Frankenhooker (1990)

Director:

Frank Henenlotter

Writers:

Frank Henenlotter
Robert Martin

Release Date:

1 June 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Got any money?

Plot:

A medical student sets out to recreate his decapitated fiancée by building her a new body made of Manhattan street hookers.

Plot Keywords:

Hooker | Prostitute | Lawnmower | Obsession | Creature Feature

Cast

James Lorinz	...	Jeffrey Franken
Joanne Ritchie	...	Mrs. Shelley
Patty Mullen	...	Elizabeth Shelley
J.J. Clark	...	Mr. Shelley
Carissa Channing	...	Dolores
Shirl Bernheim	...	Elizabeths Grandmother
Judy Grafe	...	Newscaster
Helmar Augustus Cooper	...	Detective Anderson (as Helmar Cooper)
Louise Lasser	...	Jeffreys Mother
John Zacherle	...	Weatherman
Charlotte J. Helmkamp	...	Honey (as Charlotte Helmkamp)
Kimberly Taylor	...	Amber
Shirley Stoler	...	Spike the Bartender
Joseph Gonzalez	...	Zorro
Ari M. Roussimoff	...	Zorro's Customer (as Ari Roussimoff)
Tom Hair	...	Motormouth
Beverly Bonner	...	Casey
Jennifer Delora	...	Angel
Lia Chang	...	Crystal
Susan Napoli	...	Anise (as Stephanie Ryan)
Heather Hunter	...	Chartreuse
Gittan Goding	...	Snow
Vicki Darnell	...	Sugar
Sandy Colosimo	...	Monkey
Max Brandt	...	Desk Clerk
James Smythe	...	Times Square Businessman
Gregory Gilbert	...	Times Square Victim #2
David Lipman	...	Frankenhookers trick
Avind Harum	...	Batman Shirt (as Eivind Harum)
Thomas Crognale	...	Stud in Hotel
Kathleen Gati	...	Corner Hooker #1 (as Kathi Gati)
Sonya Hensley	...	Corner Hooker #2
Dominic Marcus	...	Pimp
Paul-Felix Montez	...	Goldie
Alan Pratt	...	Transvestite
Jan Saint	...	Street Preacher
Carrotte	...	Puppeteer
Richard Casey	...	Puppeteer
Eren Ozker	...	Puppeteer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sam Gordon	...	Junkie (uncredited)
Frank Henenlotter	...	Passenger (uncredited)
Anibal O. Lleras	...	Pimp (uncredited)
Judy Young	...	Extra smoking in bathroom hallway (uncredited)

Directed by
Frank Henenlotter

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Frank Henenlotter
Robert Martin

Produced by
James Glickenhaus	....	producer
Edgar Ievins	....	producer

Original Music by
Joe Renzetti

Cinematography by
Robert M. Baldwin

Film Editing by
Kevin Tent

Casting by
Caroline Sinclair

Makeup Department
Robert Audin	....	special makeup effects crew: special effects assistant
Gabriel Bartalos	....	special makeup effects artist
Barbara Anne Bock	....	special makeup effects crew: special effects assistant
Andy Clement	....	special makeup effects crew: special effects assistant
Gino Crognale	....	special makeup effects crew: first assistant
Dan Frye	....	makeup artist
Arnold Gargiulo	....	special makeup effects crew: special effects assistant (as Arnold Gargiulo Jr.)
Bill Messina	....	special makeup effects crew: special effects assistant
Nick Santeramo	....	special makeup effects crew: special effects assistant
Paul Sciacca	....	special makeup effects crew: special effects assistant

Production Management
Declan Baldwin	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ted Hope	....	assistant director

Art Department
Wendy Jo Cohen	....	props

Sound Department
Paul Bang	....	sound mixer
Nancy Cabrera	....	foley artist
Dominick Tavella	....	sound re-recording mixer
Brian Vancho	....	foley artist

Special Effects by
Matt Vogel	....	pyrotechnics supervisor

Visual Effects by
Dennis Hamelin	....	optical layout
Al Magliochetti	....	visual effects supervisor
Shelly Morrow	....	optical assistant

