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Basket Case (1982)

 |  Comedy, Horror  |  April 1982 (USA)
6.1
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Ratings: 6.1/10 from 10,691 users  
Reviews: 123 user | 120 critic

A young man carrying a big basket that contains his deformed Siamese-twin brother seeks vengeance on the doctors who separated them against their will.

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kevin Van Hentenryck ...
Duane Bradley (as Kevin VanHentenryck)
Terri Susan Smith ...
Beverly Bonner ...
Robert Vogel ...
Hotel Manager
Diana Browne ...
Dr. Kutter
Lloyd Pace ...
Dr. Needleman
Bill Freeman ...
Dr. Lifflander
Joe Clarke ...
O'Donovan
Ruth Neuman ...
Duane's Aunt
Richard Pierce ...
Duane's Father
Sean McCabe ...
Young Duane
Dorothy Strongin ...
Josephine
Kerry Ruff ...
Detective
Ilze Balodis ...
Social Worker
Tom Robinson ...
Thief in Theater
Edit

Storyline

Charming country bumpkin Duane Bradley takes a motel room in New York with no other luggage than a basket. In a flash back-series we learn it contains his surgically removed Siamese twin who is not only physically deformed so badly the doctors hesitated to consider him a human, but is also the vindictive drive of their trip, with the purpose to kill off all those he blames. But in the reception of one of those doctors, Duane gets his first ever date, with the receptionist, and wants to start a positive life too - when the freak twin escapes, the scene is set for a grim finale. Written by KGF Vissers

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

Its mother conceived it... You won't believe it... See more »

Genres:

Comedy | Horror

Certificate:

See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

April 1982 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

El Caso Del Canasto  »

Box Office

Budget:

$35,000 (estimated)
 »

Company Credits

Production Co:

 »
Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The "bedtime story" that the boys' aunt reads to them is Shakespeare's "The Tempest." Specifically, she is reading them a speech by Caliban, a deformed, animalistic creature that once attempted to rape the protagonist's daughter and was enslaved as a result. The speech - found in Act 3, Scene 2 - is considered amongst Shakespearean critics as a moment of humanity for Caliban, as he comforts a newcomer to his island home by describing its natural beauty and tranquility. See more »

Goofs

When Casey enters Duane's room to drop him off after he drinks a lot she proceeds over to the basket. By the basket is the file Duane and Belial retrieved after the first kill. On it is blood that is still red. With the amount of time that has passed it should have dried up and been maroon. See more »

Quotes

Sharon: What's in the basket? Easter eggs?
See more »

Crazy Credits

Since the crew only consisted of three or four people, many of the names in the credits are fictitious. See more »

Connections

Referenced in The Angry Video Game Nerd: Sega CD (2007) See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
Odd, But Good B-Horror
20 April 2001 | by (Sunland, CA) – See all my reviews

It's rare to see a horror film that is actually "good", featuring an original premise and decent acting/plot. Some films should have been "classics" because they feature both, but are mocked years later for their horrible special effects (think about it - most "classic horror films" feature human or human-like villains e.g. slasher flicks and "Rosemary's Baby"). Well, Basket Case is no exception.

The premise is one of the most original, then and probably still now. Duane carries his brother Belial around in a basket, and the two are trying to find and murder the doctors who separated them. It reminds one of "Freaks", with the deformed Belial and his brother Duane as anti-heros of sorts, getting revenge on the "normal" people that treated them so cruelly. A flashback to Duane's and Belial's separation and events in the film actually made me feel sorry for both (Duane because Belial won't let him have any time or romance for himself, and Belial because everyone is deathly afraid of him but his brother).

For a low budget '80s flick, Belial actually looks really good for the most part; though the first few deaths in the movie where he remains invisible are still more effective. When Belial jumps at some people it looks sort of funny, but when he is stationary (must've been a better puppet), he looks either frightened or damned frightening. Belial also makes some thankfully short appearances as a decent stop-motion animation.

It should also be noted that the lower quality grainy film stock does add to the seediness of the film and its bad-side-of-New York setting to give it a more creepy and realistic quality. There's a fairly high amount of gore, and the events leading up to the ending are eerie and shocking (it should be noted that, though it has some weak comedic aspects, this film isn't the intended horror/comedy its sequels are). Some of the acting isn't the greatest, but that's to be expected. After all, this is a horror film, and after all, it's low budget. Knowing that just makes this film seem all the more classic.


6 of 6 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

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