In a commentary track on Frankenhooker’s DVD release with Frank Henenlotter (co-writer/director) and James Lorinz (actor), the problems the movie faced when going up against the MPAA were brought up. Henenlotter recalled a phone call with Richard Heffner who told him “Congratulations, you are the first film rated ‘S,’” When asked what that meant, he was told that ‘S’ stood for “sh*t.” Henenlotter expressed that he was deeply hurt at the time, feeling that it was not their place to provide commentary on what they felt about the movie. This started a feud over the rating of the movie, and producer James Glickenhaus made it publicly known that he was fighting back.

The movie eventually got an X rating (which was in use before being phased out the same year, 1990, in favor of NC-17). Henenlotter and his team refused the rating and released the film uncut and unrated, which came with its own problems with distribution. Frankenhooker would eventually gain an R rating when they cut some of the scene of exploding sex workers to six minutes from its original seven; again reflecting how petty and shallow the MPAA can be in their decisions.

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Frankehooker, along with Henenlotter’s Basketcase and Brain Damage, have earned a substantial cult following. It is easy to see why, with all the movies blending dark humor chocked with memorable lines of dialogue, gore-soaked horror, and over-the-top creature effects. For Frankenhooker, you have the wonderfully charismatic Patty Mullen as the titular monster roaming the streets of New York asking random strangers if they “Wanna date?” There is also the infamous scene where multiple sex workers blow up after taking “super crack.” To name but a few of the scenes that have made Frankenhooker a fan favorite.