BASKET CASE (1982)

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