La canasta del horror 2

Belial and Duane are together again. Somehow they survived the heavy fall in the first episode. This time they get shelter in Granny Ruths place. She is a pro-freak-activist which helps and protects all of the "unique" creatures she can find. This time there are no doctors to mangle, but a bunch of evil journalists who are looking for fame by finding them. The rest is obvious. I liked this one just as much as the first one. The difference is that it´s a more humouristic and less scary sequel. It also has a twisted ending which makes it even more fun to watch. Enjoy!

Duane and his mutant brother Belial are back in this first sequel to the ever-classic tongue-in-cheek series.

For this go-round, Duane and Belial escape from a hospital (after Belial makes sure a few of the staff members are missing their faces)and find refuge in the house of Granny Ruth (Annie Ross), who lives in a spacious house which cares for "differently abled" um, "persons." Some of the "people" in Granny Ruth's house have animal like features, such as claws and gills (even Belial, in a masterfully done puppeteering and make-up venue, is simply a hideous head with evil eyes, very sharp teeth, and two arms with claw-like fingernails extending from the hands).

Belial never really speaks. He just sort of grunts. He does this louder when he gruesomely massacres the snoopy tabloid reporter. Basically, he "jumps" at people, locking his sharp teeth onto their face, sometimes eating certain facial features off. However evil he may seem, he is, in an extremely morbid way, like Freddy Krueger or the Leprechaun. His therapy session with Granny Ruth is a blast (I laughed my a** off(!), and his, um, engaging in an attempt at pro-creation with a female member of his genus at the end is so disgusting and putrid it's downright hilarious).

While at Granny Ruth's house, Duane meets her lovely daughter, Susan. Susan appears, shall we say, "normal," but at the end, we find she just as much qualifies for the attic just as much as the rest of Granny's tenets.

The ending ends with the evil winning (personally I don't think of Belial as THAT evil, just a little "delinquent" mayble),I will tell you that, but in a way, it should. Of course, director Hennenlotter probably intended this, sense it sets up room for another sequel.

"Basket Case 2" is wicked fun! Some may find it hard to understand how some of the downright evil things that happen are funny, but they are, and they are intended to be, especially in the campy context in which they happen. Overall, this is highly recommended. Belial is, in a way, this viewer's new horror hero!

Rating: *** out of ****.

For writer/director Frank Henenlotter, fame came in a small basket, literally. With the release of Basket Case (1982), Henenlotter had shown audiences that he created a unique horror icon to bring forth to the public. Unfortunately that's all Henenlotter had. Looking back, the film did have some parts that were different from other horror films from the 1980s. Yet this did not override the whole fact that the story itself did not make any sense and the characters weren't as likable as one would want them to be. However, even with these flaws Henenlotter was able to get his chance to film a sequel. The sequel did not arrive until 1990 (which was abnormal for sequels back then to have such a gap) and it seemed that there was small bits of improvement. Then again there are still other things that keep getting put into the script that add to the confusion. For what it's worth though, Basket Case (1982) did not need a sequel. Its finale was gratifying enough.

Like other sequels, Basket Case 2 (1990) picks up where Basket Case (1982) finished. After their fall, Duane Bradley (Kevin Van Hentenryck) and his separated deformed siamese twin Belial are taken to the nearest hospital to recover. There, Belial and Duane get a ride from Granny Ruth (Annie Ross) and Susan (Heather Rattray) to their home, which is a house of other outlandishly deformed outcasts. Meanwhile, a money grubbing reporter named Marcie (Kathryn Meisle) and her partner Phil (Ted Sorel) look to expose the Bradley brothers' location for their crimes. This story isn't bad at all. In fact, the concept is much more immersive than that of what Henenlotter wrote for his first film. Unfortunately, it's the execution that brings about the problems. It was hard pressed to say whether Belial and Duane were the viewers' designated protagonists. Sure you could sympathize that they were separated at birth and wanted payback, yet the relationship between the two characters didn't feel like they knew each other.

That feeling goes double for here. Both Duane and Belial have several opportunities to redeem themselves and learn from their mistakes, and yet they don't. It is truly unfortunate. That's one of the best parts about Henenlotter's writing specifically this time and yet it isn't utilized properly. Belial finds love and Duane thinks that he deserves his chance to be normal and find love with Susan. Duane sits down and talks with Belial and gets laughed at. Well okay, some brother you are Belial. Although I must question Duane's newfound "love" for Susan. They literally just met. Turns out the first chance Duane finds love, he wants to sleep with the girl (just like the original film). Even after Belial finds love, he continues to kill people (just like the original film). These characters do not develop what so ever. It's actually more accurate to say the execution feels fairly similar to that of what happened in the first film. Duane and Belial although brothers, don't exactly have brotherly love to show for each other. A very poor standing love/hate relationship.

