Frankenhooker

Frankenhooker (1990)

You know what is great about being a movie nerd? No matter how much you have watched there are always those times that you discover a new filmmaker or a movie that you might have missed. In spite of spending the last 35 years watching all kinds of horror and drive-in flicks I had somehow never watched a Frank Henenlotter flick! Don’t ask me how that happened, because I can’t explain it. Hell Frankenhooker even features an actor (James Lorinz) that was in one of my personal favorites Street Trash. But while I can’t explain it, I do now have the chance to discover his movies. So far they have been killer!

Frankenhooker tells the classic story of boy loves girl. Girl gets run over by automated lawn mowing machine boy builds. Boy steals girl’s head and keeps it alive until he builds her a body made out of the spare parts of some hookers he blew up with bad crack. Girl runs amok thru the city trying to “date” men and blowing them up with her overly electrified body. You know the classic tale.

Seriously both this and Brain Damage (also a newly discovered Henenlotter gem) remind me so much of my youth. I remember bringing home a pile of VHS tapes from the video store and popping them in for some good old goofy gory fun. Right from the start Frankenhooker gives us a neat looking brain and eyeball in the jar that put a smile on my face. But what really seals the deal for me was how much fun the story is. Right from the beginning with the “accident” thru the crazy twist at the end the movie has a manic and fun pace. It moves from one silly situation to the next all while keeping the central story moving. Too many movies that I’ve seen have a few funny ideas that feel very staged and don’t fit with the rest of the movie, but that isn’t the case here. From what I’ve seen so far Henenlotter isn’t only a great director, but the guy knows how to put a script together. Plus how can you not like a movie that drops such crazy awesome dialog on you like, “In a blaze of blood, bones, and body parts, the vivacious young girl was instantly reduced to a tossed human salad” or “Medical schools upset me, mother - I'm anti-social - I'm becoming dangerously amoral.” Followed by her saying, “Do you want a sandwich?”

If all of this weren’t enough Frankenhooker boasts some crazy fun gore. Not only is the makeup design of the “monster” itself pretty awesome (she looks great!), but we are treated to a room full of exploding hookers. Wrap you mind around that one guys. There is a sequence in this movie where a room full of hookers explode one at a time from some poison crack. How is that not awesome? But if that isn’t enough to peak your interest how about several creepy looking “creatures” made of the spare parts that are used to make the Frankenhooker.

The Blu-Ray from Synapse boasts some pretty killer special features. There is a short, only 8 minutes long, interview with Frankenhooker herself Patty Mullen. She talks a bit about getting cast, making the movie, and working with the effects. Also on the Blu-Ray is A Stitch in Time: The Makeup Effects of Frankenhooker. This might be my favorite of the bunch as Gabe Bartalos talks about how he created the special effects for the movie. The last one I wanted to mention was Turning Tricks: Jennifer Delora remembers Frankenhooker. Jennifer Delora portrayed one of the exploding hookers in the move and has some interesting things to say. Other then referring to herself a lot in the 3rd person (which always bugs me) fans of the movie will want to check it out.

If what I’ve already said doesn’t make you want to check this movie out then I don’t understand you. Really why are you hanging out at Gutmunchers and reading my reviews? On the other hand if you are cool (like me of course) and loved what you just read then yeah you need to check this out. Don’t be like me and miss out on the fun for 20 years! Head over to the Synapse website for more information at http://synapse-films.com/coming-soon/

3 ½ out of 4

reviewed by John Shatzer