Jeffrey Franken (James Lorinz) may work for the New Jersey Electric and Gas Company by day, but he has bigger plans than that. No, not only to marry his girlfriend Elizabeth (Patty Mullen) who he has helped with her weight problem by furnishing her with a DIY stomach stapling operation, but he goes further into his dabbling with biological science even though he has been thrown out of three medical schools. That hobby will come in handy when the remote controlled lawnmower unveiled at Elizabeth's father's birthday runs amok...
Because if anyone is able to put her back together again after getting chopped up in the blades it's Jeffrey. This was cult director Frank Henenlotter's third feature after making a splash (of gore) in the horror field when he cobbled together enough money to make one tiny budget film in Basket Case and one slightly more expensive one in Brain Damage; not that it was the one he intended to shoot, but he could not get funding for his most ambitious projects and semi-improvised the script for Frankenhooker which ended up being the production he made. It was not an easy task, but the results were taken to the bosom of trash fans worldwide.
Much of that warm reaction was down to Henenlotter's increasing embrace of comedy in his work, which tended to take the edge off his more outlandish ideas and make them more accessible, as what was more ridiculous than a Frankenstein's Monster who demanded to be taken on a date for cash? Well, there were more ridiculous things than that, but you wouldn't be considering them as this unfolded, as it provided all the indulgent chuckles followers of this director's aesthetic could have wanted, and that included the ambitious, rubbery special effects from maestro on reduced funds Gabriel Bartalos which were a highlight not much seen in these days of CGI.
Watching it now, the director's very particular sensibility was well to the fore, but also demonstrated the flaw in his design. He was so pleased with the central premise that he took his own sweet time in getting to it, satisfied that with all the setting up he presented the audience would be all to pleased that there was so much to anticipate. Trouble was, the first half hour at least of exposition could have been cut down to about five minutes given how much this progressed in the meantime, hell, reading the title told you most of what was going on in one second without the need for instance for Jeffrey's earnest conversation with his mother (Louise Lasser in a role echoed by her turn in Mystery Men ten years later).
American director of trashy horror comedies. Made his debut in 1982 with the cult splatter favourite Basket Case, which he followed in 1988 with the similarly themed, equally gruesome drug addiction-analogy Brain Damage. Frankenhooker was a taste-free updating of Frankenstein, while Basket Cases 2 and 3 followed in the early 90s. After a long gap overseeing the preservation and distribution of vintage grindhouse movies, he returned to directing with Bad Biology in 2008.
A fine example of how good-natured wit can elevate even the sleaziest premise. Can you imagine how misogynistic this could have been if made by Troma? I'd recommend readers check out Maitland McDonough's book Filmmaking on the Fringe which features a fine Frank Henenlotter interview. He comes across a smart, gregarious guy with a genuine passion for sleaze but the sensitivity to know a good cult movie needs more than just that to make its mark. I'm eager to see his recent killer nymphomaniac horror movie.
Posted by:
Graeme Clark
Date:
13 Jan 2012
I'd also recommend the extras on the excellent Arrow Blu-ray, especially the ones where they let Henenlotter chat away. He had a terrible experience making Frankenhooker (which is indeed a great title!), but he always comes across like a great guy with a fine sense of humour so none of his trauma showed up in the finished film. Luckily for him, when he shot Basket Case 2 shortly after this he had a far better time.
Posted by:
Stephanie Anderson
Date:
17 Jan 2012
I question why he had a freezer full of purple liquid. Wouldn't it freeze?
Posted by:
Graeme Clark
Date:
17 Jan 2012
Presumably some kind of formaldehyde? Besides, purple was Frankenhooker's colour!
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