Director Frank Henenlotter on the making of Basket Case

Dedicated to Herschell Gordon Lewis - Frank Henenlotter's Basket Case (1982) with its gritty look, insane characters, and hilarious bloody deaths - beautifully recalls the work of the "Godfather of Gore," and recalls an era of cinematic insanity. Will there ever be another Basket Case? Will their ever be enough theaters to support such a brilliantly crazed production?

In the late seventies/early eighties the "grindhouses" of New York City - tiny theaters showing cinematic atrocities - flourished. Imagine a time when you could sit in an actual cinema and watch such insane shit as Dr. Butcher MD., Make Them Die Slowly, The Beyond and Zombie? Frank Henenlotter remembered and created his own grindhouse, midnight movie masterpiece.

"It's like E.T., as written and directed by a psychopath."

Film critic Diane Haithman

The low budget of Basket Case actually works in its favor. It's gritty look and feel gives it a queasy quality that's hard to take your eyes off of. With a fraction of the budget of mainstream films Henenlotter is able to tell a hilarious, frightening, shocking and highly entertaining story. Aided by a terrific performance by lead man Kevin VanHententryck, a cast of colorful - extremely sleazy looking - misfits costars, a witty, smart script, and a monster both repulsive and strangely likable I put Basket Case up against any other film released in 1982 - it's that good.

The story concerns Siamese twins Duane and Belial. Belial is a repulsive lump attached to Duane's side - basically a deformed head with teeth and two powerful, stubby clawed arms. Their father decides that the monstrous Belial must be separated from Duane - he hires a crew of doctors who complete the operation and brutally discard Belial into the garbage. Belial survives and is really pissed off.

Duane moves to the city where he cares for his brother Belial, who spends much time in a wicker basket scoffing down fast food, where they share a creepy telepathic relationship. When Duane starts dating the beautiful Sharon, the psychopathic Belial becomes even more unhinged teeming with jealousy and the fear of losing Duane. In one of the most horrific scenes in cinema history Belial rapes and murders? (it's not clear) Sharon. The image of the twisted Belial humping the bloody, naked Sharon is sickeningly unforgettable. We root for Belial to kill all those who have done him and Duane wrong making Basket Case a twisted, enjoyable revenge flick until this point. All the cheap thrill's and laughter of the previous hour quickly dissipate as the viewer sits in shock at the horror of Belial's deed. A truly disturbing moment.