BASKET CASE 2
A review in the public domain
by
The Phantom
(baumgart@esquire.dpw.com)
In his previous review (of NIGHTBREED), the Phantom's lead paragraph was only slightly less self-referential than this one is, but there he did it only because he admires style over substance in all things, his own reviews included. This review, however, does require the Phantom to discuss some of the background of BASKET CASE 2, for without it he doesn't know what some of his phans will make of it. Certainly if one expects an ordinary "slasher/alien pops out from behind a headstone/under a staircase and stabs/kills/rips the limbs off of a hapless teenager just after/just before having sex" horror film, one will be sorely disappointed. BASKET CASE 2 may be a lot of things, but ordinary it is not. And with that said, please allow the Phantom to discuss a bit of the film's background so that we may all understand exactly what it is that he is reviewing.
In 1982, Frank Henenlotter directed BASKET CASE, a film that in many ways anticipated Stuart Gordon's later REANIMATOR. It was a film that was part horror and part comedy and was done with tongue firmly in cheek. BASKET CASE told the story of Siamese twins Duane and Belial (joined at the side), and of what happens once they're separated.
Although Duane is of average height and build and looks relatively normal, his brother Belial stands about 2 feet tall, has arms growing out of the sides of his head, and has very sharp, pointed teeth. Actually, he doesn't really stand at all, since he doesn't have feet in the commonly understood sense of the word. So how does he get around? Well, Duane carries him in a large wicker basket, which serves the dual purpose of getting Belial around the city and keeping him hidden from those who might not be as understanding as his brother.
Sounds a little out of the ordinary, right? Phans, Frank Henenlotter has done some things that would make even Stuart Gordon look away in shame. This is the same director who last year brought us BRAIN DAMAGE, an equally bizarre and offbeat horror/comedy about a man and the parasite who takes control of him, forcing him to kill innocent people so that he (the parasite) can pop out and eat their brains. The parasite looks a bit like a snake with hands and has, among other things, a marvelous singing voice. "Offbeat" is clearly putting it mildly.
Duane is forcibly separated from his brother by his well-meaning parents who want only for him to be able to live a normal life, and who think that having an extra head with arms growing out of his side would at the very least lessen Duane's chances of getting a date for the prom. But Belial doesn't want to be separated from his beloved brother, and neither does Duane, since both brothers always enjoyed a, shall we say, close relationship, including the ability to communicate via a form of ESP. But separated they are, and in revenge Belial kills the doctors who performed the operation and escapes to New York City with brother Duane and his wicker basket.
The Phantom won't give away any more of the original film, but suffice it to say that things get steadily stranger from there. You didn't think that was possible, did you?
BASKET CASE was notable for being shot on a shoestring budget (the Phantom thinks it was transferred from 16mm, but he's not sure) and yet not being at all compromised by a lack of special-effects funds. It also became an overnight cult classic in the way that most films become cult classics: by being very silly, by looking somewhat amateurish, and by being a lot of fun.
BASKET CASE 2 is, obviously, a sequel to the original. The story picks up where the last one left off, with Duane and Belial falling to their (assumed) deaths from the top floor of a Times Square hotel room. [Reviewer's note to his New York City phans: this was before the days of the Marriott Marquis and other 50-story midtown monstrosities. Just as well, as no special effects department in the world could ever design a creature as ugly as the Marquis.] Do they die? Well, no spoilers here, phans, but no, they don't. Surprise! Just remember, horror personalities never die, they just become Jason-ized, a process that freezes the characters for a period of one year, or until the video release of the last episode, whichever comes first. In this case it just took a little longer.
So Duane and Belial are hospitalized, and before long they find themselves in the home of Granny Ruth, a good-hearted soul whose mission in life is to give "unique individuals" the privacy and respect they deserve. By the way, the Phantom likes that particular euphemism a lot and intends to use it the next time one of his readers accuses him of holding freakish opinions. No, he'll retort, they are *not* freakish. They're unique.
Well, Granny has more than just a good heart; she also has an attic full of what look to be NIGHTBREED extras. These unique individuals are certainly unique, but it's a shame that BASKET CASE 2 was released so soon after NIGHTBREED, since some of the makeup loses its effectiveness that way. It's not that the makeup is inferior, it's just that at the moment we horror fans are suffering from what the Phantom likes to call Jabba-the-Hut syndrome: too much plot in service of the special effects department (particularly the makeup department) and not the other way around.
