Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

Basket Case 3: The Progeny Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf July 31, 2016

In “Basket Case 2,” the series developed into a tale of community, where Duane and his deformed brother Belial finally found a home with a group of “Unique Individuals,” learning to temporarily silence their murderous appetites and learn the warmth of acceptance. There was even a little sex thrown in there too, giving writer/director Frank Henenlotter a narrative direction for 1991’s “Basket Case 3: The Progeny,” which tries to pay off the eye-crossing conclusion of the last film with a newfound desire to transform what was once a creepy, icky horror picture into a demented Saturday morning cartoon, loaded with creatures and chaos. While it’s made strictly for fans of the franchise, presenting the faithful with ample screen time for ghoulish celebration, “Basket Case 3: The Progeny” definitely keeps up Henenlotter’s interests in the macabre and zany, successfully advancing the saga of Duane and Belial into trials of fatherhood and human acceptance. This final chapter isn’t as memorable as its predecessors, but the effort isn’t lazy, working hard to disrupt expectations and stage ridiculousness, though it becomes increasingly clear that Henenlotter has run out of ideas for his creation.

After his bloody reunion with sibling Belial, Duane (Kevin Van Hentenryck) is locked away by Granny Ruth (Annie Ross), fitted for a straitjacket to help the young man deal with his increasingly hostile issues. While Belial remains in his basket, distraught over his spat with Duane, a bigger issue emerges with an unexpected pregnancy, finding lover Eve ready to give birth, eventually producing a litter of similarly shaped babies. To share the experience with family, Granny Ruth takes the freaks to visit her ex-husband, Dr. Hal (Dan Biggers), bringing the sheltered group into the county for a week of celebration and relaxation. During the trip, Duane manages to break free, encountering a friendly face in Opal (Tina Louise Hilbert), the daughter of Sheriff Griffin (Gil Roper), pleading with her to facilitate his escape. For the Unique Individuals, the festivities are cut short by tragedy and a kidnapping, with Griffin’s deputies taking Belial’s newborns, forcing the creature to emerge from his protective basket and unleash his unique wrath, backed by gnarled loved ones.

“The Progeny” pulls a “Superman II” at the opening of the picture, spending a substantial chunk of time recapping events from the first two chapters of the series. It’s Henenlotter trying to pad the run time, but it’s also a way to relive the climatic insanity of “Basket Case 2,” which delivered on shock value and poetic justice, leaving Duane in a state of hysteria, reattaching Belial to his body in a most crude and painful manner.

In “The Progeny,” the siblings have been separated again, with Duane locked away from his own good, while Belial remains in his basket, shutting down all communication with his brother. There’s stillness to their once active relationship, but there are bigger fish to fry in the house, with Eve expecting babies, ready to pop at any time. While the “Basket Case” series was previously about chills and thrills, the second sequel is more about comic insanity, watching Granny Ruth load up a school bus and drive to a remote location, keeping close tabs on the emotional health of her children. There’s even a musical number, with the adoptive mom belting out “Personality” to her delighted charges. Those expecting a bloodbath from the get-go might be a little disappointed in Henenlotter’s restraint.

“The Progeny” doesn’t even bring Belial into action until the second act, keeping the future father locked away until the birth sequence, which, as one might expect, is comprised of hysteria, goopy special effects, and the introduction of deformed babies. It’s a wild moment, and perhaps the last inspired group interaction of the picture, finding “The Progeny” settling down once Duane makes time with Opal and the kidnapping triggers a third-act rescue/revenge showdown. However, Henenlotter doesn’t completely extinguish oddity, gifting Opal special interests in whip-cracking domination when it comes to the men filing through her daddy’s jail. And there’s the presence of Little Hal (Jim O’Doherty), a hulking blob with multiple arms who has a gift for robotics, making friends from behind closed doors with his inventions. While sustained craziness is missing from the production, Henenlotter does have a few ideas that preserve the brand name’s reputation for grotesqueries, once again sold with interesting make-up work and flavorful cinematography.

Basket Case 3: The Progeny Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation is sourced from "original 35mm vault materials," and it sustains the HD impression that began with "Basket Case 2." It's a clear viewing experience, providing encouraging detail for the monster mayhem, gifting fans a chance to study make-up and animatronic artistry, while human characters offer satisfying facial particulars and textured costuming. Delineation is comfortable, making sense of evening attacks and shadow play. Grain is fine and filmic. Colors preserve the cartoon tone Henenlotter is aiming for, capturing bold reds and veiny purples. Faint speckling is detected, but the source is in terrific shape.

Basket Case 3: The Progeny Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix comes through very sharply, with a thinner presence dominating the listening event, finding dialogue exchanges easy to follow, but periodically lacking richness to accompany the heated emotions on display. Scoring is satisfactory, supplying a traditional synth push to the proceedings, supporting onscreen craziness. Interestingly, the musical number isn't as pronounced as expected, almost muted to a certain degree, though it's difficult to tell if this is a source issue or a production one. Atmospherics are emphasized, including an overpopulation of wildlife at Dr. Hal's home.

Basket Case 3: The Progeny Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• A Theatrical Trailer (1:52, SD) is included.

Basket Case 3: The Progeny Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The Progeny" goes feral during its grand finale, presenting a buffet of twisted limbs, torn faces, and ocular trauma as Belial does what he does best. It's extremely violent, but also a rare sampling of overt aggression from a franchise that's enjoyed its horror show up to this point. Not that the feature is strictly a comedy, but "Basket Case 3: The Progeny" doesn't indulge in genre highlights quite like its predecessors, content to sit back and stage a monster movie in a very Henenlotter-ian manner. Perhaps "Basket Case" deserved a more perverse cinematic exploration to match the original nightmare, but the sequels certainly find compelling ways to stay invested in Duane and Belial's survival, even if all grows incredibly silly at times. Henenlotter may not have franchise consistency, but he does have a limitless imagination for the bizarre.