Frankenhooker [Blu-ray]

A Minor Classic for Cult fans.

Synopsis: After the tragic death of fiancée Elizabeth who died due to a freak lawnmower accident her fiancée Jeffery Franken dreams up a too bring her back to life. He decides to give her new body by taking the best body parts from various prostitutes. After he reassembles Elizabeth he gets more then he bargained for when she takes on the persona of the prostitutes who body parts now make up her body and she goes on a rampage through the streets of New York looking for John's who are looking for a date.

Frankenhooker is like a cross between Mary Shelly's Frankenstein and the film Weird Science. Who hasn't dreamed of or wouldn't want to put together a perfect woman. Unlike these other films that explore a similar idea the plot for Frankenhooker sees Jeffrey Franken who wants to bring his dead girlfriend because he misses her and not to advance science. It is also amusing how he wants to give her the perfect body when while she was alive she battled a weight problem.

One of the films strongest assets is its special effects which while at times not perfect they still get the job done. The most memorable scene is when a group of prostitutes start smoking the super crack Jeffery Franken made and then they all start to explode. The most colorful and charismatic character in the film is a pimp named Zorro who brands his ladies with a Z that he burns into their arms. Patty Mullen (Doom Asylum) is also really good especially once she takes on the persona of Frankenhooker. She also gets some of the more memorable lines in the film. James Lorinz (The Sweet Life) is wonderful as the prototype mad scientist Jeffrey Franken and his enthusiasm for his work is infectious.

Part of Frankenhooker's charm is that the film never takes itself seriously. Fans of director Frank Henenlotter who go into the film expecting the gore and violence to be on the same level as his previous films Basket Case and Brain Damage might feel under whelmed since this film relies more on comedy on less on these two things. Overall Frankenhooker is a biting satire that cleverly pays homage to the Frankenstein legacy.

The BluRay:

Frankenhooker comes on a 50 GB dual layer BluRay. The film is presented in a 1080 progressive anamorphic widescreen. For this release Synapse Films have created a brand new 2K high definition transfer from original vault elements. Colors and flesh tones look accurate, black and contrast levels look consistently good and details look sharp throughout. There are no problems with compression and DNR is never an issue.

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD MA 5.1 Surround mix in English and a DTS-HD MA Stereo mix in English. Both audio mixes sound great, with the differences between the two being minimal. Dialog always comes through clearly and everything sounds balanced and the more ambient aspects of the soundtrack are well represented.

When compared to the Unearthed Films DVD release, the audio / video presentation for this new release from Synapse Films is a substantial upgrade.

Frankenhooker was originally released on DVD in 2006 by Unearthed Films and all of the extras pertaining to the film have been carried over for this release. Extras include a theatrical trailer for the film (1 minute 33 seconds - anamorphic widescreen), three interviews, the first interview with actress Patty Mullen (8 minutes 53 seconds - 4:3 full frame), the second interview with actress Jennifer Delora (19 minutes 32 seconds - anamorphic widescreen) and the third interview with special effects advisor Gabe Bartalos (21 minutes - 4:3 full frame) and a image gallery titled `Jennifer Delora's Frankenhooker photo scrapbook' and a audio commentary with director Frank Henenlotter and Gabe Bartalos. The interviews with Patty Mullen and Jennifer Delora, both ladies are candid as they recall in great detail working with director Frank Henenlotter and their experiences making Frankenhooker, while the interview with Gabe Bartalos covers the make-up effects and this segment is filled with a lot of cool behind the scenes footage. Topics covered in the audio commentary track with Frank Henenlotter and Gabe Bartalos include technical aspect of making the film like the special effects, casting and other behind the scenes stories. Also included with this release is reversible cover art. Overall Synapse Films gives Frankenhooker its best audio / video presentation to date.
Written by: Michael Den Boer with Thanks to Michael.

I experienced the joy of getting this HD release a bit early. Don May and Synapse Films have delivered the goods yet again.

The picture quality is of the highest class with a very filmic look. It's Blu-rays like this that make me wish I had the space (and the money) for a proper home theater room with projector. There's a very fine layer of grain present that looks natural but unobtrusive, the remainder of the image very detailed and representative of its film roots. There are some emulsion scratches here and there, but nothing that will take away one's enjoyment. A little more scratch cleanup would have been appreciated in this case, but it's not a problem.

