Review of Basket Case (1982) by Francisco G — 02 Feb 2013

Frank Henenlotter breaks into the 42nd Street Cinema scene with this outrageous story about a drifter, Duane, and his hideously deformed twin that he keeps with him in a wicker basket. The two set off across the state to exact their bloody revenge against the doctors that separated them as children. BASKET CASE is a bizarre, gory, and utterly hilarious cult shocker that ranks alongside other campy classics like H.G. Lewis' BLOOD FEAST or SPIDER BABY. The cheesy low-budget FX and ridiculously over-the-top characters combine to create the formula for the perfect B-movie. Obvious film flaws like Duane's ever-changing wig size and Belial's constantly shifting design only add to its peculiar charm. In spite of his cheap rubbery appearance, Belial is extremely frightening, and is sure to shock even modern audiences. The modest budget of the film does not inhibit Henenlotter from blasting the screen with an insane amount of blood and gore, and his cleverly designed set pieces allow the puppeteers playing Belial plenty of room to articulate the creature into reality from within his basket home. No Horror collection can be without this staple 80s mainstay!

-Carl Manes.

I Like Horror Movies.