Basket Case (film)
| Basket Case | |
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| Directed by | Frank Henenlotter |
| Produced by | Edgar Ievins |
| Written by | Frank Henenlotter |
| Starring | Kevin Van Hentenryck Terri Susan Smith Beverly Bonner |
| Music by | Gus Russo |
| Distributed by | Analysis Film Releasing Corporation |
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Release date
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Running time
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91 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $35,000 |
Basket Case is a 1982 American horror comedy film written and directed by Frank Henenlotter. It has two sequels, Basket Case 2 (1990) and Basket Case 3: The Progeny (1991) by the same director. It is notable for its low budget, bizarre humor, and strong violence. The film gained an audience in the 1980s due to the advent of home video and has become a cult film. Kevin Van Hentenryck stars as a normal-looking person who seeks vengeance for the unwanted surgery that separated him from his deformed conjoined twin brother.
Duane Bradley arrives in New York City with a locked basket. After he gets a room at a cheap hotel, the contents of the basket are finally revealed: in it lives his deformed Siamese twin brother, Belial. Although conjoined at birth, the twins were surgically separated at an early age against their will, and Belial deeply resents being cut off from his normal-looking brother. As the twins seek revenge against the doctors responsible for their separation, Duane befriends a nurse, Sharon. Jealous, Belial attacks and kills her when he becomes frustrated with his inability to rape her. Enraged at his brother for his actions, Duane attempts to kill Belial, which results in the two brothers falling from a hotel window.
Basket Case was shot on 16 mm film. Director Henenlotter did not have control over the post-production, and the result was dark, murky, and converted to a different aspect ratio. The film was shot in part on Manhattan's 42nd Street. Henenlotter wrote the film as he walked around Times Square, which he called a "seedy, wonderful atmosphere."
The special effects for Belial consist largely of a puppet in some scenes and stop motion in others. When Belial's hand is seen attacking his victims, it is really a glove worn by Henenlotter. The full size puppet is also seen in the scenes where Belial is seen with an actor or where his eyes glow red. The sequence for Belial's rampage used stop motion animation.
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