Basket Case (film)
Encyclopedia
Basket Case is an American horror film
, written and directed by Frank Henenlotter
, that was released in 1982. It has two sequels, Basket Case 2
(1990) and Basket Case 3: The Progeny
(1991) by the same director. It is notable for its low budget and over-the-top violence. The film gained an audience in the 1980s due to the advent of home video
.
' father loathed the sight of them and referred to them simply as "the child and the monster". Embittered by the death of his beloved wife, he turns to three doctors who are his last hope of separating the twins, so that Duane can have a normal life, and hoping that Belial would die. Surviving the operation, the twosome track down and murder the three doctors responsible for separating them. It is shown that they have a telepathic ability between them, allowing Belial to communicate with Duane. After separating, Duane meets a girl named Casey (Beverly Bonner
), a hooker who lives in the Hotel Broslin. He also meets Sharon (Terri Susan Smith) and they start a relationship. One night Duane has a nightmare that Belial will eventually rape or hurt Sharon (which he eventually does). When Duane arrives at her apartment, she's dead, thanks to Belial. An angry Duane picks Belial up and runs back to his hotel. As everyone hears his screams and anger, they come to his hotel room. There he threatens his brother Belial. An angry Belial and Duane struggle and both fall out the window. Hanging from the hotel railing, they look at each other and then fall.
by Analysis Film Releasing Corporation beginning in April 1982. It played as a midnight movie for several years after this.
The film was first released on DVD
in the United States
by Image Entertainment
in 1998. This version is currently out of print
. The film was re-released on special edition
DVD
by Something Weird Video
in 2001.
It was released on Blu-ray September 27, 2011.
It is currently available for instant streaming on Netflix.
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
, written and directed by Frank Henenlotter
Frank Henenlotter
Frank Henenlotter, , is an American screenwriter, director and film historian. He is known primarily for his horror comedies, though he would prefer to be classified as an "exploitation" filmmaker . "I never felt that I made ‘horror films’, he has said. "I always felt that I made exploitation films...
, that was released in 1982. It has two sequels, Basket Case 2
Basket Case 2
Basket Case 2 is a 1990 American comedy horror film written and directed by Frank Henenlotter. It was released on DVD by Synapse Films on October 30, 2007.-Cast:* Kevin Van Hentenryck as Duane Bradley* Judy Grafe as News Woman...
(1990) and Basket Case 3: The Progeny
Basket Case 3: The Progeny
Basket Case 3: The Progeny is a 1991 American comedy horror film written and directed by Frank Henenlotter. The third installment of the Basket Case series the film follows Times Square Freak Twins Duane and Belial Bradley and several fellow freaks as they help Belial's girlfriend give birth and...
(1991) by the same director. It is notable for its low budget and over-the-top violence. The film gained an audience in the 1980s due to the advent of home video
Home video
Home video is a blanket term used for pre-recorded media that is either sold or rented/hired for home cinema entertainment. The term originates from the VHS/Betamax era but has carried over into current optical disc formats like DVD and Blu-ray Disc and, to a lesser extent, into methods of digital...
.
Plot
Naïve Duane Bradley (Henenlotter regular Kevin Van Hentenryck) arrives in New York City carrying a basket containing his monstrous parasitic half-aborted twin, Belial, who is so inhumanly malformed that the few people who know of his existence doubt he can even be considered a human. After their mother died giving birth to them, the conjoined twinsConjoined twins
Conjoined twins are identical twins whose bodies are joined in utero. A rare phenomenon, the occurrence is estimated to range from 1 in 50,000 births to 1 in 100,000 births, with a somewhat higher incidence in Southwest Asia and Africa. Approximately half are stillborn, and a smaller fraction of...
' father loathed the sight of them and referred to them simply as "the child and the monster". Embittered by the death of his beloved wife, he turns to three doctors who are his last hope of separating the twins, so that Duane can have a normal life, and hoping that Belial would die. Surviving the operation, the twosome track down and murder the three doctors responsible for separating them. It is shown that they have a telepathic ability between them, allowing Belial to communicate with Duane. After separating, Duane meets a girl named Casey (Beverly Bonner
Beverly Bonner
Beverly Bonner is an American actress and comedian, best known for her roles in low budget horror films, including Basket Case. She has also acted for the stage, appearing in Tom Eyen's play Women Behind Bars with the late Divine.-Career:...
), a hooker who lives in the Hotel Broslin. He also meets Sharon (Terri Susan Smith) and they start a relationship. One night Duane has a nightmare that Belial will eventually rape or hurt Sharon (which he eventually does). When Duane arrives at her apartment, she's dead, thanks to Belial. An angry Duane picks Belial up and runs back to his hotel. As everyone hears his screams and anger, they come to his hotel room. There he threatens his brother Belial. An angry Belial and Duane struggle and both fall out the window. Hanging from the hotel railing, they look at each other and then fall.
Cast
- Kevin Van Hentenryck as Duane Bradley
- Terri Susan Smith as Sharon
- Beverly BonnerBeverly BonnerBeverly Bonner is an American actress and comedian, best known for her roles in low budget horror films, including Basket Case. She has also acted for the stage, appearing in Tom Eyen's play Women Behind Bars with the late Divine.-Career:...
as Casey - Robert Vogel as Hotel manager
- Diana Browne as Dr. Judith Kutter
- Lloyd Pace as Dr. Harold Needleman
- Bill Freeman as Dr. Julius Lifflander
- Joe Clarke as Brian 'Mickey' O'Donovan
- Ruth Neuman as Aunt
- Richard Pierce as Duane's Father
- Sean McCabe as Young Duane
- Dorothy Strongin as Josephine
- Ilze Balodis as Social Worker
- Kerry Buff as Detective
- Tom Robinson as Thief in Theater
Special effects
The special effects for Belial consist largely of a puppet in some scenes and stop motion in others. When Belial's hand is seen attacking his victims, it is really a glove worn by Henenlotter. The full size Belial puppet is also seen in the scenes where Belial is seen with an actor or where his eyes glow red. The Belial rampage sequence used stop motion animation.Release
Basket Case was released theatrically in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by Analysis Film Releasing Corporation beginning in April 1982. It played as a midnight movie for several years after this.
The film was first released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by Image Entertainment
Image Entertainment
Image Entertainment, Inc. is an independent licensee, producer and distributor of home entertainment programming and film & television productions in North America, with approximately 3,000 exclusive DVD titles and approximately 250 exclusive CD titles in domestic release, and approximately 450...
in 1998. This version is currently out of print
Out of print
Out of print refers to an item, typically a book , but can include any print or visual media or sound recording, that is in the state of no longer being published....
. The film was re-released on special edition
Special edition
The terms special edition, limited edition and variants such as deluxe edition, collector's edition and others, are used as a marketing incentive for various kinds of products, originally published products related to the arts, such as books, prints or recorded music and films, but now including...
DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
by Something Weird Video
Something Weird Video
Something Weird Video is an American publisher of video tapes and DVDs, based in Seattle, Washington. They specialize in exploitation film, particularly the works of Harry Novak, Doris Wishman, David F. Friedman, and Herschell Gordon Lewis. SWV videos are available on demand to Comcast subscribers...
in 2001.
It was released on Blu-ray September 27, 2011.
It is currently available for instant streaming on Netflix.