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Film: Basket Case 2
Year: 1990
Director: Frank Henenlotter
Writer: Frank Henenlotter
Starring: Kevin Van Hentenryck, Judy Grafe and Annie Ross
Review:
Now this was a film that I didn’t know existed until getting the Horror Show Guide Encyclopedia. It was when I started working through that list that I decided to seek this one out as well as the next installment. Something I didn’t remember was that this was a Troma film. That makes more sense, reflecting back on what I knew. Now I did get to see this one at the Gateway Film Center.
Synopsis: Duane (Kevin Van Hentenryck) and his basket-bound mutant brother are taken in by a secret home for wayward freaks with a journalist hot on their tail.
This begins where the last film ended. Duane and his brother Belial did not die from their fall. They are taken to the hospital. This is all over the news. Belial wakes up and uses his abilities to control Duane, killing anyone in their way as they escape.
We cut to a house where two people seem to know who these brothers are. The older woman is Granny Ruth (Annie Ross) and she’s with Susan (Heather Rattray). What we’ll learn is that Ruth knew the Bradley twins’ aunt. They were in contact so upon seeing the news, they hit the road to help the duo. They arrive just as they’re leaving, giving them a clean getaway.
Arriving just late is a reporter, Marcie (Kathryn Meisle). She’s detained by a security guard. She spins a story that multiple people gave approval to talk to the twins. When that doesn’t work, she tries to bribe them. This fails, even if they were still there.
The Bradley twins then end up at Granny Ruth’s house. It is here that she nurses them back to health. Duane in a room where he becomes fond of Susan. Belial is taken to the attic where he meets the likes of Half Moon (David Emge), Leon (Ron Fabio) and Clancy (Michael Rubenstein), just to name a few. Ruth also thinks that Belial might be able to help get someone living up there out of their shell. Her name is Eve.
Marcie isn’t done either. Her boss, Lou (Jason Evers), wants her to try to find where the brothers went. He doesn’t even care if she succeeds, he entices her with a four-part exposé. She takes a camera man named Arty (Matt Mitler) and checks out leads. This leads them to a sideshow. The problem is that Ruth heard about this guy first, claiming to have Belial there. They take care of him. This inadvertently leads her to Ruth and she sees Duane coming in from outside.
The residents of Ruth’s home need to decide if they’re going to fight or flee. Duane agrees to help, due to his slip up revealing that he and Belial are there. There are loose ends that need to be tied up if this group is to live happily ever after. Duane also has to come to terms with the fact that here, he’s the outcast.
That is where I’ll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I want to start is with a blurb on the Gateway’s website to provide information for this movie. They stated this was a combination of Gruesome Twosome, Polyester and Freaks. Now I’ve not seen these first two at the time of writing this, but I get the gist of the former. I can see Freaks since there is a camaraderie with the individuals who are different.
Now that I’ve set that up, let me delve deeper into what we’re getting here. I’ll start with the fact that I can work with how they pick up the story. At the end of the original it does look like the Bradley twins are dead. Since they go to the hospital and need treatment, that feels real. It is convenient how they escape, but since this takes place right after the original, I could buy it. Even more so when you have a vicious monster like Belial. I also like that Duane and him are at ends throughout this film. Duane wants to separate completely from Belial. He’s willing to help out and get the reporter off their trail since it is his fault that she found them. This is a good set up.
Something else that works for me is Granny Ruth wanting to help these people. They are outcasts, but she is showing them that being different isn’t a bad thing. There’s a social commentary about society being the issue. There’s a great scene where Duane points out to a private investigator who gets involved, Phil (Ted Sorel). There’s another one with Marcie as well. These are creepy and also the message behind that ‘normal’ is in the eye of the ‘majority’.
Next, I’ll then shift over to filmmaking, being that my favorite part of this falls into this category. Since I’m shifting away, I’ll also say that the story isn’t the deepest. It also doesn’t need to be because the best part is all the characters they create through the different ‘freaks’. These are over the top at times, but they’re also practical which adds charm. I love that. They are limited in the effects, part of it being that there is only so much they can do with the kills. The blood and gore we get looks good. I’ll also credit the cinematography and framing to hide the seams. Other than that, the soundtrack isn’t as strong as the previous movie, but still good.
All that is left then is the acting performances. Van Hentenryck is good as our lead. He’s better than what he did in the original movie. We can see growth and confidence in the character. Ross works for this elderly woman who just wants to help. Rattray is solid as well. What I like here is that she identifies with the ‘monsters’ and there is a great reveal there. Meisle, Evers, Sorel and Mitler are all good as the villains. Other than that, everyone inside of the creature makeup works as well. They’re hidden, but they’re all different and distinct which is good.
In conclusion, this film is better than I remembered. Is this a good film? No, but it is fun which is all you can ask for. I love what they do with creating all these unique individuals and the personality there. We have a simple story, but the social commentary about accepting those that are different are good. The practical effects in creating these ‘freaks’ and the aftereffects of attacks are great. This is well-made along with that. It won’t be one for everyone. If you want a tamer Troma movie and want to see where the Bradley twins go from the first movie, then I’d recommend it to you.
My Rating: 6 out of 10