Basket Case 2 (1990)

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

People are voting emotionally.

good back-story, and good acting

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

As a longtime fan of horror films any chance to see iconic figures return to the screen in a movie that is as good as the original is a great thing. Far too often rather than find a movie that captures the originality of the first film we are treated to Hollywood renditions of the characters that fall far short of what we loved. That isn't the case with BASKETCASE 2.The first film told the story of Duane Bradley (Kevin Van Hentenryck) and his brother Belial. These were no ordinary brothers While Duane appeared normal Belial was more of an appendage, a massive growth on Duane's side that was removed years earlier and is now carried around in a wicker basket by Duane. Belial also had a penchant for attacking and killing people with well sharpened fangs as opposed to teeth. At the end of the first film it appeared the duo had died falling from a building.As this film opens we discover that wasn't the case. Instead the pair have survived the fall and been taken away by Granny Ruth (Annie Ross) and her daughter Susan (Heather Rattray) to a home she runs especially for people like Duane and Belial. This is a gathering of "freaks" like none ever seen before. Misshapen bodies and heads abound all belonging to individuals we end up meeting along the way. We have a group here that has come to learn how to live in this world without having to fear judgement among their peers.But of course the odds of this group living here peacefully isn't long. In a world filled with media coverage of everything possible and with Duane and Belial on the lam from the law in the wake of bodies left behind by Belial, a reporter comes snooping in hopes of finding a story. The balance of the group's world will eventually come into question and the story may get out. No one knows until the film's end.Along the way are two romances as well. The first and most expected is between Duane and Susan. While Susan seems unaware of Duane's affections at first she eventually takes notice. The more unexpected romance is between Belial and another member of the house named Eve who looks nearly identical to him with the exception of being female.So what makes this film work? The fact that director/writer Frank Henenlotter doesn't treat his characters as what most would call them, "freaks". He recognizes them as characters in his story, as human beings who just happen to look different. This hasn't been done much in film and I can only recall the movie FREAKS as having done the same decades earlier. While their outward appearance might seem monstrous to those seeing them for the first time they come off as more human than many humans in the film.That Henenlotter was able to create a further story to match the original is wonderful. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying this is the greatest movie of all time. But I had a ton of fun watching this one and enjoyed it from start to finish. It's more polished than the original but one would expect that. The budget had to have been bigger and Henenlotter had gained more experience before this movie was made. It shows on the screen.The movie was successful enough to garner a follow up, a third chapter that unfortunately was a straight to video (at the time) film that didn't quite compare. But all of the movies lend themselves to some gore filled fun for horror fans. That Synapse has taken the time to bring this out in a blu-ray edition complete with a few extras says a lot about their dedication to keeping alive movies the mainstream overlooks. Fans will find this a must have for the collection. Those who want every movie in a series will want it as well. And horror fans should make a point of seeking it out and adding it as well. It's just that much fun.

For writer/director Frank Henenlotter, fame came in a small basket, literally. With the release of Basket Case (1982), Henenlotter had shown audiences that he created a unique horror icon to bring forth to the public. Unfortunately that's all Henenlotter had. Looking back, the film did have some parts that were different from other horror films from the 1980s. Yet this did not override the whole fact that the story itself did not make any sense and the characters weren't as likable as one would want them to be. However, even with these flaws Henenlotter was able to get his chance to film a sequel. The sequel did not arrive until 1990 (which was abnormal for sequels back then to have such a gap) and it seemed that there was small bits of improvement. Then again there are still other things that keep getting put into the script that add to the confusion. For what it's worth though, Basket Case (1982) did not need a sequel. Its finale was gratifying enough.Like other sequels, Basket Case 2 (1990) picks up where Basket Case (1982) finished. After their fall, Duane Bradley (Kevin Van Hentenryck) and his separated deformed siamese twin Belial are taken to the nearest hospital to recover. There, Belial and Duane get a ride from Granny Ruth (Annie Ross) and Susan (Heather Rattray) to their home, which is a house of other outlandishly deformed outcasts. Meanwhile, a money grubbing reporter named Marcie (Kathryn Meisle) and her partner Phil (Ted Sorel) look to expose the Bradley brothers' location for their crimes. This story isn't bad at all. In fact, the concept is much more immersive than that of what Henenlotter wrote for his first film. Unfortunately, it's the execution that brings about the problems. It was hard pressed to say whether Belial and Duane were the viewers' designated protagonists. Sure you could sympathize that they were separated at birth and wanted payback, yet the relationship between the two characters didn't feel like they knew each other.That feeling goes double for here. Both Duane and Belial have several opportunities to redeem themselves and learn from their mistakes, and yet they don't. It is truly unfortunate. That's one of the best parts about Henenlotter's writing specifically this time and yet it isn't utilized properly. Belial finds love and Duane thinks that he deserves his chance to be normal and find love with Susan. Duane sits down and talks with Belial and gets laughed at. Well okay, some brother you are Belial. Although I must question Duane's newfound "love" for Susan. They literally just met. Turns out the first chance Duane finds love, he wants to sleep with the girl (just like the original film). Even after Belial finds love, he continues to kill people (just like the original film). These characters do not develop what so ever. It's actually more accurate to say the execution feels fairly similar to that of what happened in the first film. Duane and Belial although brothers, don't exactly have brotherly love to show for each other. A very poor standing love/hate relationship.Another thing that needs to be questioned again is how does Belial have a reproductive system? The first film (even this one through flashback) stated Belial was only connected by tissue and shared no vital organs, so what is Duane's brother running on? The logic makes no sense. Another element that doesn't make sense, yet was creative were the other freakishly deformed residence of Granny Ruth's house. What didn't make sense were some of the deformities like having as one character is credited as "Man with 27 Noses", "Frog Boy" or "Toothy". Many of the designs are truly beyond plausible but the fact that a concept artist had to conjure up such distortions is worth noting. Plus, the practical effects used for the costumes and gory violence are used nicely. And although the design of Belial has changed, he at least has better movement from before and doesn't howl at ear blistering decibels like the original movie.Robert M. Baldwin instead of Bruce Torbet handled the cinematography for this entry. Surprisingly, Baldwin keeps the same visual style of Torbet and cranks it up a couple notches from less gritty indie film to a more professionally made film. Plus, there are some moments where the lighting and angles the cameras move at gives a much more trippier feel to it because it is so bizarre of a story. And because the effects look better, it doesn't seem as obvious that Belial was originally a puppet and now more like a live creature. The music was of no improvement though. Instead of Gus Russo, Joe Renzetti (known for his music from Child's Play (1988) composed the music. And just like Child's Play (1988), Renzetti's music does have creepy sounding tunes but they are very short-lived and more atmospheric than anything else, leaving little to the imagination. It's really nothing to be impressed about because it's so difficult to remember how to hum the tune.It has better looking effects, violence and cinematography and its screenplay had moments of opportunity. Regrettably the opportunities weren't seized, which led to frustrating direction, bad continuity and confusing motivational choices. Surprisingly it's better than the first,....but not by much.

The lad and his freak twin who fell out of an upper floor window in the first film and were seen at the end lying, bleeding, dead on the ground, apparently didn't die after all. In fact, the freak looks better than he did in the first one.The reason for that is a substantially larger budget (due to the success of the first movie), enabling a much better quality monster to be created to the same basic design. This larger budget also stretched towards constructing other freaks/freak makeup, and having a Name in the cast list (Scots jazz singer Annie Ross, who played Robert Vaughn's sister in Superman III).The story is different but not a lot better. The acting is a bit better, and the film is more professionally made, hence I rate it higher than its dreadful predecessor.

I really like the first Basket Case back in (1982), as it was very Gory also really funny, a lot of Funnow they are back again, this movie start of by showing, what happened at the end of The Basket Case, Soon start from the ending of the first movieThe twins are now main headline on the news , Granny Ruth and her Grandaugter are watching the news and know who these two are, as they rush to the hospital, Duane and Belial break out of the hospital after he killed one of the doctors. Then Ruth hide them away from outside world, with her family, then they find out that, Beiial is not one of a kinda as there are others like him in her house, that she takes care of.Duane now feel like a normal person, wants to be a normal person and wants to leave but he ends up getting seen by the Reporter, now he has to stay, as he put the rest of the Freaks in danger, of being found out.This movie is not as Great, as the cult classic Basket Case (1982). Is still a great movie.There are very funny scenes, gore was good, not as gory as the first, they make up effect for the Freaks, were GREAT, or outstanding and I really like the way the movie ended, as it perfect ending.I liked this movie, as it was really good and the acting was great too I going to give this movie 7/10