Another thing that needs to be questioned again is how does Belial have a reproductive system? The first film (even this one through flashback) stated Belial was only connected by tissue and shared no vital organs, so what is Duane's brother running on? The logic makes no sense. Another element that doesn't make sense, yet was creative were the other freakishly deformed residence of Granny Ruth's house. What didn't make sense were some of the deformities like having as one character is credited as "Man with 27 Noses", "Frog Boy" or "Toothy". Many of the designs are truly beyond plausible but the fact that a concept artist had to conjure up such distortions is worth noting. Plus, the practical effects used for the costumes and gory violence are used nicely. And although the design of Belial has changed, he at least has better movement from before and doesn't howl at ear blistering decibels like the original movie.

Robert M. Baldwin instead of Bruce Torbet handled the cinematography for this entry. Surprisingly, Baldwin keeps the same visual style of Torbet and cranks it up a couple notches from less gritty indie film to a more professionally made film. Plus, there are some moments where the lighting and angles the cameras move at gives a much more trippier feel to it because it is so bizarre of a story. And because the effects look better, it doesn't seem as obvious that Belial was originally a puppet and now more like a live creature. The music was of no improvement though. Instead of Gus Russo, Joe Renzetti (known for his music from Child's Play (1988) composed the music. And just like Child's Play (1988), Renzetti's music does have creepy sounding tunes but they are very short-lived and more atmospheric than anything else, leaving little to the imagination. It's really nothing to be impressed about because it's so difficult to remember how to hum the tune.

It has better looking effects, violence and cinematography and its screenplay had moments of opportunity. Regrettably the opportunities weren't seized, which led to frustrating direction, bad continuity and confusing motivational choices. Surprisingly it's better than the first,....but not by much.

As far as sequels are concerned, this tongue-in-cheek horror/comedy from the original film's director Frank Henenlotter is pretty good. The film picks up right where the original leaves off, has a few characters from the original returning, and just like "Halloween 2" it resumes inside the hospital right after the events of the original film take place. The only problem is that, since so many years have passed since the original, the actors have obviously aged quite a bit so the idea that this is the actually occurring the very same night is a bit over the top but since the film is a comedy it really does not matter. Duane Bradley and his brother Belail are 'rescued' during an attempt to escape from the hospital by Granny Ruth and her grand daughter Susan. They then take refuge in Granny Ruth's house of 'freaks'. This is when things really begin to get strange. The make-up effects are really good and there is just the right amount of humor and horror combined in the design of the 'freaks' that it makes for a highly entertaining flick. Each resident takes on their own personality and even though they later turn murderous the viewer finds themselves not only sympathizing with Duane, his brother and the rest of the freaks, but you will actually find yourself rooting them on as they seek revenge against several reporters from a sleazy tabloid who threaten to expose the Bradleys as well as a sleazy old man who runs a 'freak show' and falsely claims to have captured Belail. The make-up effects and the murder sequences are quite bizarre but highly amusing. All in all this is an above average sequel that just seems to get stranger and stranger as it progresses but will have you both terrified and laughing uproariously.

Basket Case 2 (1990)

** (out of 4)

Duane (Kevin Van Hentenryck) and his deformed brother managed to survive the ending of the previous film. After they escape their hospital room the duo are taken in by a woman (Annie Ross) who gives shelter to the deformed. Once at their new home the two try to settle in with other freaks but a pesky news woman (Judy Grafe) won't leave them alone.

BASKET CASE wasn't the greatest movie ever made but it contained a certain atmosphere and a certain look at the sleazy side of New York City that it was impossible to ignore. This sequel had a much bigger budget, is a lot less sleazy and has a completely different look but it's unique enough to where it's entertaining in its own way. Director Frank Henenlotter certainly doesn't like making "normal" movies and this one here has enough strangeness for two films.

Again, if you're expecting the look or feel of the original then it's best that you don't even bother with this sequel. What I enjoyed most is that they try to make this sequel pick up exactly where the original left off, which isn't something a lot of films try. I think for the most part it works but, again, it was impossible for them to get the look of the first film simply because times had changed by the time this was made. The deformed creatures here are also a lot different in that each of them has a terrific look, although none of them will be mistaken for humans. The special effects are excellent and you truly get some great imaginations at work with the creature design.

Performances are actually better than you'd expect with Van Hentenryck doing a very good job in the lead. Fans of DAWN OF THE DEAD will be happy to see David Emge playing Moon Face. BASKET CASE 2 features some pretty tame violence up until the ending, which I won't spoil but it packs a nice little punch.