Frankenhooker - Dark Lord's DVD Collection.

"I've lost the ability to distinguish between Right from Wrong, Good from Bad. I'm scared, Ma. I mean I feel like sometimes I'm plunging headfirst into some kind of Black Void of sheer, utter madness, or something."

"Do you want a sandwich?"

- Jeffrey Franken & His Mother

Year of Release - 1990
DVD Release - Optimum Home Entertainment - 2004
Region 2 (UK) - PAL - Rated 18
Running Time - 80:40

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...

I purchased (and reveiwed) Synergy's Region 0 (UK) release of the film and I loved it. That is now Out-Of-Print. How does this re-release from Optimum Home Entertainment compare?

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 secreted away and kept some pieces of Elizabeth - her head, a foot and a hand.

Devastated, and sent just 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 appears to have been re-mastered somewhat. In comparison, the previous release from Synergy looks to have been taken straight from a VHS master. It's a little dark, with plenty of artefacts. This transfer is a hell of a lot cleaner, with only the occasional artefact. There are no subtitles.

AUDIO

There is only the one Audio track and it is in Dolby Surround 2.0. The sound is more than adequate, the dialogue is clear and easy to understand, and the music is suitably cheesy.

EXTRAS

Trailer - Frankenhooker - 01:32

This 4:3 trailer is of adequate audio and video quality. It does a great job of selling the film.

Trailer - Basket Case II - 01:51

This 4:3 trailer is of adequate audio and video quality. Basket Case is a cult classic and this sequel, also Written & Directed by Frank Henenlotter lives up to it well.

Trailer - Maniac Cop - 01:52

This 4:3 trailer is of adequate audio and video quality. Directed by William Lustig, the film he made after the Horror classic Maniac, Maniac Cop itself became a cult classic and spawned two sequels. Stars Tom Atkins (The Fog & Halloween III: Season of the Witch) & Bruce Campbell (The Evil Dead Trilogy).

Trailer - Red Scorpion - 01:55

This 4:3 trailer is of adequate audio and video quality. Dolph Lundgren "takes on an Army, one man at a time".

OVERALL

Frankenhooker is so much better than a film of it's apparent calibre would be. 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 film addresses issues such as Prostitution and the associated drug use and exploitation. 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, in a not-so-subtle suggestion of 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 I have ever seen.

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, and has been for some considerable time, but this DVD from the UK is servicable. This release from Optimum Home Entertainment is far superior to the previous release from Synergy.

I cannot recommend this movie more!

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

The Film:
The Disk: 1/2