1980s Controversial Horror Fan-Favorite Gets Ridiculous Upgrade
Basket Case is more than just a Green Day song from the 90s, it’s also a cult classic 1982 horror flick about a guy and his severely deformed conjoined twin brother whom he keeps locked in a wicker basket. Sounds fun, right? To American horror fans, Basket Case is a super fun watch, and it’s now available on Blu-Ray in 4k UHD with a crisp new sound reel too.
Basket Case
Written and directed by Frank Henenlotter (who also did the two sequels to Basket Case) and produced by Edgar Ievins, Basket Case stars Kevin Van Hentenryck as Duane Bradley and the voice of David H. Kramer as Belial Bradley (the creature in the basket).
The film tells the story of Duane and Belial as they seek vengeance for what was, in their eyes, an unforgivable act. The pair hold an insatiable grudge against the doctors responsible for separating them, and they aim to get revenge.
The Only Normal Kill
Basket Case begins with Dr. Julius Liffander (Bill Freeman) being startled and frightened by something lurking outside his home deep within the forest. A shadowed image of some type of creature is then shown cutting the phone and power lines to the house before Lifflander meets his fate. His face is mangled and shredded.
Put The People In The Basket
Fast forward, and Basket Case viewers find Duane Bradley arriving in New York City with a locked wicker basket. Bradley obtains an inexpensive room at a hotel where a sex worker named Casey lives right down the hall. He takes a moment to grab some hamburgers to feed the creature in his wicker basket, and they have a little telepathic talk.
Made On The Cheap
The next day, Duane goes out to continue the pair’s mission for retribution. Basket Case gets weirder and more violent as the movie progresses, and there are plenty of cool gory deaths for horror enthusiasts to enjoy. Given that the movie was filmed on only a $35,000 budget and a 16mm film, you can expect plenty of cheap horror thrills as you watch.
Preserved By The Museum Of Modern Art
Enough people found love for Basket Case, and the movie was eventually chosen for preservation by the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).
The Original Cut Was Degraded
MoMA oversaw the restoration of Basket Case from its original 16 mm camera negative. The original cut of the movie was quite poor quality as it was shot in 16mm and had to be blown up to 32mm film for theatrical release. The sound quality was also an issue, as many viewers described it as garbled and a bit grainy.
Ready For Rediscovery
After the restoration of the film was complete, it was released on Blu-ray and DVD by Arrow Video. The Basket Case 4K Ultra Limited Edition Blu-Ray set comes with tons of extras, including interviews, a short film, and even a full-length documentary film about the movie.
Source: Arrow Video
