Frankenthug

Director - Richard Tanner (Once Upon a Nightmare, Zombie Horror)

Starring - Soze Bagley, David Cairo, and Dante Sellers (The Goon and the Gamma Scout)

Release Date - 2017

Genre - Horror/Comedy

Tagline - "Get rich...die tryin'...repeat!"

Format - DVD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     The last few days I've spent some time reviewing indie horror flicks rather than checking out some older films that recently hit blu.  I love checking out these older flicks, usually for the first time, but indie no budget flicks is my true passion.  A few days back I checked out the indie flicks Pickaxe, Death House, and Dreaming Purple Neon.  One was entertaining, one was a shit show, and the other was decent but a missed opportunity.  I wanted to follow these up with another indie flick so I tossed in the 2017 horror comedy Frankenthug that was sent my way from MVD.  Thanks MVD for sending this one over!
     The film follows a young black man who recently lost his brother to a drug war with a group of bikers.  His body is stolen by a friend, Doc, where he conducts a series of experiments hoping to bring him back.  He succeeds to an extent.  He is able to reanimate the body but he lacks reason and can only say "Gucci" over and over again.  He starts to remember how he died and sets out to kill the bikers responsible.  He is able to escape Doc's lair and it's up to Doc and his brother to catch him before the bikers are able to kill him a second time.
     I was fully prepared to go into this one and write a negative review but I enjoyed it a lot more than I was expecting.  The movie has some laughs and stupid moments but I enjoyed it for what it was.  The acting in this one is a little rough.  The cast was having fun and really got into their characters but their performances definitely feel forced.  Some of the characters are really fun while others are a little on the annoying side but that doesn't take away from the film.  The forced delivery does make the movie feel awkward at times but the story still progresses.  The story for this one made me think I was about to dive deep into a blaxploitation flick.  Instead, it's more of a biker movie with a reanimated corpse...and bigfoot.  I love how absurd the film is and how just when you think you have a grasp of things something else ridiculous is tossed our way.  The movie does struggle with pacing issues but all things considered it still entertains.  Finally, if you are looking for gore you wont find it here.  This no budget horror comedy relies solely on character personality and story.  The effects we get are minimal and limited but not the key point of any film.  Overall, Frankenthug is a fun horror comedy that offers up some humor with a solid enough story but the acting does fall a little flat.  If you are looking for something different during a late night movie marathon I suggest grabbing this one.