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Basket Case Play Trailer

Basket Case (1982)

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No Reviews Yet...

Release Date: Jan 1, 1982 Wide

audience

52

liked it
Average Rating: 3.1/5
User Ratings: 11,051

My Rating

Movie Info

The poor social skills of a young yokel turn out to have a horrifying explanation in this low-budget splatterfest, which marks the debut of Frankenhooker director Frank Henenlotter. The film begins with a bloody prologue and the arrival of young Duane Bradley (Kevin Van Hentenryck) at a broken-down New York hotel full of drunks, hookers, and assorted weirdos. An upstate native with few big-city survival skills, the earnest Duane seems slightly off. He flashes lots of bills at the hotel manager,

R,

Horror

Frank Henenlotter

Dec 8, 1998

Analysis Releasing

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Basket Case Trailer & Photos

Critic Reviews for Basket Case

All Critics (23) | Top Critics (2) | Fresh (17) | Rotten (5) | DVD (16)

A downright unwatchable horror comedy...

October 11, 2012 Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed

The DIY effects may look naively amateur today but there's a loving B-movie attitude and a genuine sense of character to the "monster," the misshapen, fleshy, snaggle-toothed Belial.

September 28, 2011 Full Review Source: MSN.com
Sean Axmaker
MSN.com

The Blu-ray release of Basket Case gives fans and newcomers alike the perfect excuse for hanging out with the demented denizens of the Hotel Broslin.

September 23, 2011 Full Review Source: Slant Magazine
Budd Wilkins
Slant Magazine

Delicious offbeat tongue-in-cheek humor.

September 20, 2011 Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Its singularity makes it far more valuable than any number of movies made at an ostensibly higher level of quality.

September 4, 2011 Full Review Source: Antagony & Ecstasy
Tim Brayton
Antagony & Ecstasy

Uproariously disgusting

November 15, 2009 Full Review Source: CinePassion
Fernando F. Croce
CinePassion

A classic slice of horror! "bloody" good fun!

July 23, 2008
Clint Morris
Moviehole

pure 80s sleeeeeas

March 2, 2008 | Comment (1)
Stefan Birgir Stefansson
sbs.is

like Eraserhead updated for the slasher generation, Basket Case is a deranged psychodrama, full of gleefully gory set-pieces, quirky humour, and some impossibly moving pathos.

November 7, 2007 Full Review Source: Eye for Film | Comments (2)
Anton Bitel
Eye for Film

If you're in the right mood, this monster mash is vile fun.

April 9, 2007 Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com

A thing of modest B-movie beauty.

January 18, 2007 Full Review Source: Lessons of Darkness
Nick Schager
Lessons of Darkness

O culto a este filme prova que absolutamente qualquer porcaria pode, de uma maneira ou de outra, despertar o interesse de alguém.

May 22, 2006 | Comments (3)
Pablo Villaca
Cinema em Cena

Good creepy Hell's Kitchen horror flick.

November 6, 2005
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com
View all critic reviews (23)

Audience Reviews for Basket Case

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Gruesome cinematic achievement by director Frank Henenlotter. Basket Case is a bizarre horror film that shocks with grisly images of horrific stop motion. A work of blazing originality, Basket Case is a fun homage to the old school monster flicks, and Henenlotter definitely knows how to pay tribute to the genre by creating something bizarre of his own. A terrific, gory film; Basket Case is a bloody ride as Duane's deformed grotesque brother, Belial (who's the creature in the basket) wreaks havoc on those who separated him from Duane. This is one bizarre and terrific film to watch, with awesome stop motion, Basket Case is very unsettling and is not a film to easily forget. This is a well made film that showcases creativity over budget, and the result is a highly entertaining picture that should definitely appeal to fans of bizarre horror films. Basket Case delivers something strange and unflinching, but is nonetheless worthwhile in terms of original entertainment. Acting wise, there is never anything great, but in terms of low budget horror, actor Kevin Van Hentenryck gives a decent performance, however the strength of the film lies in its shocking visuals. Frank Henenlotter's direction is terrific and he crafts a memorable and very bizarre picture that keeps the shocks coming and with hints of humor strewn throughout the film. Basket Case succeeds on many levels both in terms of shock value and overcoming budget constraints. Frank Henenlotter has always made some films, but this film debut ranks among his funniest, most bizarre and must see works. If you love grotesque horror, then give this one a shot, you definitely won't be disappointed.
June 13, 2010
TheDudeLebowski65
Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski

Super Reviewer

This trash cinema classic was an early staple of VHS splatterfests, and even though it's definitely a dated film, the entertainment value still holds up. Basket Case is not just a horror film, it's sort of an amalgam of different things. It has some nice gory moments, some strange horrific scenes, an odd brother-to-brother relationship and also some great smile-inducing stop motion animation. It was shot for next to nothing and it really shows. Despite its lacking of financial resources, the film is fun and entertaining if you're in the mood for something strange or just different. It's hard to curry sympathy for a guy who basically is a willing accessory to murder, but somehow Frank Henenlotter pulled it off. It has two sequels, and as of this writing, I haven't seen any of them but since they were all directed by the same man, I wouldn't mind checking them out sometime. Definitely see it if you're a fan of Frankenhooker, or if you just want something less tasteful.
April 26, 2007
FilmFanatik
Tim Salmons

Super Reviewer

Basket Case Quotes

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    1. Duane Bradley: No, he's deformed. A freak, he's like a squashed octopus.
    – Submitted by Rocky F (17 months ago)
    1. Sharon: What's in the basket?
    – Submitted by Austin G (23 months ago)

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