Frankenhooker - Dark Lord's DVD Collection.

"Wanna date? Going out? Lookin' for some action? Need some company?!" - Frankenhooker

Frankenhooker Year of Release - 1990
DVD Release - Synergy - 2000
Region 0 (UK) - PAL - Rated 18
Running Time - 79:03

Director: Frank Henenlotter
Starring: James Lorinz, Patty Mullen, Joseph Gonzalez
Music: Joe Renzetti

I was reading a book about Sci-Fi and Horror and when it was discussing Mary Shelley's 1831 novel, Frankenstein, and all of the movies made thereof, it made mention of a movie called Frankenhooker. Despite such taglines as "A Terrifying tale of Sluts and Bolts..." and "It's a Stitch!", the book actually had some praise for the film. My curiosity was piqued. Written and Directed by Frank Henenlotter, who had also written and directed Basket Case and Brain Damage, Frankenhooker was a film I just had to watch...

SYNOPSIS

Jeffrey Franken (Lorinz) is a brilliant Medical School dropout from New Jersey, with a particular talent for bio-electrical engineering. He works at the local Power Plant to support both his experiments and his beloved fiance, Elizabeth Shelley (Mullen).

It's Elizabeth's father's birthday and the family is having a barbeque. Elizabeth proudly presents to her father a gift from both herself and Jeffrey - a brand new lawnmower. But this is no ordinary lawnmower. Jeffrey has improved it by making it remote-controlled.

However, while giving her father a demonstration of the remote-control lawnmower, Elizabeth met with an unfortunate lawnmowing accident. Police later described the scene as a "bloody jigsaw puzzle". Little do they know, however that Jeffrey has kept some pieces of Elizabeth - her head, a foot and a hand.

Devastated, and sent a little mad, by the death of his beloved, Jeffrey is determined to resurrect her. With the assistance of some Super-Crack and a bevy of hookers supplied by master-pimp, Zorro (Gonzalez), Jeffrey Franken succeeds. But Elizabeth is no longer Elizabeth. She is Frankenhooker!

VIDEO

The tranfer is in 1.33:1 Fullscreen - which is it's original aspect. It is not re-mastered in any way and looks like it was taken from a VHS master. Don't get me wrong, it's not riddled with artifacts and excessive grain, but it just doesn't have the "clean" look that most good DVD transfers have.

AUDIO

There is only the one Audio track and it is in Dolby Surround 2.0. The sound is not brilliant, but at least the dialogue is clear.

EXTRAS

Trailer

This 01:33 Fullscreen trailer is of varying audio and video quality.

Synergy Showcase

Trailers for Basket Case, Basket Case 2, Basket Case 3, Red Scorpion, Maniac Cop and The Exterminator.

OVERALL

Frankenhooker is so much better than a film of it's calibre deserves. Quite simply it is brilliant. Actually, the story concept is just so silly, to make it palatable to the viewer, I suppose that it had to have a "cheap" look to it. A "Troma Effect" if you will.

It's an incredibly insightful, intelligent and funny retelling of the Frankenstein story. A nice touch is that Jeffrey Franken's fiance and future monster is named Elizabeth Shelly after Henry Frankenstein's love, Elizabeth and the author of Frankenstein, Mary Shelley.

The social stigma and the disgust that the general public have with prostitutes is highlighted and amplified in the scenes when Frankenhooker goes on her rampage. Behold the horrible creature that once was a beautiful girl! Watch the people recoil as a drugged, scantily-clad female accosts them and asks if they "want some action"! When Frankenhooker has sex, she electrocutes her "clients" to death, highlighting the perils of sexually tranmitted diseases due to unprotected sex with street prostitutes. Brilliant social commentary shrouded in satire.

And don't get me started at the wickedly ironic ending! Possibly the best and most apt resolution to any of the Frankenstein films ever.

James Lorinz is great as the slightly insane Jeffrey Franken, but the real star is Patty Mullen as Elizabeth/Frankenhooker. When awakened, she does a great Elsa Lanchester (Bride of Frankenstein) impersonation, then goes to town (literally) with her confused monster portrayal.

If you are a fan of Horror, Comedy and the Frankenstein story, do not miss Frankenhooker! As far as I know, the Region 1 DVD is out of print, but this DVD from the UK is servicable. I cannot recommend this movie more!

PS: Keep an eye out for a cameo from Rutger Hauer!

The Film:
The Disk: 1/2