As expected, things don't stay calm and quiet around Granny's house for long. Soon a reporter from the local Enquirer clone ("BABY RAISED BY HUMMINGBIRDS" reads one of the headlines on the publisher's wall) comes snooping around, hot on the trail of the fugitive brothers and eager to start raking in those book, paperback, movie-of-the-week, film, and video residuals. Aren't we all?
The Phantom won't go further with his plot synopsis, since the film proceeds in fairly standard form from there. So what makes BASKET CASE 2 a cut above the usual horror fare? A few things, but most notably the way Henenlotter handles the age-old story of an individual feeling alone and freakish, different from everyone else and so isolated from society. This film, like its predecessors BASKET CASE and BRAIN DAMAGE has a heart to it -- no matter how absurd things get, at base there's a story that people can relate to, and it's possible to identify with the characters. Well, at least Duane, although there have been those Monday mornings when the Phantom thinks he knows pretty much how Belial feels as well.
He also thinks that it would be best if his phans would rent the original before seeing BASKET CASE 2, since he doesn't believe that they would really enjoy as much otherwise. Unlike its predecessor, BASKET CASE 2 is low budget, but not shoestring budget, and so the unsuspecting might not realize that deep down it's still a jokey continuation of the original; although the Phantom greatly enjoyed the film, he doesn't think that it could stand well on its own. This is true, of course, of many sequels, but the Phantom thinks that it is especially true of this one -- if you haven't seen the original BASKET CASE, you might not get all the jokes, and if you don't get all the jokes you won't enjoy yourself as much as you should.
But don't be fooled into thinking that BASKET CASE 2 makes no sense on its own -- it does, and it can certainly be enjoyed apart from the original. Although the film tends to slow down at points, it is generally well-paced and -plotted, and the makeup and special effects are used well. The film's editing and direction are tight and crisp -- Henenlotter has complete control of this film from the very beginning, and he has a real flair for making even the most outrageous of situations seem perfectly plausible.
One of the most outrageous situations in the film is that of Duane himself, since he's played by the same actor who portrayed him in the original. Yet because the sequel begins only moments after the original ends, we're suddenly confronted with an actor who is obviously in his thirties and who looks nothing at all like he did when he starred in the original BASKET CASE eight years ago. It's a tribute to Henenlotter that Duane's appearance is more difficult to accept than is Belial's.
The Phantom was also delighted to see that Frito-Lay products -- especially Doritos -- and Jolt cola are the official snack foods of Duane, Belial, and other unique individuals. There are also a lot of Televideo terminals about, and at times the Phantom actually found himself cringing in his seat at the thought that someone would -- gasp! -- use one. "No! Lady! Don't go into that office! Don't touch that keyboard!" he found himself screaming at one point. The Phantom chalks this up to his own traumatic experiences with Televideo equipment in his distant past; the reactions of other viewers may, of course, be different.
But the Phantom won't hold the blatant product placement against Henenlotter and the film; after all, one must have some respect for a director who could convince several major corporations to willingly lend support for a movie like BASKET CASE 2, which even the Phantom must admit is rather out of the mainstream. A long way from Jay Leno to Belial, no? Suddenly "Crunch all you want -- we'll make more!" takes on a whole new meaning....
The sound and music are both above average, and although the cinematography is fairly standard, there is some interesting and clever camera work at times. And surprise of surprises, it ends well. Imagine, a real ending -- one that doesn't look like it was an afterthought or a "suggestion" by the studio.
What more could one ask for? The Phantom heartily recommends BASKET CASE 2 -- as in fact he does all of Henenlotter's work -- and thinks that phans who get in on the joke will enjoy this film more than some of its recent competition, NIGHTBREED included.
By the way, for those phans who are now intrigued by Mr. Henenlotter and are slavering to know more about him, watch for his next film, FRANKENHOOKER, currently scheduled for spring or summer release. Previews for this epic were shown before BASKET CASE 2 (as they're both from Shapiro/Glickenhaus); having seen the preview and considered the title, the Phantom thinks that Stuart Gordon is going to have to get cracking, since it appears that Henenlotter has just upped the ante.
: The Phantom
: baumgart@esquire.dpw.com
: {cmcl2,uunet}!esquire!baumgart
.
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