Basket Case (1982)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

Frank Henenlotter

Writer:

Frank Henenlotter (writer)

Release Date:

April 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror

Tagline:

The tenant in room 7 is very small, very twisted and very mad.

Plot:

A young man carrying a big basket that contains his deformed Siamese-twin brother seeks vengeance on the doctors who separated them against their will.

Plot Keywords:

Siamese Twins | Deformed | Telepathy | Maniac | 42nd Street

Cast

Kevin Van Hentenryck	...	Duane Bradley
Terri Susan Smith	...	Sharon
Beverly Bonner	...	Casey
Robert Vogel	...	Hotel manager
Diana Browne	...	Dr. Judith Kutter
Lloyd Pace	...	Dr. Harold Needleman
Bill Freeman	...	Dr. Julius Lifflander
Joe Clarke	...	Brian 'Mickey' O'Donovan
Ruth Neuman	...	Aunt
Richard Pierce	...	Duane's Father
Sean McCabe	...	Young Duane
Dorothy Strongin	...	Josephine
Ilze Balodis	...	Social Worker
Kerry Buff	...	Detective
Tom Robinson	...	Thief in Theater

Runtime:

91 min | Sweden:86 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:R | West Germany:18 (video re-rating) (cut) | West Germany:Not Rated (uncut) | New Zealand:R16 | Italy:VM18 (TV rating) | Australia:R | France:-12 | Norway:(Banned) (video rating) | UK:18 | Netherlands:16 | Finland:K-18 | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Franklin Street, Tribeca, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Basket Case Productions

Trivia:

The Bar scenes were shot in a S&M club in Manhattan which is now know as "The Hellfire Club". The bar was so big that they also used it as the Bradley's basement and the crew had to hide all the sex toys including a large swing (which is still in the club to this day). The original buzz saw used to kill Duane and Belial's father used to hang above the door of the club until it was eventually stolen.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Duane is sleeping Belial opens his basket and looks at him, the basket lock latch disappears/reappears.

Quotes:

Josephine: Your brother? What is he? A midget?
Duane Bradley: No, he's deformed!

Movie Connections:

References The Last of the Cowboys (1977)

Sick sick SICK!!!

This memorably bloody cult horror movie from the early 1980's is about rural New Yorker Duane Bradley (Kevin Van Hentenryck) who arrives in Times Square and checks into the seedy "Hotel Broslin", carrying his deformed telepathic mutant Siamese twin brother Belial (whew!) in a basket. Their mission is to get revenge on the doctors who separated them and left Belial for dead. Along the way Duane falls for Sharon (Terri Susan Smith), the receptionist of one of the ill-fated doctors, and Belial reacts with savage jealousy.

*Extremely* gruesome, tacky, and outrageous horror that actually succeeds on its own simple terms. As films of this type go, it's actually pretty good. I was genuinely amused by the whole thing, not scared, but definitely entertained. There are not very many professional actors in the whole bunch, but some of them do manage to be pretty amusing considering (especially Joe Clarke - "all alone in this cold, cruel world!".) The film-makers even work in some interesting animated sequences when they need to show Belial in motion.

Bottom line: it deserves its cult reputation.

7/10