Frank Henenlotter, a writer and director, was born on August 29, 1950, in New York City. Growing up, he spent his youth watching a wide range of low-budget exploitation films in seedy grindhouse theaters on Manhattan's 42nd Street.
As a teenager, Henenlotter began making 8mm films, and his 16mm black-and-white short film "Slash of the Knife" (1972) even played at a midnight show with John Waters' "Pink Flamingos" (1972) at a 42nd Street grindhouse.
Before embarking on a career as a filmmaker, Henenlotter worked as a commercial artist and graphic designer. His films are known for their offbeat plots, lowbrow humor, excessive gore, and sordid atmosphere.
Henenlotter's horror film debut was the gruesome and sleazy "Basket Case" (1982),which became a midnight movie hit and achieved cult classic status. The film tells the story of two Siamese twins who exact revenge on the doctors who separated them.
The director's follow-up film was "Brain Damage" (1988),a grotesquely original and imaginative film that offers a potent allegory on drug addiction. The film tells the story of a young man who becomes an unwitting host for a parasite that feeds on human brains.
Henenlotter's next film was "Frankenhooker" (1990),an uproariously rude and raunchy film. He then went on to make two more "Basket Case" sequels, which were enjoyable affairs.
Outside of his work as a writer and director, Henenlotter has been responsible for reissuing a large volume of vintage horror, softcore, and exploitation films on VHS and DVD. He has also served as a moderator on numerous DVD commentaries for Something Weird Video.
After a lengthy absence from filmmaking, Henenlotter made a comeback with the bizarre "Bad Biology" (2008).