Basket Case (1982)

SPOILER WARNING: This review reveals the ending.Had seen this once as an early Vhs rental, probably in the late 1980's or early 1990's and barely remembered it. Just watched it again via purchased SWV Dvd, which is an excellent quality print. For a low-budget movie, this was amazingly well-done. The acting was good and the story moved along at a crisp and economical pace. The special effects are understandably crude given the minimal budget this was made on, but still reasonably effective for what they were. Even the minor characters are sharply drawn and memorable. The lead three characters (Duane, Belial, and Duane's girlfriend Sharon, played by Terri Susan Smith) were all strong.A tragic story that really could have ended only one way, I guess, although there was a plausible 'happy ending' scenario, if Duane had killed Belial so he could be with the girl. But their tie was too strong for that, and both of them were just too messed up. And I guess in a sense they did both 'deserve' to die for the terrible things they did, but they were still sympathetic characters nevertheless for the hell they had to go through, and at least Duane was trying to do 'the right thing' most of the time.Looking forward to watching the various Dvd extras and also listening to director's commentary. Hennenlotter is definitely talented, but his creative output has been sparse. This was definitely worth the purchase price.

Been a while since I saw this one, but man, Belial's fits of rage and...well, simply dismay and throwing of tantrums, will forever be scared into my memory. Kinda a neat idea for a movie, guy's conjoined twin who, by medical standards really should not even be able to survive in his state, is alive and well, able to speak telepathically to his seemingly normal, yet mentally unstable brother? The movie has some pretty comedic parts, and it moves at a decent pace, not dragging on like many other movies of its time. It's something the squeamish shouldn't watch though, definitely, it sure can be gross at times too.

It's Saturday night (May 28, 2016), and today is Mr. Kevin Vanhentenryck's Birthday. To honor him, I celebrated by having some good food and watching his movie that he is known for. This is the first film of his, and the first chapter in the Basket Case series. I never knew about this horror film series until 2013. At that time, I wasn't really looking into recommendations on the net, and I wasn't even active on social media. My Dad was the man who would recommend movies to me. He was a massive horror fan, and would always go to cinemas and check movies out of video stores back in the '80s. Then one day back in 2013, he told me, "Son, you don't know sh*t about horror until you have seen what I've seen." I asked him, "Dad, what awesome horror films have I missed out on from the 70s and 80s?" He gave me a huge and I mean massive list, which just goes on and on. I had to write all of them in a book. The first one he told me to look for was Basket Case. I said, "Dad, what's that?" He told me, "Just get it, and you'll see. It's one of the best films I have ever seen, son." So, I found it online, and got it, along with its sequels. When I saw this for the first time, I was like, "Wow, Dad, no joke, this movie is just filled with horrifying, bizarre, blood gushing, sleazy screaming fun until the end." It's one hell of an entertaining film. Kevin was so damn incredible on screen, he was excellent. With Terri Susan Smith, Beverly Bonner, and others. They were all perfect. Frank Henenlotter did an awesome job. I watched it over again with my Dad. This movie is special to me because this was his last horror film, and I hadn't seen it since my dad passed until today. It brought back great memories. And every horror fan should own this movie, including its sequels, on home video. It's a masterpiece, truly a gem!!!

There is a young man, 'Dwayne Smith', wandering the streets of NYC with a mysterious basket. He was born as a conjoined twin; his mother died giving birth and his father despises him, along with his deformed twin brother attached to him. The only one who can see past the deformity and cares for both kids is their aunt, but while she's away on a trip one day the dad hires secretly a group of rather sadistic doctors to separate the twins. He keeps the normal-looking one and tosses the deformed one out with the trash... that is, until the brother comes to his rescue. Now he is out in the big city to get revenge for his brother on anyone who messed with their life together.When I first saw the trailer for this film I thought it would be a really lousy sci-fi film. However, it was great! Yeah it was low-budget, but nonetheless a funny and creepy horror film. The scene with Doctor Cutter, one of the many doctors responsible for separating the twins (she's now a vet at the local animal hospital) having her face turned into a pin cushion with lab scalpels, was surprisingly hilarious.One thing I have to say is, what the heck was the dad's issue!? He took the deformed brother out with the garbage, that's horrible! The film was a lot lie the 1973 film 'Sisters', where one conjoined twin is normal and the other is a malformed psychopath.If you're looking for a fun but still half-decent horror film, try Basket Case, you'll love it!