Basket Case (1982) Review
For all those old enough to remember Basket Case was a landmark film for any spotty adolescent’s trek through the video cassette boom that unleashed all sorts of grisly offerings into the homes and young minds of those parents not quite sussing that perhaps their impressionable charges shouldn’t be. It was also one of the more successful titles in terms of capitalising on then home video revolution that was occurring and fast became more than just an American midnight cult hit. It went on to spawn two sequels Basket Case 2 (1990) and Basket Case 3: The Progeny (1991) with a fourth in consideration.
Writer/director Frank Henelotter refutes the notion that this is a horror film – or that ANY of his films are – instead considering them exploitation. Costing a teeny $35,000 (that wodge of notes you see Duane with when he first enters the Hotel Broslin? That’s the film’s entire budget) Henelotter’s flick is a seedy, over-the-top comedy horror that manages to capture New York at its sleaziest all the while not afraid to throw whatever it can at the screen in terms of both absurd and bloody detail.
If you consider that low budget horror nowadays relates to something along the lines of the Paranormal Activity franchise Basket Case makes you yearn for the good old days where nothing was sacred, the acting was never expected to be top drawer and the effects were expected to be crap. Whilst Belial is evidently a puppet in parts, or just a glove in others, fair game to the makers for attempting to make him appear as ‘real’ as their funds would allow via rather amusing stop-motion and playing the odd scene backwards to make it look like he’s pouncing – rather well considering there’s no means physically for Belial to spring up.
Van Hentenryck’s then limitations as an actor matter not one jot as he comes across as an agreeable lead evidently taking none of this nonsense seriously either. Chunky hotel superintendent played by Robert Vogel has little to do besides run up the stairs a lot and shoo punters out of a room they shouldn’t be in and Beverly Bonner (who has appeared in every one of Henenlotter’s films) is a camp delight as Duane’s hooker neighbour.
It’s dark, always a perfect beginning for a horror flick, and Dr Julius Liflander (Bill Freeman) is on edge. Upon leaving his home he notices that there is someone or something shuffling around in the foliage outside. Concerned he returns back indoors and does the natural thing – he calls the police. Too late! An unseen assailant makes mince meat of his face and probably elsewhere about his person too.
We then cut from violence to the aural and cultural mishmash of early Eighties’ New York where Duane Bradley (Kevin Van Hentenryck) is walking the streets ignoring a drug dealer/pimp and looking for somewhere to stay. He picks the seedy drab looking Hotel Broslin (as if you would given the money Duane rather stupidly brandishes in front of far too eager eyes and itchy fingers) and initially gets a gruff reception from Anthony (Robert Vogel), the hotel manager, and the assorted oddballs littering up the foyer.
He has a large basket with him to which pretty much everyone at some point during the course of the story asks ‘what’s in the basket?’ which he sets down in his new home – Room 7 – and feeds a stash of recently purchased junk food to the unseen occupant of the container.
Duane has a thick volume of medical papers stained with the blood of the recently spliced Dr Liflander. Whatever is in the basket talks to Duane but only Duane can hear him. It soon becomes clear Duane has not decided to visit the Big Apple for a peek at the Statue of Liberty nor the EmpireStateBuilding but to pay a visit to the other doctors who, along with Liflander, separated Duane from his badly formed Siamese twin Belial at the request of their father. And they’re not stopping by for a catch up over coffee! As the siblings embark on their revenge rampage complications occur when Duane starts dating doctor’s receptionist Sharon (Terri Susan Smith) but the idea does not sit well with Belial and the scene is set for a showdown between the two brothers.
The film’s crew apparently only consisted of just three or four people meaning that many of the names in the credits are fictitious as is the Hotel Broslin so if you’re a fan of the film don’t go seeking it out or rather if you do bear in mind that through the magic of – The Hotel Broslin doesn’t actually exist and the main lobby parts were filmed in a propped-open service elevator in Franklin St, New York. The scene at the end where Duane and Belial are hanging from the hotel Broslin sign was actually filmed on an exterior building downtown on Hubert Street. All the interior shots were shot on several other locations including a nightclub that also featured in Al Pacino’s gay serial killer flick Cruising.
Basket Case is what a horror film would be like had John Waters directed it being trashy and filled with colourful characters – Casey (Beverly Bonner) screams prime Waters’ caricature and indeed the actress dabbled on stage with Waters’ muse Divine. For all the over-the-top screaming and violence Basket Case finishes on a sad note that should tonally be at odds with all that has preceded it but doesn’t. If anything the full-on nature has you buying into the latex bundle of rage that is Belial and remorse at the outcome to his story. You even feel for the passing of their aunt (Ruth Neuman) whom takes the boys under her wing and raise them both as their own. What’s with all the ‘smiley face’ items in Casey’s apartment? Go on have a look they’re everywhere even on her nightie!
