Frankenhooker
Encyclopedia
Frankenhooker is an American black
comedy horror
film that was released in 1990. Very loosely inspired by Mary Shelley
's novel Frankenstein
, the film was directed by Frank Henenlotter
and stars James Lorinz
as medical school drop-out Jeffrey Franken and former Penthouse Pet Patty Mullen as the title character (who wears a fatsuit
in the beginning of the film).
Frankenhooker was well known for its unique interactive VHS cover box; when the subway lamp post was pressed by the customer, the box spoke back the line, "Wanna date
?" from the film.
In 1998, the movie was released on DVD by Simitar, but the DVD was the R-Rated version.
On October 17, 2006, the film was digitally remastered and released on DVD by Unearthed Films in its original, uncut and complete form. Featured on the bottom right of the cover is actor Bill Murray
's famous quote, "if you see one movie this year, it should be Frankenhooker." Synapse Films
announced it will be released on Blu-ray Disc
on November 22, 2011.
Black comedy
A black comedy, or dark comedy, is a comic work that employs black humor or gallows humor. The definition of black humor is problematic; it has been argued that it corresponds to the earlier concept of gallows humor; and that, as humor has been defined since Freud as a comedic act that anesthetizes...
comedy horror
Comedy horror
Comedy horror, also known as horror comedy, is a literary and film genre, combining elements of comedy and horror fiction. The comedy horror genre almost always inevitably crosses over with the black comedy genre; and in some respects could be considered a subset of it.The short story "The Legend...
film that was released in 1990. Very loosely inspired by Mary Shelley
Mary Shelley
Mary Shelley was a British novelist, short story writer, dramatist, essayist, biographer, and travel writer, best known for her Gothic novel Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus . She also edited and promoted the works of her husband, the Romantic poet and philosopher Percy Bysshe Shelley...
's novel Frankenstein
Frankenstein
Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is a novel about a failed experiment that produced a monster, written by Mary Shelley, with inserts of poems by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Shelley started writing the story when she was eighteen, and the novel was published when she was twenty-one. The first...
, the film was directed by Frank Henenlotter
Frank Henenlotter
Frank Henenlotter, , is an American screenwriter, director and film historian. He is known primarily for his horror comedies, though he would prefer to be classified as an "exploitation" filmmaker . "I never felt that I made ‘horror films’, he has said. "I always felt that I made exploitation films...
and stars James Lorinz
James Lorinz
James Lorinz is an American writer/director/actor whose most famous roles include Street Trash, Frankenhooker and The Jerky Boys. He has also had smaller parts in Last Exit to Brooklyn, Robocop 3 and King of New York....
as medical school drop-out Jeffrey Franken and former Penthouse Pet Patty Mullen as the title character (who wears a fatsuit
Fatsuit
A fatsuit is a bodysuit-like undergarment used to thicken the appearance of an actress or actor of light to medium build into a heavy-set or obese character, in conjunction with prosthetic makeup. Other spellings include fat suit and fat-suit....
in the beginning of the film).
Plot
When his gorgeous fiancée "goes to pieces" in a freak lawnmower accident, aspiring mad scientist Jeffrey Franken is determined to put her back together again. With the aid of an explosive superdrug, he sets about reassembling his girlfriend, selecting the choicest bits from a bevy of raunchy New York prostitutes. But his bizarre plan soon goes awry. His reanimated girlfriend no longer craves his body... she craves every body! And, for money, she'll love anyone... to death! http://www.hkflix.com/xq/asp/filmID.539743/qx/details.htmCast
- James LorinzJames LorinzJames Lorinz is an American writer/director/actor whose most famous roles include Street Trash, Frankenhooker and The Jerky Boys. He has also had smaller parts in Last Exit to Brooklyn, Robocop 3 and King of New York....
as Jeffrey Franken - Joanne Ritchie as Mrs. Shelley
- Paul-Felix Montez as Goldie
- Joseph Gonzalez as Zorro the Pimp
- Patty Mullen as Elizabeth Shelley
- J.J. Clark as Mr. Shelley
- Carissa Channing as Dolores
- Shirl Bernheim as Elizabeth's Grandmother
- Judy Grafe as Newscaster
- Helmar Augustus Cooper as Detective Anderson
- Louise Lasser as Jeffrey's Mother
- John Zacherle as Weatherman
- Charlotte J. Helmkamp as Honey
- Lia Chang as Crystal
- Kimberly Taylor as Amber
- Shirley Stoler as Spike the Bartender
- Ari M. Roussimoff as Zorro's Customer
Releases
Frankenhooker was released on home video in both rated and unrated versions, as the unrated version has a considerably greater amount of nudity than the cut version that has played on TV over the years.Frankenhooker was well known for its unique interactive VHS cover box; when the subway lamp post was pressed by the customer, the box spoke back the line, "Wanna date
Pick-up line
A pick-up line is a conversation opener with the intent of engaging an unfamiliar person for romance, or dating. Overt and sometimes humorous displays of romantic interest, pick-up lines advertise the wit of their speakers to their target listeners....
?" from the film.
In 1998, the movie was released on DVD by Simitar, but the DVD was the R-Rated version.
On October 17, 2006, the film was digitally remastered and released on DVD by Unearthed Films in its original, uncut and complete form. Featured on the bottom right of the cover is actor Bill Murray
Bill Murray
William James "Bill" Murray is an American actor and comedian. He first gained national exposure on Saturday Night Live in which he earned an Emmy Award and later went on to star in a number of critically and commercially successful comedic films, including Caddyshack , Ghostbusters , and...
's famous quote, "if you see one movie this year, it should be Frankenhooker." Synapse Films
Synapse Films
Synapse Films is a DVD/Blu-ray label owned and operated by Don May, Jr. and his business partners Jerry Chandler and Charles Fiedler. The company specializes in cult horror, science fiction, and exploitation films....
announced it will be released on Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
on November 22, 2011.