I saw Bad Biology during its premier at the 2008 Philadelphia Film Festival where its director, Frank Henenlotter, made a stop to pick up the PFF’s Phantasmagoria Award, an honor he said he was lucky to receive after sixteen years without making a film. It’s true the man who brought the world Basket Case 1,2, and 3, Brain Damage, Lurid Woman, and Frankenhooker let his exploitation-film expertise sit by the wayside during the 1990’s and early 21st Century, a spot in film history he says was completely non receptive to good old gory and sexually explicit fun. Bad Biology marks Henenlotter’s horror-comedy comeback to the big screen as his self proclaimed solution to the movie world’s need for ‘something wrong’. “God knows this isn’t normal!,” Henenlotter exclaimed before the lights dimmed in the Prince Theater, and this is all the disclaimer any moviegoer needs before suspending reason, reality, and morality and taking a dip into the absurd.

“I was born with seven clits.” So is the woe of Jennifer, a talented and very avant garde photographer who possesses seven clitorides and an insatiable sexual appetite. As she routinely and ravenously pinks up men to satisfy her desires, Jennifer is increasingly perturbed by her tendency to kill her lovers in her throws of passion. Further complicating Jennifer’s sex life is her hyper-metabolism, her ability to conceive, carry, and deliver preterm freak babies in a matter of hours. All the time spent head banging ill-equipped lovers and dumping her underdeveloped offspring has left Jennifer unfulfilled and lonely… until she meets her male match.

When one of her photography shoots finds its setting in a mansion, Jennifer discovers the house’s owner Batz has a sexual secret of his own: a mutant, drug addicted penis he’s cultivated with experimental meds after a childhood accident destroyed his size and structure. Jennifer is convinced her search for her one true love will cease as soon as the two unite, but a series of unexpected snafus like 4 hour orgasms and renegade reproductive organs threatens to destroy the formation of potentially the greatest power couple of all.

I thought this film was absolutely hilarious and, all things considered, relatively well done. Shot in 35mm with essentially no budget (nor heat or restrooms on set), Henenlotter really pulled together a fine piece of work. Though it is a bit drug out at times, Bad Biology really shines in its own unique brand of humor and its one of a kind story. Never before have I witnessed such impressive performances by human genitalia, but I was most impressed with Henenlotter’s leading actress Charlee Danielson, demur and lovely in person though very convincing as a super sexed siren on screen. Hopefully, the world will have the good graces to show us Charlee in other films, and if those movies happen to be of the Henenlotter brand, well then that’s just fine.

All in all, I certainly give the movie two… er … thumbs up – an enthusiastic toast to Bad Biology!

Liz Licorish
LizFlix@ElitesTV.com