This is not a great film, or even an illuminating one for that matter, but its not trying to be!
As far as story-lines go this one is somewhat lop-sided, but Frankenhooker does have its own internally driven logic: how else could it explain the super-crack, the mis-aligned body-parts and, of course, the drill.
Be warned, this movie has more exploding hookers than you could shake a rotisserie at. Along with its many other visual treats, there is a low-budget, sci-fi laboratory (complete with an obligatory Vander-Graf generator buzzing away in all its glorious sparkery) for us to feast our eyes and ears on. Trust me, this film ranks right up there with 'Young Frankenstein' when it comes to cheap, techno-gimmick ingenuity. For good measure, the lab itself also double budgets as a single car garage: albeit one with a two door roof opening -- you know, just in case an obligatory storm approaches.
Its obvious, early & often, that most of the cast members here have never acted before, but this actually works in the film's favour because they don't try to 'act'.
Patty Mullen, as Elizabeth Shelley, delivers an honest piece of work precisely because of the fact she doesn't try to be something she is not - an experienced actor playing a challenging role. On the other hand, James Lorinz, (Jeffery Franken) intentionally plays it so close to the vest you can see the straight-jacket peeking out from underneath (he's not great here, but his choices are fairly solid throughout). But, by far the best performance is from David Lipman (Frankenhooker's trick) in a tour-de-force display of upstagemanship: not only does he steal every scene he's in, he virtually chews through every stitch of upholstery along the way - and its truly a joy to watch. Nonetheless, Jennifer Delora (Angel) deserves special mention for being the glue that holds it all together; who needs to act when you've got a role this familiar and this much fun to play!
Make no mistake about it, Frankenhooker is not a great film, but it is a truly brilliant one in its own right!
As far as story-lines go this one is somewhat lop-sided, but Frankenhooker does have its own internally driven logic: how else could it explain the super-crack, the mis-aligned body-parts and, of course, the drill.
Be warned, this movie has more exploding hookers than you could shake a rotisserie at. Along with its many other visual treats, there is a low-budget, sci-fi laboratory (complete with an obligatory Vander-Graf generator buzzing away in all its glorious sparkery) for us to feast our eyes and ears on. Trust me, this film ranks right up there with 'Young Frankenstein' when it comes to cheap, techno-gimmick ingenuity. For good measure, the lab itself also double budgets as a single car garage: albeit one with a two door roof opening -- you know, just in case an obligatory storm approaches.
Its obvious, early & often, that most of the cast members here have never acted before, but this actually works in the film's favour because they don't try to 'act'.
Patty Mullen, as Elizabeth Shelley, delivers an honest piece of work precisely because of the fact she doesn't try to be something she is not - an experienced actor playing a challenging role. On the other hand, James Lorinz, (Jeffery Franken) intentionally plays it so close to the vest you can see the straight-jacket peeking out from underneath (he's not great here, but his choices are fairly solid throughout). But, by far the best performance is from David Lipman (Frankenhooker's trick) in a tour-de-force display of upstagemanship: not only does he steal every scene he's in, he virtually chews through every stitch of upholstery along the way - and its truly a joy to watch. Nonetheless, Jennifer Delora (Angel) deserves special mention for being the glue that holds it all together; who needs to act when you've got a role this familiar and this much fun to play!
Make no mistake about it, Frankenhooker is not a great film, but it is a truly brilliant one in its own right!