Search - Basket Case on DVD

What's in the basket, kid?

cookieman108 | Inside the jar... | 07/06/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"'The tenant in room 7 is small, twisted, and very mad.' One of my favorite tag lines from a movie. This is a great, low bugdet shlock horror/comedy from the early 80's. It involves two brothers and their plot to get revenge. I hate to give anymore away, but this is a cult classic that has spawned a couple of sequels. I haven't seen them, but I have seen this one, and it's lots of fun. The story is definately interesting with its flashbacks and the actors will never win any Oscars, but they really help to make this movie. And then there's the seedy locations. Basically this type of film making is called "using what you got and making the most of it". And then there's the special effects....not over the top, but effective enough to fit nicely with the story. The stop motion animation was a little cheesy, but then that added to the fun of the movie for me. All in all, I had a great time watching this movie.

Something Weird Video (SWV) did a really great job with this DVD. I was a little disappointed that the movie was only available in full screen format, but the amount of extras included was truly amazing. I really enjoyed the piece where the director goes back and tries to locate certain locations from the movie. Great stuff, and pretty complete.

So, in closing, if you want to see a low budget, gory, horror/comedy schlockfest that was done really well, get this movie, if you've got the guts. And as an added bonus, get a glimpse of what times square used to look like before it got all cleaned up and 'disneyfied'. Not a lot of footage on this, but a chance to see how seedy and raw it used to be, with it's hookers, grindhouses, triple-X theaters, etc., compared to what it is now."

Cult horror trash classic

S. D Haynie | carlsbad, nm United States | 08/20/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If you're looking for a bit of a change-up for your Friday Night Horror Movie Parties, try this one.
It's gory. It's got really cheesy 80's special effects. The actors ALL have bad hair.
However, it is an interesting idea. The two brothers are clearly deeply connected to each other (or, at least they were...). The emotional conflict between the two (particularly the more "able" brother's desire to date) is intense and understandable.
There were moments in this movie that were so funny (that I don't think were meant to be) that my husband and I just laughed and laughed. Some of the characters are over the top. There were some scenes (particularly the really bad stop-animation scenes) that made me wince in their low quality. I'm sure it was superb film quality at the time; but, now it's really bad.
Overall, it's one of those films that you probably should watch. Get a friend who won't hate you when it's over, come to an agreement that this is intentionally quite trashy, and have fun watching a truly original, truly bizarre flick."

What's in the basket!!?

Puzzle box | Kuwait | 04/16/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Frank Henenlotter has definently made a bizzare and very cheap horror film, the film contains some blood and gore but some of it looks so unbelievably fake like the scene where one of the doctors gets killed by the monster Bilial looks like they just squirted some ketchup and told the actor to scream alot like he was being killed. But what I really liked about this film was its humor and the filmakers determination despite having an extremley low budget, the freak twin itself looks like a bad lump of plasticine with a face on it and two big arms, the film starts when the two brothers go to the city to have there revenge on the doctors who have separeted them from each other when they were younger using a small operation procedure as you will see in the flashback sequence. They soon rent a realy small rundown appartment where there lives a prostitute and some low life scum. Theres this scene that I thought was an absolute riot where Duane Bradley goes on a date with the secratery who he met at the doctors office which makes his twin freak gets jeuolos and then throws a fit of rage, what bothered me about this scene was the bad stop motion effects were completley outdated but who cares because the scene was just so hilarious especialy when he threw a chair across the room and started lifting the bed and banging it on the floor. I recomend this to horror fans who like low budget early 80's horror films."

Great horror cult classic!

John Lindsey | Socorro, New Mexico USA. | 04/16/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In the seediest part of New York City, a strange young man named Duane Bradley check into a hotel in times square with everything especially a basket that contains his small deformed brother. Long ago Duana was born with his twin brother attached to him creating a fuss among his family and when he was older him and the creature got surgically seperated leaving the Siamese brother in a garbage can, he did rescued him and protects him every know and then. Now they seek revenge on the people that seperated them as the creature goes out of control for it eats ravenously and craves for blood even the ones from room intruders.

An unforgottable horror comedy independent flick that became an instant midnight cult favorite with critical acclaim even from Rex Reed, this darkly comical terror tale is gory as hell and funny too. The violence and gore gave this movie an X rating originally but was released uncut and unrated into theaters, the acting maybe wooden but the storyline is quite original and features some good make-up and stop motion effects.

This special edition DVD has quality picture and sound with cool extras like audio commentary by director Frank Henenlotter with producer Edgar Levins and Actress Beverly Bonner, theatrical trailers, TV spots, outtakes, behind the scenes footage, a featurette, radio spots, radio interviews, clips from Beverly Bonner's comedy cable TV show "Beverly Bonner's Laugh Track", and poster-and-still gallery for this is a must have for true horror aficionados.

Also recommended: "The Toxic Avenger", "Day of the Dead", "Re-Animator", "Demons", "It's Alive!", "C.H.U.D.", "The Devil's Rejects", "Ichi The Killer", "Phenomena (a.k.a. Creepers)", "From Dusk Till Dawn", "Evil Dead II", "I Spit on Your Grave", "Maniac (1980)", "Creepshow", "The Driller Killer", "The Prowler", "Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky", "Dead Alive (a.k.a. Braindead)", "Texas Chainsaw Massacre part 2", "Blood Feast 1 & 2", "Hostel", "Brain Damaged", "Frankenhooker", "Terror Firmer", "The Brood", "Inferno", "Men Behind The Sun", "Cannibal Ferox", "Bloodsucking Freaks", "Street Trash", "Cannibal Holocaust", "Grindhouse", "Motel Hell", "The Evil Dead", "Dawn of the Dead (1978 and 2004)", "Saw Trilogy", "Dead Ringers", "Videodrome", "Scanners", "Caligula", "Last House on The Left", "Sin City", "An American Werewolf in London", "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer", "The Kindred", "American Psycho", "A Nightmare on Elm Street", "May", "High Tension", "The Untold Story", "Cannibal Apocalypse", "Hannibal", "Wolf Creek", "Final Destination 2" and "The Hills Have Eyes (1977 and 2006)"."