Frankenhooker

Frankenhooker is, for all intents and purposes, an unadulterated, bonafide delight.  There’s a handful of horror comedies I absolutely adore – The Return Of The Living Dead, Re-Animator, Street Trash and Night Of The Creeps, namely – whilst there are many others that I either abhor all together or feel are grossly overrated; either way, Frankenhooker is amidst the true elite and is one of the most enjoyable, laugh-out-loud horror flicks I have had the genuine pleasure of viewing lately.  The premise?  A brilliant (and slightly mad, of course) scientist witnesses the gruesome death-by-dismemberment of his fiancée and is hellbent on bringing her back no matter the cost and, as you could probably guess, therein Frankenhooker is “born.”  I won’t spoil anything else about the plot but it’s a lot more fun and ridiculous than I let on, believe me.

As you could probably guess, Frankenhooker is a low-budget movie through-and-through although Frank Henenlotter (of Basket Case fame) undoubtedly made the most of what he had.  Patty Mullen, for starters, has one of the best make-up jobs you’re likely to see from the early 90s and, yes, her acting isn’t too shabby either; in fact, on the contrary, her facial expressions and mindless whore-talking are absolutely wonderful and are much better than what you’d probably expect from a former Penthouse Pet.  Actually, to be honest, the film is often said to have bad acting but I think the rather unrefined, crude approach is most complimentary to the film’s  grimy, underproduced aesthetic.  The prosthetic effects and creations-gone-wrong found in the later part of the film are simultaneously gruesome, hilarious and surreal and are unlike anything you’ve seen before, I’m sure.  Don’t worry, there’s flying limbs aplenty (you’ve got to love that missile-leg) too and even some, ahem, exploding sex!  Yup, you’ve got it, this flick has got it all (and then some).

All right, I am making this one short-and-sweet since Frankenhooker, like many things in life, is best experienced first-hand.  It’s funnier than you anticipate and is as gleefully absurd as anything that falls under the horror and/or comedy tags.  Did I mention unique?  Indeed, this puppy is wholly original and is an exercise in exuberant, excited creativity.  You’ll laugh, point, clap, stand-up and probably even jump for joy as Frankenhooker reveals itself (and herself) before your very eyes.  A classic to be seen again and again (and again), no doubt; highly, highly recommended!

Also, has anyone happened to see both the cut and uncut versions of the film?  From what I understand the uncut version has more nudity but is that the only difference?  I, alas, possess only the R version of Frankenhooker at this point and was curious as to what the differences were.  Thanks in advance to anyone who responds to this inquiry!