Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Basket Case 2 Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf July 31, 2016

I suppose technically, formerly conjoined twins Duane and Belial died at the end of 1982’s “Basket Case,” but when has finality ever stopped a horror franchise from taking shape? The understandably unsettled siblings return to action in 1990’s “Basket Case 2,” which offers writer/director Frank Henenlotter (“Frankenhooker”) an opportunity to expand his vision for brotherly love with a slightly larger budget and more polished technical achievements. While the sheer oddity of “Basket Case” is impossible to replicate, Henenlotter takes his creation to pleasingly broad extremes, cooking up a tribute to “Freaks,” Tod Browning’s 1932 shocker, to help provide dramatic direction for his follow up. Returning to the ways of grotesque characters, psychological collapse, and bizarre events, “Basket Case 2” is a largely successful sequel that brings the series into a new era, ready to explore its old bag of tricks.

Seemingly perishing after dropping out of a New York City hotel window, Duane (Kevin Van Hentenryck) and his deformed brother Belial are instead revived by emergency services, stabilized during a hospital stay that turns deadly once old instincts to kill return. Finding comfort from Granny Ruth (Annie Ross), a former psychologist and friend to the “Unique Individuals” of the world, Duane and Belial are given shelter in her country home, meeting her daughter, Susan (Heather Rattray). As Duane is confronted with his past deeds and hope for a brighter future of possible independence, Belial is introduced to the rest of the “family,” with freaks such as Mouse Face, Frog Boy, and The Man with 27 Noses welcoming the killer as one of their own. Curious about the case, journalist Marcy (Kathryn Meisle) smells the story of the century, bringing in private investigator Phil (Ted Sorel) to help track down Duane and Belial, threatening the safety of Granny Ruth’s “children” as unwanted attention inspires additional bloodletting.

Restoring momentum to the “Basket Case” franchise isn’t really a challenge. Henenlotter basically rewrites the severity of the original’s final moment, replacing operatic sacrifice with a medical emergency, getting both Duane and Belial back to old business quickly, meeting up with them again inside a local hospital. It doesn’t take long for “Basket Case 2” to restart the body count, but for this round of horror, Belial, the blob-like brother, is slightly upgraded, gifted more opportunity for nastiness as blank-faced puppetry is replaced by slightly less blank-faced puppetry, along with animatronics to give the monster more movement and position in the frame. In fact, all of “Basket Case 2” is refreshed with money, with Henenlotter delivering a more advanced take on his central idea, increasing oddity with the introduction of Granny Ruth’s family, which is comprised of grunting creatures trying to carry out a clandestine existence, away from the cruelty of the world.

For this type of production, “Basket Case 2” looks good, and it spends plenty of time with the creatures, taking in make-up achievements and group commotion, with their attic home transformed into a church of the damned, with Granny Ruth their savior. The screenplay also develops Duane’s love life, with the cursed young man attracted to Susan, who doesn’t share the same feelings, devoting herself to the needs of the house for reasons not immediately understood. Even Belial is presented with romantic opportunities, confronted with Eve, a similarly contorted ball of flesh in need of a mate. However, tragic sex lives are only a small part of what “Basket Case 2” has to offer, embarking on a story that finds Granny Ruth’s sanctuary threatened by outside attention from Marcie, forcing the mama bear and her cubs into action, shredding poor souls to pieces, making sure witnesses are successfully destroyed. Gore isn’t quite as emphasized as before, but Henenlotter still manages to create mayhem with terror sequences, though his interests remain on elaborate make-up work and grunting performers, digging into the Browning homage with both hands. With this group of deformed outcasts, it works, with dashes of humor and shock value thrown in to make a lasting impression.

Basket Case 2 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Sourced from the original 35mm camera negative, the AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation is generally outstanding, supplying a bright, vivid look at the macabre highlights of Henenlotter's creation. Colors are secure and communicative, offering bold primaries and strong style when the mood calls for a perversion of reality. Costuming retains crisp hues and monster make-up is accurate. Skintones are natural. Detail is excellent, bringing out the gruesome particulars of the freaks, helping to identify the technical artistry of the picture. Costuming is fibrous and set decoration is ready for exploration. Delineation is ideal. Source periodically encounters faint speckling and single-frame blotching, but nothing distracts.

Basket Case 2 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix provides an agreeable overview of the movie's mischief, leading with crisp dialogue exchanges that blend human interactions with Unique Individual commotion, offering distinct grunts and moans to the background. Scoring is sharp with pleasing instrumentation, never steamrolling over the action. Atmospherics are fresh and lively, filling out the nightmare. Sound effects arrive with appropriate emphasis, preserving squishiness.

Basket Case 2 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "The Man in the Moon Mask" (6:19, SD) is a 2007 chat with "Dawn of the Dead" actor David Emge, who appears in "Basket Case 2" as the "Half Moon" man. It's a brief discussion of his time on set, buried inside a mask, sharing the vibe of the shoot and its low-budget hustle.

• "Beyond the Wicker" (22:34, SD) joins make-up artist Gabriel Bartalos inside a crematorium (not sure why) for this look back at the making of "Basket Case 2." Bartalos shares interesting BTS videos from the shoot, and seeks out writer/director Frank Henenlotter for anecdotes, with the pair ultimately ending up in the offices of producer James Glickenhaus, who offers a fascinating summary of his time fighting the MPAA over the rating on another Henenlotter feature, "Frankenhooker."

• A Theatrical Trailer has not been included.

Basket Case 2 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Normality is the theme of "Basket Case 2," following Duane's torment as he tries to imagine a peaceful life without his basket-residing, separated conjoined twin lurking in the shadows. Performances aren't exceptional, but the soap opera elements of the effort register pleasingly, along with teases of insanity, studying Duane as he reaches the end of his rope when it comes to tolerating Belial's destructive ways. The pairing remains as macabre as ever in the follow-up, but Henenlotter comes up with a few interesting narrative detours to help disturb expectations, while the conclusion takes a weird tale and turns it bonkers, dialing up grim reveals to a point of genre explosion, ending with the blood-soaked brotherly reunion the series has been waiting for. Henenlotter knows how to land a picture, and "Basket Case 2" benefits from a late-inning surge of insanity, turning a passable chiller with intriguing design accomplishments into something unforgettable.