Movie Info
Movie Name: Basket Case
Studio: Basket Case Productions
Genre(s): Horror/Comedy/B-Movie
Release Date(s): April 2, 1982
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
I’m here!
Duane Bradley (Kevin Van Hentenryck) has come to New York City with a mission. He is seeking out the doctors that separated him from his conjoined twin Belial. Everyone assumed that the deformed Belial died during the operation, but Duane and his aunt secret kept him alive and hidden. As Duane and Belial begin to get their revenge, Duane finds that Belial wants to share more than he planned.
Written and directed by Frank Henenlotter, Basket Case is a low-budget horror comedy. The movie gained popularity on VHS and became a cult favorite.
Basket Case was one of those goofy VHS movies that was “this movie is about what?!?!” type of film. With a completely goofy premise, visuals, and god-awful acting, Basket Case is a beautiful mess of humor and horror.
It is really hard to buy clothing…
The movie is extreme. Though the plot is crazy, the movie has a strange logic. Belial can read Duane, but Duane can’t read Belial. They share a common consciousness however (Duane’s naked run is an example). The murder plot is inept and obvious, and it doesn’t even seem logical that he would get away with it since everyone has seen him (though it was pre-video cameras everywhere). You just have to go in with no expectations and a love of horror-comedy to enjoy it.
The acting is awful and barely a step above actors in a pornography. Kevin Van Hentenryck feels like he’s reading his lines, and I have to admit that pretending a plastic blob is your brother would be tough for “good” actors. Still, as creepy as he comes off, he gets the women (which also might say more about the women in the life of Duane than Duane himself). As least I think Belial’s acting is genuine…that blob is crazy.
I’m not Soylent Green, Belial!!!
The film gives you a creepy-dirty appearance. The movie not only sounds like a porno, but often looks like one. The sets are cheap and this combines with the acting to give “low-budget” its run for the money. Belial is kind of creepy and sometimes the movie goes into stop-motion for longer sequences.
Basket Case is a movie you have to see if you are a fan of bad movies or horror movies. It is every schlocky moment you could wish for. If you don’t have enough of Belial and Basket Case, the cute little blob returned in Basket Case 2 released in 1990.
