Basket Case (1982)

Director: Frank Henenlotter

Starring: Kevin Van Hentenryck, Terri Susan Smith, Beverly Bonner

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

So, what’s in the basket? I enjoyed the initial mystery, which keeps the viewer glued to the screen. Especially since Duane (Kevin van Hentenryck) was always carrying it around…and talking into it! We soon learnt it certainly wasn’t a cute little kitten, with something far more sinister going on.

The 80’s saw the release of many comedy horrors. Some were really bad, others were very good. Some were neither good or bad, but certainly memorable. ‘Basket Case’ is such a movie. The make-up and visuals certainly is something to behold! Who will ever forget that horribly deformed creature of a brother, Belial.

For most parts the acting wasn’t bad. The props and make-up steals the show and is the film’s draw card. The humor is pure satire, making it funny and not slapstick. (Too many 80’s horror comedies ended up being slapstick.)

Despite Belial being such a grotesque creature, we sympathize with Duane as his back story is told through back flashes. It goes to show true love knows no boundaries. This is a very unusual film very well executed. It actually was better than expected.

Would I watch it again? Maybe.