Deep Cuts: Frankenhooker (1990)

Frankenhooker: A tale of sluts and bolts

The year 1990 was a tumultuous time. The Gulf War began. Nelson Mandela was finally freed. Communism finally ended in Yugoslavia. And Frank Henenlotter was planning to unleash his greatest masterpiece upon the recovering world.

Frankenhooker is birthed from the brilliant mind that brought us Basketcase, and is extremely loosely based on the Mary Shelley novel Frankenstein. Jeffrey Franken is a medical school dropout who loves to invent. He decides to gift his fiances’ father with a remote controlled lawnmower for his birthday. This immediately goes awry as the mower accidentally decapitates and dismembers Jeffrey’s girl.

Grief stricken, Jeffrey steals the head of his dear Elizabeth and vows to bring her back to life. In order to rebuild her body, Jeffrey must lure and murder prostitutes to find the perfect replacement parts for her. Jeffrey must now battle police suspicion, an insanely buff pimp named Zorro, and a new drug called super crack, in order to be reunited with his true love.

This. Movie. Is. Awesome. It features the great stop-go animation effects we’ve come to expect from Henenlotter. The movie features some great gags and a plethora of nudity. And, as if all that wasn’t enough, Bill Murray names it as his favorite movie of 1990. So what are you waiting for? It is currently available on Hulu and there is a VHS copy with a talking box that you can find on Ebay. Epic.

About James Amthor 14 Articles
James is the writer, director and producer behind PunGent Studios. Some of his favorite films include The Blob, Slither and Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer along with books like Geek Love, Diary and Bend Sinister.

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