James Lorinz's performance as Jeffrey is unhinged in exactly the right register, manic and motormouthed without ever tipping into pure camp. Patty Mullen's physical comedy as the reassembled Elizabeth is more skilled and more genuinely funny than the film's reputation gives it credit for, and the practical effects work is inventive in ways that still hold up. It's tasteless, it's gross, and it never once apologizes for being either. One of Henenlotter's best and a cult classic that fully earned its following.
Synopsis
After his fiancée is decapitated by a lawnmower, medical school dropout Jeffrey Franken attempts to resurrect her by assembling body parts from Manhattan prostitutes, unwittingly creating a nymphomaniacal monster. His experiment goes sideways when he uses an experimental exploding form of crack cocaine to source the parts he needs, and what he eventually reassembles bears only a passing resemblance to the woman he lost. Frank Henenlotter directs with the same grimy Times Square-era New York sensibility he brought to Basket Case, and the practical effects team goes for broke on every gag. James Lorinz plays Jeffrey's unraveling with a manic, motormouthed energy that keeps the film moving even when the plot barely makes sense.
Filed under
Quick facts
- Release date
- June 1, 1990
- Runtime
- 1 hour 25 mins
- Country
- United States of America
- Language
- English
- Content rating
- R
- Entry type
- Movie
Tags
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