In the early '90s it was rare for a film to possess much in the way of originality, which is why Frank Henenlotter's campy spoof of the Frankenstein theme stands out from the crowd. Sure, the film is full of the awful rubbery special effects so popular in late '80s cinema, but for once it possesses some imagination, some ideas which make it a great deal more entertaining than half a dozen of your low budget no-hopers.
The camp tone of the film is set out from the start when our hero's girlfriend is killed by a lawnmower, of all things (although this cut-away scene is no match for the infamous classic finale of BRAINDEAD). Yes, the film does depend almost solely on goofy jokes for entertainment purposes, but there's no harm in this. Okay, so perhaps a little more wit would have improved things all round, but you can't have everything.
The acting consists of either mugging at the camera (especially in the case of the title character, who performs some ridiculous gurning), or being just plain bad. James Lorinz himself isn't too bad, and there is something endearing about his teenage scientist who sticks a drill in his brain to stimulate himself. In fact, Lorinz is part of the reason to watch this film. He's not a particularly gifted actor, but there's just something about him which makes him fit this role like a glove. For the most part, we are bombarded by bad computer effects, some cheap and tacky gore, lots of gratuitous nudity, pseudo-science and, in the film's most remembered scene, prostitutes literally exploding all over the place. Although this scene is patently unrealistic, at least you won't find it anywhere else.
As for the horror content, there is little. An effective ending has the principle villain being eaten by a hideous 'something' in a slimy freezer, but that's about it as the rest of the film is played strictly for laughs. Henenlotter certainly makes the most of his low budget, and many of the special effects are ambitious, if not totally realistic. They all fit into the spirit of the thing, in any case. For fans of cheesy horror flicks, FRANKENHOOKER is definitely one of a kind.
The camp tone of the film is set out from the start when our hero's girlfriend is killed by a lawnmower, of all things (although this cut-away scene is no match for the infamous classic finale of BRAINDEAD). Yes, the film does depend almost solely on goofy jokes for entertainment purposes, but there's no harm in this. Okay, so perhaps a little more wit would have improved things all round, but you can't have everything.
The acting consists of either mugging at the camera (especially in the case of the title character, who performs some ridiculous gurning), or being just plain bad. James Lorinz himself isn't too bad, and there is something endearing about his teenage scientist who sticks a drill in his brain to stimulate himself. In fact, Lorinz is part of the reason to watch this film. He's not a particularly gifted actor, but there's just something about him which makes him fit this role like a glove. For the most part, we are bombarded by bad computer effects, some cheap and tacky gore, lots of gratuitous nudity, pseudo-science and, in the film's most remembered scene, prostitutes literally exploding all over the place. Although this scene is patently unrealistic, at least you won't find it anywhere else.
As for the horror content, there is little. An effective ending has the principle villain being eaten by a hideous 'something' in a slimy freezer, but that's about it as the rest of the film is played strictly for laughs. Henenlotter certainly makes the most of his low budget, and many of the special effects are ambitious, if not totally realistic. They all fit into the spirit of the thing, in any case. For fans of cheesy horror flicks, FRANKENHOOKER is definitely one of a kind.