Hadn't seen this movie in a while and was glad to finally re-experience it after about ten years. "Basket Case" is a delectable piece of 80s indie-exploit-gore-greatness that no die-hard horror fan should pass up. The plot here is strange, but the movie's effects and sick humor makes it even stranger: a young guy arrives in New York toting a large wicker basket complete with a pad-lock and checks into a sleazy hotel. 'What's in the basket?' Seems to be a commonly asked question and the answer is a bizarre and grisly little "something", named Belial, that makes a big entrance as soon as the brothers' macabre murder motive becomes known. Turns out the basket contains a freakish little guy who was cut off his twin brother (the designated basket mule) who is basically a lumpy head with arms and a contorted mouth filled with sharp teeth! They apparently share a telepathic link and Belial becomes uncontrollably agitated after his brother begins a romantic relationship with a hot receptionist. Belial apparently thinks that this will interfere with their primary mission, which is searching for the surgeons who unprofessionally separated them as children, leaving the misshapen one to die. I just really like this movie! That crazy looking pile of rubber puppetry jumping on people and tearing them to bits while emitting that disturbing scream is awesome, the gore is plentiful, and everything is delightfully deranged throughout. The use of stop-motion animation, lousy acting and crude gore effects makes for some fine entertainment! Love the scene where that pint-size ball of poorly molded anger is shown humping his brother's girlfriend, whom he had just strangled... Pretty hilarious considering lil' Belial is only a fraction of a body... with out a pecker. Director Frank Henenlotter has developed a reputation for extremely low-budget and sleazy oddball horror flicks like, "Brain Damage" and the ever classic "Frankenhooker", combining offbeat humor that not all find... decent. "Basket Case" may not suit everyone's taste, but I certainly advise any rabid horror junkie to seek this one out.
Hadn't seen this movie in a while and was glad to finally re-experience it after about ten years. "Basket Case" is a delectable piece of 80s indie-exploit-gore-greatness that no die-hard horror fan should pass up. The plot here is strange, but the movie's effects and sick humor makes it even stranger: a young guy arrives in New York toting a large wicker basket complete with a pad-lock and checks into a sleazy hotel. 'What's in the basket?' Seems to be a commonly asked question and the answer is a bizarre and grisly little "something", named Belial, that makes a big entrance as soon as the brothers' macabre murder motive becomes known. Turns out the basket contains a freakish little guy who was cut off his twin brother (the designated basket mule) who is basically a lumpy head with arms and a contorted mouth filled with sharp teeth! They apparently share a telepathic link and Belial becomes uncontrollably agitated after his brother begins a romantic relationship with a hot receptionist. Belial apparently thinks that this will interfere with their primary mission, which is searching for the surgeons who unprofessionally separated them as children, leaving the misshapen one to die. I just really like this movie! That crazy looking pile of rubber puppetry jumping on people and tearing them to bits while emitting that disturbing scream is awesome, the gore is plentiful, and everything is delightfully deranged throughout. The use of stop-motion animation, lousy acting and crude gore effects makes for some fine entertainment! Love the scene where that pint-size ball of poorly molded anger is shown humping his brother's girlfriend, whom he had just strangled... Pretty hilarious considering lil' Belial is only a fraction of a body... with out a pecker. Director Frank Henenlotter has developed a reputation for extremely low-budget and sleazy oddball horror flicks like, "Brain Damage" and the ever classic "Frankenhooker", combining offbeat humor that not all find... decent. "Basket Case" may not suit everyone's taste, but I certainly advise any rabid horror junkie to seek this one out.
