Something of a hero to genre and cult movie fans alike, director Frank Henenlotter has masterminded some of the most grossly imaginative and perversely entertaining cinema oddities of the last 30 years. Films like the Basket Case trilogy and Brain Damage display the director’s undeniable curiosity for warped subject matter, offset by a terrifically black sense of humour and sharp satirical sensibility often absent from many like-minded genre obscurities. But perhaps the one crucial element that sets Henenlotter’s work apart from that of his peers is his ability to write endearing characters that instantly charm the audience, thus making the manic peculiarities running amok on screen all the more bearable and funny by default. In an ode to Mary Shelly’s great tale of monstrous reanimation, Frankenhooker incorporates all the filmmaker’s greatest strengths to tell a story so wildly tongue-in-cheek that you can’t help but be taken along for the ride. Just try not to watch it with your Mom...
THE LOWDOWN: Jeffrey Franken (James Lorinz) is a medical school dropout living at home with his parents who spends his spare time conducting bizarre experiments in the garage of their suburban New Jersey home. One afternoon during his father’s birthday celebration, Jeffrey’s girlfriend Elizabeth (Patty Mullen) falls victim to a horrible accident when she is chopped to pieces by a lawnmower - the tragedy transforming the young Jeffrey into a hopeless recluse overshadowed by depression and despair. He keeps several of her body parts preserved in a special solution, only to take them out on special occasions to keep him company during times of lonesome nostalgia. Vowing to one day make her whole again, Jeffrey decides to roam the streets of NYC in search of suitable ‘parts’ from unsuspecting prostitutes in the hope of not only rebuilding Elizabeth but to also perfect her in every way possible – even if it means creating a monster babe he cannot control!
THE TERROR TALE & ITS TIMING: 1818 marked a year forever integral in the annals of both literature and the future of modern horror cinema, for it was the year Frankenstein would first be published, making author Mary Shelly one of Britain’s most renowned scribes and a undeniable influence on popular culture in the 20th century. Aside from the obvious Universal adaptation in 1931 and the several others that followed, shades of the Frankenstein mythology can be found in many stories that in one way or another pay homage to Shelly's original conceit. Henenlotter and co-writer Robert Martin (former editor of Fangoria magazine) take the central concept of lost love reanimated and twist it on it’s head, lampooning every aspect of the original Shelly story but in a way that never disrespects their affection for it as well. The joyously campy and deprecating humour of the script constantly reminds the audience just how insane Jeffrey’s obsession of bringing his dead girlfriend back to life via an assembly of human body parts once belonging to 42nd street hookers really is, always taking full advantage of every possible scenario involving mad scientist and his creation – all to maximum comical effect. It would be difficult to believe Henenlotter and his cast weren’t having a ball shooting the film, as the sheer lunacy and good-naturedly trashy disposition it consistently evokes is immediately appealing and forthcoming upon repeat viewings.
Aside from self-referential skills, Henenlotter has always displayed is a keen knack for pacing and strong script structure and Frankenhooker is a great example of a nicely timed horror/comedy. The film opens with an ultra-hokey death sequence that perfectly captures the spirit of things to come and the events that follow consistently serve to top what came before. Once Jeffrey’s condition is established and his reasoning for experimentation recognized the story sets off into wild, albeit slightly familiar territory but with hardly a dull moment to speak of. Comically, Frankenhooker is right on the mark; a robust creation full of hilarious sight gags and gleefully grotesque scenarios that exhibit a twisted immediacy and joyful exuberance that’s hard to ignore. Henenlotter’s films are generally known for their sleaze and have always possessed a certain low-budget ridiculousness, however it feels like the emphasis this time round was more about evoking laughter than disgust.
DOOMED CHARACTERS: Frankenhooker and its cast of moronic crazies reflect a time and place during the late 80s horror cycle when many characters where a product of their surroundings and excess was king. Never one to take himself or his work too seriously, Henenlotter always succeeds at populating his films with loopy personalities - particularly self obsessed leading characters either tormented by deranged family issues (Basket Case) or some kind of repulsive body abnormality (Brain Damage) that eventually takes over their sanity, resulting in horrible – yet humorous – consequences. Jeffrey Franken (shrewdly played by Lorinz) is the geekish, naïve kid everybody knew growing up in high school and the one most misunderstood and under-appreciated by those considered more worthy of recognition. Lorinz is so likable in the role and plays his character with such a light-hearted charisma and witty sense of self that you can’t help but be drawn into his plight, even if he is somewhat depraved and cluelessly psychotic. Credit must also be given to Miss Frankenhooker herself, Patty Mullen, who even though she is absent for most of the film really makes a slide-splitting impression when finally brought to life in the form of a purple-haired patchwork of body parts. In many ways it’s a shame her reanimation doesn’t take place sooner in the film, as the interaction between she and Lorinz is well matched and would have made for an entertaining series of scenarios were there more of them included in the script.
THE LOOK OF FEAR: Ever wondered why so many 80s flicks seem so hopelessly obsessed with neon lights, uber-colourful costumes and super flashy, almost cartoonish special effects? I guess the glut of fashion, music, and overall exhibitionism so prevalent at the time had a way of overflowing – subconsciously or otherwise - into the world of movies, thus infiltrating the minds of many filmmakers working in the business during the beloved decade of 80. Frankenhooker certainly pertains to these influences but it also finds much of its humour through the absurdity of it’s own heightened visual design, most notably the physical attributes given to Elizabeth and that of her disjointed, spasmodic body language. Gabriel Bartalos’ gooey effects work and neat prosthetic applications, combined with Mullen’s ingeniously manic performance, work wonders in creating a visually memorable character with an instantly identifiable persona and behavior pattern. There are also some priceless effects-driven set pieces throughout that demand attention and replay, one involving a dingy hotel room full of prostitutes who one-by-one explode in a fireball of sparks and scorched lingerie; a scene that personifies Henenlotter’s brilliance for surreal humor and B-movie sensibilities that few can match.
THE SOUND OF FRIGHT: Following suit with the films’ cartoonish candour, composer Joe Renzetti’s contributions to the garish temperament of Frankenhooker further express Henenlotter’s disposition for the wild and wacky, treading the fine line between homage and self-parody. Renzetti’s background as an exploitation go-to-guy and his proven skill for creating campy compositional masterpieces tremendously help the film in addition to one electronic dance number (used perhaps once too often, but who’s taking note?) that itself sounds like it was pulled from a slimy Manhattan nightclub. If madness is the order of the day and it required a fitting soundtrack, Renzetti was definitely the right choice for this monster mash.
FINAL THOUGHTS: For all it’s lunacy and juvenile tomfoolery, Frankenhooker still ranks as one of Henenlotter’s most underrated amalgamations and a clever satire on the Frankenstein mythos to boot. Whether you have the stomach for this kind of thing or not is another story, however if you’re looking for an immensely enjoyable romp that derives great pleasure from grossing you out by any means necessary, than this might just be the Friday night beer movie you’ve been looking for. Love or hate the movie, I’m still waiting for the day when this once great filmmaker decides to return to the silver screen to empty my stomach contents all over my popcorn once again. Those were the days...
Dir: Frank Henenlotter
Writer: Frank Henenlotter & Robert Martin
Cast: James Lorinz, Patty Mullen, Carissa Channing, Joseph Gonzalez
Country: USA
Run Time: 85mins
Rated: MA15+
Why is he kissing the gooey monster thing?
ReplyDeleteFrank Henenlotter is one of the most important director in the history ,He is known primarily for his horror comedies, though he would prefer to be classified as an "exploitation" filmmaker.22dd
ReplyDelete