If anyone in the 1980s could be called the king of weird horror films, it was Frank Henenlotter. There are many other minds whose names could claim this title, directors such as Sam Raimi And Stuart Gordonbut these figures do not quite correspond to the strange form which Henenlotter has fashioned for himself.
Even to this day, the Frank Henenlotter brand is unrivaled. His films are like walking down New York’s shabbiest alley, digging into the deepest, stinkiest, dampest trash can, and deciding that the trash can is your new home. Here you will probably see some really crazy cases, but you will probably also see some things that will make you laugh very hard and question your own mental state. When you watch the films of Frank Henenlotter, you get the impression that you are as far away as possible from a certain corner of the history of cinema. Between little-known cult classics Basket Case And brain damage Frank Henenlotter alone deserves the top spot as the weirdest horror director of the 1980s.
Frank Henenlotter was born on August 29, 1950 in New York, New York, a native of a city he loves to put on screen in a miserable light. It didn’t take long for him to become a fan of genre films like Zombie Valley, wolf manAnd Tingler, all films he specifically cited as having impressed him as a child. Making films in 8 mm as a teenager, Henenlotter eventually moved on to making his first short film in 16 mm. Stab in 1972. This film was inspired by the exploitation films he made in underground and grindhouse theaters in New York City. From the very beginning, Henenlotter made shock films, and in the 1980s he cracked the code for making horror films.
Frank Henenlotter’s debut film was a love letter to Sleazy NYC
In 1982, Frank Henenlotter made his debut. Basket Case was thrown at the world. Inspired by the “seedy, fine vibe” of Times Square, Basket Case showcases everything his director would be famous for. The film is about Dwayne Bradley (Kevin Van Hentenrieck), a man who carries his ugly Siamese twin brother Belial in a large basket through the streets of New York City, and the two seek revenge on the doctors who separated them.
It’s a film that feels like a love letter to everything Henenlotter finds obscene in his hometown. The streets are covered in trash, everyone looks like they need to take a shower, and every interior is absolutely disgusting - all captured on gorgeously grainy 16mm film. The film was made cheaply with a budget of around $35,000, so all the special effects are of fine home cinema quality. In particular, Belial always looks like a puppet, but has such an unsettling and unique design, as well as strange jerky movements and an unsettling voice, that he ends up feeling like the real thing.
During, Basket Case might seem like a bit of a crazy comedy, but most of the time, to be honest, it feels like a really confusing documentary, lost in time, about the weirdest couple of people in New York. There are long parts of the film where the camera just follows Dwayne around town carrying this huge wicker basket. Little is said at these moments, we just have to wonder, along with everyone around him, what’s inside the basket? Although he continued to make mostly horror comedies from this point on, this film remains Henenlotter’s scariest work. The sequels made everything super goofy, but here Belial is a deafeningly loud and aggressive kid. His presence makes the film difficult to watch, but only in the way that the most effective horror films do. Basket Case this is a great little foray into discomfort and Henenlotter’s definitive work.
Best movie by Frank Henenlotter
Frank Henenlotter sophomore brain damagemay not be his final work, but it may be his standout opus. This is Brian’s storyRick Hurst), a person who gets a talking parasite named Aylmer (voiced by John Zacherle), which gives him psychedelic hallucinations at the expense of the other victims he feeds on. This film is definitely a continuation of Henenlotter towards straight comedy. brain damage can be unnerving, and it’s a pretty raw movie, but Aylmer is such a funny and polite little guy that, like the main character Brian, you forget he’s an evil parasite.
The film is clearly about addiction and the lengths people go to in order to satisfy their addiction, but it doesn’t make much of a difference to its themes. The film juggles between being gory, psychedelic and funny, all through a comic book lens so it doesn’t feel like what you’re watching. Requiem for a Dream. Like the rest of his work, brain damage takes place in the complete dirty pit of the universe, so if you like the atmosphere that Basket Case provides, it will be perfect for you. Although similar to his previous film, Henenlotter proves to be capable of some pretty interesting hallucinatory images of Brian. These scenes provide a nice contrast to their kaleidoscopic distorted visuals.
Decades Have Changed, But Frank Henenlotter’s Strange Horror Remains
Despite the fact that Frank Henenlotter only released two feature films in the 1980s, having two films under his belt that were as bizarre as Basket Case And brain damage would definitely be enough to crown someone as the king of weird horror of their decade. In the 1990s he directed two Basket Case sequels, Basket 2 And Basket Case 3: Offspringand Frankenhooker. This 1990 Frankenstein the parody in particular is so ridiculous that while it technically belongs in the “horror” genre, it is by far Henenlotter’s biggest foray into comedy. This is Jeffrey’s storyJames Lorintz), a man tasked with resurrecting his dead fiancee using body parts from dead Manhattan sex workers.
Frankenhooker more like the most disgusting R rated episode ever Ren and Stimpy than a horror movie. The end result is no doubt a lot of fun, but Frank Henenlotter’s project has never been so nauseating. Basket Case his final work, brain damage is his outstanding work, and Frankenhooker this is its furthest way to exploitation. It’s got graphic violence, nudity, a nasty lead, pathetic supporting characters, seedy locations, you get the idea - it’s a nasty movie with a bad atmosphere. Since then, he has worked as a film historian, directing a couple of documentaries and directing a 2008 horror comedy. bad biology.
If you’re ever in the mood to watch something that will make you both laugh and get excited, Frank Henenlotter is your choice. His filmography is full of killer, fantasy midnight movies, one after the other. They almost act like whimsical love letters to his hometown, the place where he seems to have encountered the strangest landmarks imaginable. His consistent knack for crafting bizarre plot synopses, gross gags, unique creatures, and awkward atmospheres, always on a small budget, makes his filmography one of the most reliable and fun of any other horror filmmaker of his era (if you can stomach his knack). Frank Henenlotter is cool and he will always be the king of weird 1980s horror movies.
Source: Collider
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