Most of the extras from the Unearthed Films DVD have been carried over, save for a short five-minute photo gallery and some trailers for other films. The exciting trailer for "Frankenhooker" is thankfully in HD; I wish more companies would follow Synapse's example and offer HD trailers of the films, particularly when it comes to these cult classics.

The film itself, if you haven't seen it, is a riot--very quirky humor with a bit of a twisted side. I can't imagine anybody not laughing at the exploding hookers scene, or the female body part monsters toward the end (including what special effects artist Gabe Bartalos named "the Titty Twister"--you'd have to see it to get it). The special effects in these scenes are well-made and with high comical effect. No gore here, just hokey fun. It's difficult to really call this a horror film; whereas Henenlotter's other films--the "Basket Case" series, "Brain Damage", and "Bad Biology"--all exhibit rather horrific subject matter and scenes fused with the humor, "Frankenhooker" is straight-up comedy.

The performances all around are entertaining with James Lorinz (a.k.a. "the Doorman from 'Street Trash' ") and Patty Mullen (vivacious Penthouse Pet) leading the show exceptionally well. You'll adore Lorinz' mad scientist depravity, drilling holes into his head to help him think, and Mullen's jittery head movements, face spasms, and snippy dialog.

I suck at writing film reviews, but there it is! Thought I'd talk about the film in addition to the video quality for once.

This is a highly recommended Blu-ray Disc. If you're a fan of the film, ditch the DVD and pick this up; and if you've never seen it before and can laugh at the stranger things in life, buy it and show it to all your friends. Then congratulate Don May for a job well done and pick up every one of Synapse's other Blu-ray Discs (and spam him--lovingly, of course--with requests for "Street Trash" and the remainder of the Coffin Joe trilogy to come out soon on the format).

Gordon Sullivan, DVD Verdict --I love Henenlotter's first film, Basket Case, but for me his masterpiece will always be Frankenhooker. Although Basket Case just oozes exploitation cred, with its gritty shots of the city and wonderfully dated gore effects, Frankenhooker is the perfect blend of mad comedy and exploitation grit. The film didn't do that well at the box office, but it gained a huge cult following, largely because people saw its VHS box, which responded to a button by playing a line from the film. It's in that context that the film really works. It's a goofy film that really wants you to love it. Because of that, it throws everything but the kitchen sink in. There's broad slapstick comedy mixed with copious amounts of nudity and random goofy gore. The film also loves to mix it up between strange interior sets and shots of the Big Apple where the prostitutes live. The mix of gritty realism and comically fantastic makes a beautiful blend.

Henenlotter isn't the only reason the film is a success. The film's two main actors are also perfectly cast. James Lorinz didn't have a lot of experience before taking the lead in Frankenhooker, but he handles the role with charisma to spare. He makes his mad scientist simultaneously manic, sympathetic, and funny. His acting here makes me serious wonder why he didn't immediately become at least a huge cult star in the 1990s. His opposite number--Penthouse Pet Patty Mullen--does an excellent job as Elizabeth as well. She's perfectly comfortable playing both the innocent wife-to-be and the dolled-up Frankenhooker. The guy who plays the pimp, Zorro, is also totally hilarious as both a really threatening guy but also someone who's pretty farcical as well.

I first saw Frankenhooker on an extra-less gray market DVD, and was quite pleased with the 2006 official release. That DVD has been ported to hi-def here, and the results are remarkable. Frankenhooker was never going to look perfect, but this AVC-encoded transfer looks better than I would have expected. There's a little bit of print damage here and there, but overall detail is strong, grain is well-handled, and colors are spot-on. There's a little bit of noise here and there, and black levels could be deeper, but this is way better than those who remember that old VHS would ever expect. The film comes with both a 5.1 and a 2.0 DTS-HD track. Both are excellent, with clear dialogue and great reproduction of the film's score. The 5.1 track adds a bit of low end and occasional surround use.

The extras come straight from the previous DVD special edition. They start with a Henenlotter commentary track (where he's joined by makeup guru Gabe Bartalos), and Henenlotter is his usual informative self. He dishes on the film's production, its problems, as well as its afterlife on video. Then we get a pair of interviews, one with Mullen and the other with Jennifer Delora (who played one of the hookers in the film). Both women seem quite happy with their time on the Frankenhooker set and are happy to share their stories. Delore also provides a "scrap-book" with photos from the set. There's also a nice 20-minute featurette on the film's special effects that's includes some nice behind-the-scenes footage. Finally, the film's trailer is included--in HD, no less.

-Full review at dvdverdict.com

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