What's In the Basket?

Basket Case
1982 | Color | 1 Hr 31 Min | Horror Comedy | R | Analysis Film

Director: Frank Henenlotter

Writer: Frank Henenlotter

Stars:

Kevin Van Hentenryck

Terri Susan Smith

Beverly Bonner

Synopsis:

Charming country bumpkin Duane Bradley takes a motel room in New York with a basket and a backpack. In a flash back-series, we learn the basket contains his surgically removed Siamese twin who is not only physically deformed so badly the doctors hesitated to consider him a human, but is also the vindictive drive of their trip, with the purpose to kill off all those he blames. But in the reception of one of those doctors, Duane gets his first ever date, with the receptionist, and wants to start a positive life too - when the freak twin escapes, the scene is set for a grim finale.

Holy Hell why have I waited so long to watch Frank Henelotters directorial debut? I have seen his other works like Frankenhooker and Brain Damage but this one has hung on to my bucket list far too long! When people talk about 80's classic horror Basket Case is always kicked around. With a $35,000 budget, you get all the grit and grime that sticks with you and it is amazing. You will be transported onto the dirty 42nd street in New York and its rat infested the world with inside it. The movie looks good but sadly the soundtrack adds little to the flow with some odd Jazz along with some strange sci-fi mix but that's ok we get plenty of gore making this a must see.

The cast is perfect for this low budget treat as well and for some, this was their first major motion picture. Sadly for many, it would be there only one as well. Thankfully our three main star's went on to do Brain Damage and finish out the Basket Case Trilogy. Robert Vogel played the hotel manager and was some of the best comic relief he went on to do and an episode of Hunter and L.A. Law before passing away at the age of 39. Interesting side notes the young star with the amazing hair is currently a sculptor and rock frontman in New York State's Catskill Mountains. Van Hentenryck has also been quoted he feels there is more to the story adding to the rumor he is working on a new Basket Case movie. 

For many of you youngsters the practical effects will look silly but that is the charm of a perfect eighties campy horror flick, needless to say, I loved every minute of latex on screen. When we first meet Belial your not sure if you should laugh or scream or maybe just scream with laughter. The really scary thing for me he looks a lot like Peter Weller. What is even crazier is the fact that John Caglione Jr. is the guy behind the special effects with his first movie being Friday the 13th to Dick Tracy as well as The Dark Knight in which he won Oscars for. Always seems to be someone on these low budget flicks that go on to do well. 

From the cast to the special effects the movie would not be much without its zany storyline and oddly written script by Henelotter, for example, Josephine "Your brother? What is he? A midget?" Duane Bradley "No, he's deformed!" trust me it all ties itself together and deliveries in a nice little package or should I say Basket? I'm not sure what it is about Basket Case but man this was way to much fun.

With plenty of gore and a very strange sex scene that made some of the crew walk off the set Basket Case also comes complete with a long shot of our star naked running through the streets of New York. This movie has it all. 

And thanks to Shudder as I witnessed the glory of Basket Case hosted by the drive-in god himself Joe Bob Briggs who makes it no secret he loved this movie as well. Hell, even rotten tomatoes have this at 73% fresh! So I'm proud to say Basket Case is a fun wild ride with little to no money behind it but yet comes out looking this good is pure fun! And that's all we want right is to have fun watching a cheesy flick?

This is easily...

4 out of 5 Bloody Brains