BAD BIOLOGY (2008)
Label: Severin Films
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 84 Minutes 13 Seconds
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0, 5.1 with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 2160p Ultra HD (1.78:1) 1080p HD Widescreen (1.78:1)
Director: Frank Henenlotter
Cast: Charlee Danielson, Anthony Sneed, J-Zone, Remedy, Krista Ayne, Reef the Lost Cauze, Vinnie Paz, John A. Thorburn, James Glickenhaus, Jelena Jensen
Bad Biology (2008) was Frank Henenlotter's return to filmmaking after a much-too-long 17-year hiatus, his previous film having been Basket Case 3: The Progeny (1991). Made on a lower-budget but still chockfull of Henenlotter's trademark low-brow, irreverent humor and outrageous ideas, a delightfully twisted comedic tale about NYC photographer Jennifer (Charlee Danielson), a woman with a mutant libido, born with an aberrant seven clitoris, which fuel an une-ending homicidal nymphomania. She craves sex constantly and oftentimes gets so turned on while fucking she literally bangs her lovers to death! Afterward she experiences prolonged multiple orgasms, and a few hours later spontaneously births hideous mutant babies, which she immediately kills. It's while on a photography shoot she encounters a young man named Batz (Anthony Sneed, Chasing Banksy), who she discovers has a monstrous penis, and she decides she must have at it. Batz was not genetically born with a monstrous cock, but during his birth the doctor accidentally severed his penis while attempting to cut the umbilical cord (oops!), which they sewed back on but as a teen he discovered his penis was useless, that he would have a limp dick his whole life. Dissatisfied with that dismal prospect Batz began injecting his junk with experimental drug cocktails and steroids in an effort to get his libido jump-started. It works, but the regiment of drugs, which includes stronger animal steroids has unintended side effects, the thing is two-feet long and looks like The Toxic Avengers of dicks, a seriously hideous monstrosity that fucks so good we see it leave a prostitute in a perpetual state of orgasm! It's also addicted to the steroids and has a mind of its own, whipping around inside his boxers like an electrified power line, so he often has to tape it down with duct tape to tame it. If Batz had his way he would just stay home and watch porn while fucking an homemade industrial strength fleshlight of his own design, but Jennifer wants that cock, and his cock, taking a cue from the King Missile tune "Detachable Penis" from the 90's decides it's had quite enough of Batz constant cock-blocking, detaching itself from Batz body while he sleeps and embarking on a nut-busting rampage through an apartment building.
Danielson and Sneed are a bit ametuer but also terrific in their respective roles, especially Danielson who seems super game to bare it all and get into the humorous perversity of the premise, with rowdy over-the-top sex scenes, and I love how charming her homicidal nymphomaniac character is, as where Batz is more brooding and guarded. Henenlotter did not lose his edge in the nearly 20 years since his last film, he still had it, and while it might be a bit lower-budget it's a rollicking sexual freak fest from start to finish. If anything you could say he is recycling elements of his past films, we get the detachable murderous appendage of Basket Case, a bit of the drug addiction from Brain Damage, and the kitschy bad-taste of Frankenhooker, but for me it wasn't derivative, it's just the playground Henelotter preferred to play in. He gets an assist from special effects make-man Gabe Bartalos (From Beyond), who had worked on all of Henenlotter's flicks since Basket Case 2. It's a sickly crude looking Franken-penis and suits Henenlotter's shock and guffaw tone to a "T". What I love about it is I can see it being in a shared universe alongside Basket Case, Brain Damage and Frankenhooker, it has the same sensibilities and quirky vibe about, and if you dig those kitschy, bad-taste flicks I think you're gonna get a kick out of this one, a sleazy good time in the land of Henenlotter, the guy who puts the dick in redickulous.
Audio/Video: Bad Biology (2008) gets the 4K upgrade from
Severin Films, scanned in 4K from the OCN, presented in 2160p Ultra HD, framed in 1.78:1 widescreen. The film was previously issued on Blu-ray from Media Blasters with an unimpressive SD upconvert. Thankfully Severin have stepped in to rectify that abomination with a fresh scan from the OCN, offering organic film grain, solid texturing, and re-freshed colors, minus the ugly yellow pallor of the previous release. It's lower budget and is not the flashiest of Henelotter's flicks but colors, depth and clarity are all appreciably improved over past releases, as are black levels. Audio comes by way of uncompressed English DTS-HD MA 2.0 and 5.1 with optional English subtitles. Both tracks are cleana nd well;-balanced, the surround mix is nicely immersive, and I preferred it over the 2.0.
