PLOT
A basket carrying fella by the name of
Duane checks into the Hotel Broslin, and sets out with his hideous
sibling Belial to get payback on the people responsible for
separating them as conjoined youths
REVIEW
If you're a horror fan and lived through the glorious age
of vhs, chances are you are familiar with this film.
If you walked past any video store horror section that wasn't
Blockbuster and worth it's existence then you probably saw Belial on
the cover of the video peeking out at you. This is the kind of movie that you could not resist grabbing and scanning the back of the box to read it's synopsis, all the while trying to make out any traces of the creature through the small amount of pictures displayed on it. If you happened to rent it
and watch it you surely laughed and despite the cheap production
still found it endearing, when analyzed more deeply the true reason for that is an interesting one
BASKET CASE is a very strange tale of brotherly love, part of the lighthearted
pack of Horror, more aimed at being humorous than horrifying. The story's core is actually quite
heartwarming, Duane and Belial have such a strong bond that they are
driven to kill in retaliation for being cut apart. They do not set out to waste the people involved in severing their carnal bond for any other reason than retribution for the emotional pain of being separated, and for the callous act of trying to dispose of Belial
Although even with murder
in his mind, Duane is still quite normal to the point where he can interact with
others and even pursue romance, aside from his vengeful quest he is
just another curly haired lanky guy who wouldn't stick out in a crowd
in any way possible, he's as mundane as they come, he just had the
misfortune of having his dear deformed mess of a twin detached from
his side
Belial is a different story altogether,
the ugly yin to Duane's normal yang, and the one performing the
massive bloodletting, he is animalistic, angry, savage, and
unfortunately for Duane, jealous. When Duane is sidetrack in the
pair's mission by the enticing advances of a girl named
Sharon, Belial is pissed off, and for the first time in either of
their lives' they grow at odds with each other, Belial apparently
resentful at Duane for pursuing something he himself could never have
( At least one would think, until the sequels came along...)
I found this movie on sale, a
double-pack special bundled with RETURN OF SWAMP THING, right from
the get-go I was compelled to buy it, reason being that despite coming from the
aforementioned age of vhs BASKET CASE was one of those movies that
while forever on my radar, viewing it then never came to pass. From the moment it was done it was an
instant favorite, didn't have to grow on me, I loved the
living hell out of it, and I still laugh at it just as much as when I
first saw it
BASKET CASE
is the brainchild of Writer/Director Frank Henenlotter, who also
helmed the sequels BASKET CASE 2 and BASKET CASE 3: THE PROGENY, as
well as BRAIN DAMAGE which features the voice talent of the legendary
“cool ghoul” Zacherley and a cameo by none other than Duane and
Belial (in basket) . Mr. Henenlotter showed that you can film on a
modest budget ($35,000) and still deliver a worthwhile piece of art, using a
good story and working around your limitations
Something Weird Video released BASKET CASE on dvd, packing it with a good amount of extras, featuring an audio commentary, gallery, radio spots, behind the scenes footage, and the pretty neat "In search of Hotel Broslin"
THE GOOD
.Belial - Belial's puppetry is decent
for a B-movie, he's a great creature, he's lumpy and a monster
through and through and yet simple enough to where there was no need
for extravagant methods to bring him to life. The Belial puppet is
pretty good, he looks good in the dark, in a lit apartment, and I'd
love to own it and leave him perched on a couch or on top of a book
case. I'd also love to see a replica or even a plush Belial
for sale someday, I'd buy one in a heartbeat and then stitch it to my
ribs
.New York – The scenes showing New
York are a nice snapshot of the city at that time, I love NY so it was
nice eye-candy for me
.Original story - There's an adequate
degree of originality, sets it apart from most other B-movies for
that reason
THE BAD
.Playdough Belial – While Belial
looked great for most of the movie, I have to admit the stop-motion
Belial is AWFUL, It was gumby-esque and just embarrassing
THE FINAL CURTAIN
Classic, one of B-movie Horror's
greatest entries, watch it before Belial chokes you in your sleep and
humps your dead corpse
RATING 7.5
