Basket Case 3: The Progeny | |
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DVD cover art
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Directed by | Frank Henenlotter |
Produced by |
James Glickenhaus Edgar Ievins Leonard Shapiro |
Written by | Frank Henenlotter Robert Martin |
Starring | Kevin Van Hentenryck Annie Ross |
Music by | Joe Renzetti |
Cinematography | Robert Paone |
Edited by | Greg Sheldon |
Distributed by |
Shapiro-Glickenhaus Entertainment 20th Century Fox |
Release date
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Running time
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90 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Basket Case 3: The Progeny is a 1991 American comedy horror film written and directed by Frank Henenlotter. It is the third installment of the Basket Case series, which was released on DVD by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment in 2004.Synapse Films released a new DVD on October 9, 2012.
After crudely trying to sew his monstrous former conjoined twin Belial back on to his side at the end of the previous film, Duane Bradley is re-separated from Belial and put in a straitjacket and padded cell in Granny Ruth's haven for "unique (deformed) individuals". After several months of captivity Duane is released by Granny Ruth, who is preparing to take everyone on a road trip to the home of her ex-husband Doctor Hal Rockwell, who will help in giving birth to Belial's equally misshapen girlfriend Eve's babies; before leaving for the trip, Granny Ruth sternly tells Duane to stay away from Belial, who has stopped speaking to Duane telepathically after Duane's attempt to put them back together.
While traveling via bus to Hal's house in Peachtree County the group stop at a drug store, where Granny Ruth meets local sheriff Andrew Griffin while Duane, attempting to wriggle out a bus window, meets the sheriff's daughter Opal, who he tries to convince help him and Belial escape. Before Duane can talk to Opal any further, Granny Ruth returns and boards the bus and heads back on track to Hal's house, having sweet talked Sheriff Griffin into letting her leave despite the bus being illegally parked.
Eventually reaching Hal's home Duane escapes out a window after Granny Ruth decides to give him a chance and removes his straitjacket; as Duane is imprisoned by Opal and several officers in the local jail, Eve prepares to give birth, which is complicated when Belial mauls Hal, the sight of him in surgical attire causing him to remember his original separation from Duane. With Hal incapacitated Belial is drugged to calm him down and the birth of his and Eve's twelve children is overseen by Little Hal, Hal and Granny Ruth's multi-armed and blob-like prodigy son. Shortly after Eve and Belial's children are born, Deputies Bailey and Baxter break into the Rockwell house, having realized there is a million dollar reward for the capture of both Duane and Belial. While the freaks party Bailey and Baxter find the sleeping babies and, mistaking the groggy Eve for Belial, shoot and kill her before fleeing with the babies when the freaks come after them.
At the police station, Sheriff Griffin finds his daughter in the midst of trying to rape Duane in dominatrix attire and sends her away, shortly before Bailey and Baxter arrive with the babies. Employing a nice bit of alliteration for which all the deputies names were clearly created: "Bailey, you book the Bradley boy, Baxter take the bassinet of baby Belials in back and get Brody to come by... Where's Brennan and Banner?... Bowling", Sheriff Griffin sends the obviously shaken Bailey and Baxter back to their homes and goes off to see what is going on at the Rockwell residence, leaving Officers Brennan, Banner, and Brody in charge of the station. Breaking into the Rockwell house Sheriff Griffin finds Granny Ruth and the freaks in the midst of mourning the dead Eve and the sheriff, disturbed by the sight of the freaks and Little Hal, hurries back to the station, which Belial had broken into. As Belial attacks Brennan, Banner and Brody, Opal releases Duane from his cell, hoping he can stop Belial. Belial kills Brennan by crushing his throat (causing his eyes and teeth to pop out) and rips Banner's head off before trying to maul Brody, who accidentally blasts Opal (who crushes one of the babies in her death throes) with his shotgun prior to having his neck snapped by Belial. Putting Belial in his basket, Duane runs from the station just as Sheriff Griffin appears and opens fire, injuring Belial. Wanting to help Belial reclaim his babies and take revenge on the remaining police Duane makes up with Belial and has Little Hal construct a robotic exoskeleton for him, which Belial utilizes to butcher Bailey and Baxter.