Camera and Electrical Department
William MacGhee	....	gaffer
Eric Mache	....	still photographer
Linda Phillips	....	electrician

Editorial Department
Michael Levine	....	first assistant editor
Stan Sztaba	....	negative matcher
David Block	....	colorist (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Bobby Marsh	....	driver

Other crew
Delphine Burrus	....	production assistant
John DeSimone	....	production assistant
Guy Helson	....	production assistant
Rob Koch	....	production assistant
Mark Kuna	....	production assistant
Jeff Kushner	....	production assistant
Michael Taylor	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Levins-Henenlotter
• Shapiro-Glickenhaus Entertainment

Distributors

• Shapiro-Glickenhaus Entertainment (1990) (USA) (theatrical)
• Shapiro-Glickenhaus Home Video (1990) (USA) (VHS)
• Sinfonia Films (1991) (France) (theatrical)
• Amsell Entertainment (????) (worldwide) (all media)
• Anthem Pictures (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Arrow Video (2011) (worldwide) (DVD)
• Cineplex-Odeon Films (Canada)
• Cineplex-Odeon Home Video (1990) (Canada) (video)
• Image Entertainment (laserdisc)
• KNM Home Entertainment (2012) (Germany) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• MCA Home Video (1990) (Canada) (video)
• Medusa Pictures (UK) (VHS)
• Simitar Video (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Southgate Video (1990) (USA) (VHS)
• Starlight
• Synapse Films (2011) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-Ray)
• Tokuma Communications Company (TCC) (1990) (Japan) (VHS)
• Unearthed Films (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for gore, drugs and sensuality, and for language (edited for re-rating)

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Swedish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Germany:16 (re-rating) (2008) | Germany:18 | Netherlands:16 | USA:X (original rating) | Australia:M | UK:18 | USA:R (edited for re-rating) | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Canada:R (Ontario) | Australia:MA (re-rating) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

New Jersey, USA

Company:

Levins-Henenlotter

Trivia:

The hooker talk show is a parody of _"The Morton Downey Jr. Show" (1987) [TV-Series 1987-1989]_

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When handled, the body parts are obviously flimsy plastic objects, rather than large pieces of meat and bone.

Quotes:

Newscaster:In a blaze of blood, bones, and body parts, the vivacious young girl was instantly reduced to a tossed human salad... a salad that police are still trying to gather up... a salad that was once named Elizabeth.

Movie Connections:

References Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

Soundtrack:

Never Say No

Superbly twisted horror-comedy

Frankenhooker is without a doubt one of the most stupid, ridiculous, moronic, pointless, fun and brilliant films that I have seen. From the film's opening; which sees our would-be hero working on a strange brain with an eye in it, with some ridiculously out of place, relaxed suburbia music playing in the background; I knew that I was in for a comic treat. This movie features several moments of delicious comic brilliance; such as the out of control lawnmower sequence that sees the central character's girlfriend get tragically murdered, to the rather tactless news report detailing said tragedy, to the exploding whores and all the way down to the weather report which details a storm that is coming, "for all you mad scientists out there"; there's plenty to make you laugh in Frankenhooker.

The film takes obvious influence from the classic Frankenstein story, and it should appeal to anyone that is a fan of cheesy 80's gorefests. Of course, this was released in 1990, but that's incidental. As mentioned, the main character's girlfriend is killed in a lawnmower accident. The accident itself is a comic masterpiece; it's so absurdly silly! Anyway, this accident leads our hero to the brink of madness (to which his mother responds to by asking him if he would like a sandwich), and he decides to make his girlfriend a new body from the parts of various prostitutes that he picks up. Of course, it doesn't quite go to plan, which leads him into all manner of weird troubles. James Lorinz takes the lead role of Jeffrey Franken (and his girlfriend's surname is Shelly...can you spot the tribute?). Lorinz is great as the hero for the movie, he spends a lot of it acting on his own and he more than holds the audience's interest with his speeches and great accent. A film like this needs an offbeat star; and it has one in Lorinz.

Overall, this terrifying tale of sluts and bolts is sheer comic brilliance, and if you're a fan of weird and wonderful cult films, and even if you're not; you won't want to miss Frankenhooker.