Frankenhooker: The Schlocky Cult Classic Receives an Impressive UHD Upgrade (4K)

The Film:

Writer/Director Frank Hennenlotter has given us some wild rides over the course of his 50-year career, including 1988's "Brain Damage" and a trilogy of "Basket Case" films, the latter of which is probably his most well-known material. However, he also delivered another odd little outing in 1990 called "Frankenhooker," which was another relatively small horror flick that hardly made a splash when it was in theaters, but which became a smash hit on home video thanks to an unexpected endorsement from Bill Murray and a gimmicky "talking" VHS box.

With a title like "Frankenhooker," and a premise that is summed up pretty well in said title, this was the kind of film that was never going to be a critical darling, and yet, as mentioned, it would quickly find its audience when it became available to own, giving it the reputation of being a rather popular cult film. Even 36 years later, fans still get a kick out of its extremely goofy take on a classic horror tale, which is why Synapse Films has opted to give the film a rather stunning 4K upgrade, while throwing in a handful of previously-released extras as well, so now it's time to give it a look and see how well it's held up over the years. Is this a cult classic that is worth the time to seek out, or is there perhaps a reason why its popularity remains with a very specific fanbase?

The film follows Jeffrey Franken (James Lorinz), an electrician at a local power plant who also happens to be an amateur scientist. When his fiancee Elizabeth (Patty Mullen) is accidentally killed in a freak lawnmower accident at her father's birthday party, he begins to make plans to bring her back to life, which will involve harvesting various body parts from prostitutes in New York City. It's not an easy task, but after some unexpected hiccups (and explosions), he's able to get the pieces he needs. However, as he soon discovers, what he brings back is hardly what he expected from his experiment.

By the time you reach the end of these bizarre 80 minutes, it pretty much confirms the notion that this was never meant to be something that critics would fawn over or shower with awards. Instead, it was meant for the crowd who not only enjoyed Hennenlotter's previous work, but also other odd works that aren't looking to do anything more than give fans of schlocky horror something to enjoy, and indeed there is at least some fun to be had with its unique take on the classic "Frankenstein" story, that is, when it finally buckles down and gets to it.

The single biggest issue holding "Frankenhooker" back is its curious hesitation to really delve into its goofy premise. Hennenlotter seems to want to get things started right away, especially when Elizabeth is pulverized by a lawnmower in the first few minutes of the film, but then everything gets put on hold while Jeffrey tries to figure out his plan, which is followed by extended scenes of him trying to acquire the parts he needs. It's not until well over halfway through the brief runtime that we finally come to the true meat of the story, which is the part that is highly emphasized in the somewhat misleading trailer (i.e. the trailer makes it look like this is what the film is primarily about, when in fact it's only the last part of it).

Watching the titular creation stroll around trying to pick up dates, zapping people to death, and spouting lines of dialogue that the owners of her various parts said previously does provide a fair amount of amusement, it's just a shame that you have to trudge through more than half the runtime to finally get there. Even the creature from the original 1931 "Frankenstein" got to be in most of the film, with the filmmakers choosing not to waste too much time with the process of carrying out the steps of the plan and bringing him to life. It makes you wish that Hennenlotter had taken better notes when putting together his variation of the tale, but even so, it still clearly has its admirers that love the silliness of his take, warts and all. With it making its 4K debut this week, they simply couldn't ask for a better upgrade, and in the end, pleasing the film's devoted fans is all that really matters.

Video/Audio:

"Frankenhooker" comes to 4K in a 1.78:1, 2160p Ultra High Definition transfer of outstanding quality. The film has been perfectly restored from the original uncut 35mm negative, leaving just the right touch of grain on an otherwise beautifully sharp & clear picture. Likewise, the remastered 5.1 DTS-HD MA/original 2.0 DTS-HD MA soundtracks are fantastic, giving you all of the dialogue, sound effects, and music in excellent quality. Overall, Synapse Films has done a wonderful job in both areas for the film's new upgrade.

Special Features:

Commentary with Director Frank Hennenlotter and Make-Up Effects Designer Gabe Bartalos

A Salad That Was Once Named Elizabeth (9 Minutes): An interview with actress Patty Mullen.

A Stitch in Time: The Make-Up Effects of Frankenhooker (21 Minutes): Gabe Bartalos takes a look back at his work on the film.

Turning Tricks: Jennifer DeLora Remembers Frankenhooker (20 Minutes): An interview with the actress who played Angel.

Jennifer DeLora's Frankenhooker Photo Scrapbook (11 Minutes)

Conclusion:

Frank Hennenlotter's "Frankenhooker" utilizes a rather unique take on the classic "Frankenstein" tale to deliver a fair amount of amusing moments with its titular creation, it's just a shame that it takes more than half the film's brief 80-minute runtime to finally get there, sadly getting bogged down more in the planning & executing instead of truly diving into the meat of the goofy premise. That said, its new 4K upgrade looks & sounds fantastic, which will no doubt please the fans of this schlocky cult classic, and that ultimately makes all the difference.

Score: 2.5/5

Available on 4K starting tomorrow.

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