Photo credit: mubi.com
by Bone Jawnson
Looking for a date?! Got any money?! This past weekend, I dove into the Frank Henenlotter cult film, "Frankenhooker," which was full of sluts and bolts. This film was loosely based on Mary Shelley’s classic book” Frankenstein, emphasizing the loose. The film starts off abruptly with Jeffery, the main character witnessing his fiancé Elizabeth becoming body-deficient. Jeffery, played by James Lorinz, focused on reconstructing the body of his beloved with reluctant human specimens.
While researching this film, I came across a few accounts stating that Frank Henenlotter came up with the idea for "Frankenhooker" off the top of his head while in a film pitch meeting. I appreciate the automatism approach to filmmaking, in which one's subconscious mind is allowed to sway the creative process while the conscious mind is suppressed.
The movie was fun for several reasons. I adored watching James Lorinz play Jeffery because he was so convincing as a "bio-electric technician," even though the audience has little to no idea what that means. Overall, it did not even matter because I simply enjoyed watching a mad scientist-doctor-electrician attempt to bring his beloved Elizabeth back from the dead using acquired spare body parts he had to harvest from the New York City streets.
This film was more a comedy than a horror film. There is very little bloodshed; however, there are many explosive scenes with blatant exploitation. If you are a fan of "Frankenstein," explosives, mad scientists, and disjointed character development, this film is for you. While Jeffrey's intentions are driven by love, they result in a twist ending that will leave you cracking up.