Extras come by way of an archival Audio commentary with Frank Henenlotter and producer R.A. The Rugged Man Thorburn, plus a new Audio Commentary With Director Frank Henenlotter, director of photography Nick Deeg and actor Anthony Sneed. Severin also carry-over the the 8-min F*ck Face – Photographer Clay Patrick McBride runs around the director's apartment filming guys making their 'O Face'.
Severin further improve it with their own exclusive set of extras, these include the 31-min Spook House, containing interviews with Frank Henenlotter and R.A. The Rugged Man Thorburn, production coordinator Michael Shershenovich, Nick Deeg, retired detective David Henenlotter and production manager Chaz Kangas, discussing the spooky happening in the historical Brooklyn mansion where they filmed. In The Basement With Charlee Danielson is a brief and completely off-kilter interview with Charlee Danielson which runs about 4-minutes and features the co-star being interviewed while bouncing and throwing a basketball around, it's weird. The 67-min Deeg and Sneed – A Conversation between Nick Deeg and Anthony Sneed has the co-star and cinematographer chatting about their careers and how they came to work on the film, their memories of the shoot and cast and crew; and the 12-min Swollen Agenda – Interview with make-up effects Agenda artist Gabe Bartalos chatting about his work on the film. The 32-min Beyond Bad – Behind the Scenes of Bad Biology is raw behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the film. The disc extras are rounded off with the 12-min SUCK – A wonderfully twisted short film by Anthony Sneed; the 5-min Legendary Loser – Music Video by R.A. The Rugged Man, an d an extensive Thorburn Image Gallery stuffed with over 100 publicity pics, behind-the-scenes shots, video covers and more. The 2-disc release arrives in a standard dual-gub black keepcase with a single-sided sleeve of artwork.
Special Features:
Disc 1: 4K UHD
- Commentary With Director Frank Henenlotter, director of photography Nick Deeg and actor Anthony Sneed
- Archival commentary with Frank Henenlotter and producer R.A. The Rugged Man Thorburn
Disc 2: Blu-ray
- Commentary with Frank Henenlotter, Nick Deeg and Anthony Sneed
- Archival commentary with Frank Henenlotter and producer R.A. The Rugged Man Thorburn
- Spook House – Interviews with Frank Henenlotter and R.A. The Rugged Man Thorburn, production coordinator Michael Shershenovich, Nick Deeg, retired detective David Henenlotter and production manager Chaz Kangas (30:31)
- In The Basement With Charlee Danielson – A brief, completely off-kilter interview with the elusive Miss Charlee Danielson and a Basketball (3:44)
- Deeg and Sneed – A Conversation between Nick Deeg and Anthony Sneed (66:52)
- Swollen Agenda – Interview with make-up effects Agenda artist Gabe Bartalos (11:47)
- Archival commentary with Frank Henenlotter and producer R.A. The Rugged Man Thorburn
Disc 2: Blu-ray
- Commentary with Frank Henenlotter, Nick Deeg and Anthony Sneed
- Archival commentary with Frank Henenlotter and producer R.A. The Rugged Man Thorburn
- Spook House – Interviews with Frank Henenlotter and R.A. The Rugged Man Thorburn, production coordinator Michael Shershenovich, Nick Deeg, retired detective David Henenlotter and production manager Chaz Kangas (30:31)
- In The Basement With Charlee Danielson – A brief, completely off-kilter interview with the elusive Miss Charlee Danielson and a Basketball (3:44)
- Deeg and Sneed – A Conversation between Nick Deeg and Anthony Sneed (66:52)
- Swollen Agenda – Interview with make-up effects Agenda artist Gabe Bartalos (11:47)
- Beyond Bad – Behind the Scenes of Bad Biology (31:46)
- F*ck Face – Photographer Clay Patrick McBride runs around the director's apartment filming guys making their 'O Face' (7:53)
- SUCK – A wonderfully twisted short film by Anthony Sneed (11:59)
- Legendary Loser – Music Video by R.A. The Rugged Man (4:49)
- Thorburn Image Gallery – publicity pics, behind-the-scenes shots, video covers and death pix
- F*ck Face – Photographer Clay Patrick McBride runs around the director's apartment filming guys making their 'O Face' (7:53)
- SUCK – A wonderfully twisted short film by Anthony Sneed (11:59)
- Legendary Loser – Music Video by R.A. The Rugged Man (4:49)
- Thorburn Image Gallery – publicity pics, behind-the-scenes shots, video covers and death pix
Screenshots from the Severin Films Blu-ray:
