Now I know why the word "zany" was invented...5 stars!
Added 6/27/2009
Picking up right where "Basket Case" left off, "Basket Case 2" proves to be more of a crazy, fantasy-movie of a wild-ride than a horror sort of indulgence. Don't get me wrong, "Basket Case 2" is an absolutely brilliant and amazing movie, and probably the reason why half the synomyms for "crazy" were invented, i.e. "wacky", "loopy", "zany", etc. It's just THAT out there...but great at the same time!
In this movie are more of the crazy, imaginative monsters such as Belial. Your eyebrows are gonna raise probably a dozen times in this movie, but if you can handle that, then this is going to be a newfound treasure trove of comedy-horror crossover goodness.
I will admit, in comparison to the first movie, this one has a bit of a slower pace and can get a little dull in some areas, but when the excitement picks up again, it'll keep you entertained!
Now despite the leaning towards the fantasy and comedy aspect, there's still a solid amount of blood and gore, giving the movie an "R" rating, and that shows that the movie still keeps a decent horror aspect for those interested. It just goes to show that this movie is strong from all angles. Definitely give it a watch, it's highly recommended! Thanks for the time, and peace.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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The Frank Henenlotter Crown Jewel
Added 8/15/2008
TWO WORDS!!!
UNTAPPED GENIUS!!!!
Part Lewis, part Argento, part Cronenberg, and part Jackson.
It's a wonder that directors like Peter Jackson, & Sam Raimi, who produced similar movies, became HUGE!,
while Frank Henenlotter who produced 5, count 'em 5, excellent bizarro horror comedies, faded into cinematic obscurity.
The man is untapped genius!!!
Someone needs to tell Hollywood to get it together!!
Everyone knows how much the other 2 made them.
That being said....
This film is without a doubt, Frank Henenlotters crowning achievement.
A better example of his work... does not exist.
The screen explodes with more grisly monstrosities than you're gonna see anywhere else! ANYWHERE ELSE!!!
And they all look freakishly amazing!
And amazingly freakish!!
A Chernobyl sideshow!!
Each one is more unbelievable than the last!
If you could believe the last one!!
If I were to see this movie as a child, I would have been scared out of my skin tone.
I would have been a blubbering, floor-clutching, puddle of a mess.
If Zelda from "Pet Semetary" kept my eyes nailed open all night;
this movie would've kept me up screaming and hugging my knees.
There are so many horror-defining visulas at the end of this movie,
you're gonna wonder if you're having a psychotic meltdown or a horrific epiphany.
If "Freaked" had a big, ugly brother, it would be Basket Case 2.
The acting is awful on almost everyones part.
Everyone except Annie Ross, who turns the "creepy factor" all the way up through the roof.
But everything else if the stuff hilarious nightmares are made of.
This is the hidden horror gem you've been mining for.
Behold it in all it's horror-comedy glory.
MORAL OF THE STORY:
It's 10:PM,
Do you know where your hideously deformed, homicidal, siamese twin brother is??
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Horror's favorite set of Siamese twins return. They survived the fall and are now on the run from the law. They find refuge with "Granny Ruth" who runs a kind of boarding home for freaks. When a snoopy reporter catches wind of the "Freak Twins" residing with Granny Ruth, it threatens to blow the whistle on Ruth's family. The freaks are then forced into action.
The Basket Case concept may have seemed like a one trick pony, but Henenlotter's formula still works. He even manges to expand and introduce new ideas where you wouldn't expect. It winds up being a very interesting film that's just about as good as the first film(or even better according to some) The humor is played up more, and this is a wise decision coz you really can't make a scary or serious film with this kind of plot. Though still a low budget affair, Henenlotter is working with a bigger budget than before. The freak makeup FX aren't terribly realistic looking, but they certainly are elaborate. Sometimes it's even overwhelming. Belial is touched up a bit. In fact, I think he looks considerably bigger than he did in the first movie. The movie goes for a more heartwarming and family type vibe with the freaks. This is where my only complaint with the movie comes. You're supposed to be on their side and hope they never get found out and exploited. This is all fine and dandy, but there are scenes when Belial and the other freaks kill innocent folks who don't deserve it. Even Duane and Granny Ruth seem to have no hangups about slaughtering a bartender just so the freaks could gain access to the bar for a few minutes. I don't mind them slaughtering the schmucks who threaten them, but it's hard for me to work up sympathy for them when at times, they are no more than just cold blooded killers. But that's not too big of a deal. After all this is just a schlocky cult film, right?
Anybody who liked Basket Case has probably already discovered this film, and certainly don't need a recommendation. But just let it be said that it's well worth seeing for cult movie fan.
2 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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Trash your VHS edition!
Added 3/28/2008
Out of the small handful of films that Frank Henenlotter has made, BASKET CASE 2 has always been my favorite -- and it was frustrating that all of the others made it to Region 1 DVD years earlier (including the inferior BASKET CASE 3). The original BASKET CASE had a sleazy charm all its own, and though it was never intended to be seen outside of the NYC theater district, it became an unlikely hit. By the time BASKET CASE 2 came along, Henenlotter had made two other films, and it shows. This film features some amazing visuals, a fun, original story, mostly solid acting and many lovable characters -- though it's hard to tear your eyes away from jazz singer Annie Ross, who gives a wickedly charming, over the top performance as Granny Ruth.
Synapse Films outdid themselves with the transfer of the movie. The original NTSC video release was fuzzy (I bought two different copies and they were both fuzzy -- it looked better on HBO), and the colors were a little dull, which is a shame since it's such a colorful film. The colors on this transfer are rich, the details sharp and the audio's crystal. The lengthy "Behind the Wicker" featurette includes new interviews with Henenlotter and other crew members, as well as a lot of rare stills and never before seen behind-the-scenes footage (from both BC2 and FRANKENHOOKER). "The Man in the Moon Mask" featurette, however, feels like it should've been spliced into the "Wicker Basket" one -- Emge seems likable, but his interview doesn't really warrant a featurette of his own.
It's disappointing that star Kevin Van Hentenryck wasn't involved with this DVD (or any of 'em!), and that there's no commentary or trailer. Still, I can't complain, since the film itself looks and sounds so good!
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Pretty good belated sequel...
Added 1/2/2008
Tonally different from the original (glossier, much less gory, and cartoonish rather than creepy) but enjoyable nonetheless. Benefits from being a 'true' sequel - expanding on characters and past events in a new setting instead of just rehashing - a revamped design for Belial and a dogged refusal to be anything less than very, very strange. Looking forward to the re-release of the 3rd, which I haven't yet seen.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Now I know why the word "zany" was invented...5 stars!
Added 6/27/2009
Picking up right where "Basket Case" left off, "Basket Case 2" proves to be more of a crazy, fantasy-movie of a wild-ride than a horror sort of indulgence. Don't get me wrong, "Basket Case 2" is an absolutely brilliant and amazing movie, and probably the reason why half the synomyms for "crazy" were invented, i.e. "wacky", "loopy", "zany", etc. It's just THAT out there...but great at the same time!
In this movie are more of the crazy, imaginative monsters such as Belial. Your eyebrows are gonna raise probably a dozen times in this movie, but if you can handle that, then this is going to be a newfound treasure trove of comedy-horror crossover goodness.
I will admit, in comparison to the first movie, this one has a bit of a slower pace and can get a little dull in some areas, but when the excitement picks up again, it'll keep you entertained!
Now despite the leaning towards the fantasy and comedy aspect, there's still a solid amount of blood and gore, giving the movie an "R" rating, and that shows that the movie still keeps a decent horror aspect for those interested. It just goes to show that this movie is strong from all angles. Definitely give it a watch, it's highly recommended! Thanks for the time, and peace.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
The Frank Henenlotter Crown Jewel
Added 8/15/2008
TWO WORDS!!!
UNTAPPED GENIUS!!!!
Part Lewis, part Argento, part Cronenberg, and part Jackson.
It's a wonder that directors like Peter Jackson, & Sam Raimi, who produced similar movies, became HUGE!,
while Frank Henenlotter who produced 5, count 'em 5, excellent bizarro horror comedies, faded into cinematic obscurity.
The man is untapped genius!!!
Someone needs to tell Hollywood to get it together!!
Everyone knows how much the other 2 made them.
That being said....
This film is without a doubt, Frank Henenlotters crowning achievement.
A better example of his work... does not exist.
The screen explodes with more grisly monstrosities than you're gonna see anywhere else! ANYWHERE ELSE!!!
And they all look freakishly amazing!
And amazingly freakish!!
A Chernobyl sideshow!!
Each one is more unbelievable than the last!
If you could believe the last one!!
If I were to see this movie as a child, I would have been scared out of my skin tone.
I would have been a blubbering, floor-clutching, puddle of a mess.
If Zelda from "Pet Semetary" kept my eyes nailed open all night;
this movie would've kept me up screaming and hugging my knees.
There are so many horror-defining visulas at the end of this movie,
you're gonna wonder if you're having a psychotic meltdown or a horrific epiphany.
If "Freaked" had a big, ugly brother, it would be Basket Case 2.
The acting is awful on almost everyones part.
Everyone except Annie Ross, who turns the "creepy factor" all the way up through the roof.
But everything else if the stuff hilarious nightmares are made of.
This is the hidden horror gem you've been mining for.
Behold it in all it's horror-comedy glory.
MORAL OF THE STORY:
It's 10:PM,
Do you know where your hideously deformed, homicidal, siamese twin brother is??
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
|
Horror's favorite set of Siamese twins return. They survived the fall and are now on the run from the law. They find refuge with "Granny Ruth" who runs a kind of boarding home for freaks. When a snoopy reporter catches wind of the "Freak Twins" residing with Granny Ruth, it threatens to blow the whistle on Ruth's family. The freaks are then forced into action.
The Basket Case concept may have seemed like a one trick pony, but Henenlotter's formula still works. He even manges to expand and introduce new ideas where you wouldn't expect. It winds up being a very interesting film that's just about as good as the first film(or even better according to some) The humor is played up more, and this is a wise decision coz you really can't make a scary or serious film with this kind of plot. Though still a low budget affair, Henenlotter is working with a bigger budget than before. The freak makeup FX aren't terribly realistic looking, but they certainly are elaborate. Sometimes it's even overwhelming. Belial is touched up a bit. In fact, I think he looks considerably bigger than he did in the first movie. The movie goes for a more heartwarming and family type vibe with the freaks. This is where my only complaint with the movie comes. You're supposed to be on their side and hope they never get found out and exploited. This is all fine and dandy, but there are scenes when Belial and the other freaks kill innocent folks who don't deserve it. Even Duane and Granny Ruth seem to have no hangups about slaughtering a bartender just so the freaks could gain access to the bar for a few minutes. I don't mind them slaughtering the schmucks who threaten them, but it's hard for me to work up sympathy for them when at times, they are no more than just cold blooded killers. But that's not too big of a deal. After all this is just a schlocky cult film, right?
Anybody who liked Basket Case has probably already discovered this film, and certainly don't need a recommendation. But just let it be said that it's well worth seeing for cult movie fan.
2 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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