Tuesday, January 21, 2014
case is a cheap louis vuitton shining
Basket case One of the most popular cult films of all time, frank henenlotter's
basket case has received a well deserved dvd special edition via that greatest
of image entertainment's title lines, something weird video.Lewis aesthetics and
aspects of tod browning's freaks(The freaks influence becoming more pronounced
in the sequels), has been delighting horror aficionados since 1982.Due to budget
limitations, basket case is no visual marvel, nor was it ever intended to be.The
selling point the gore was highlighted by a marketing campaign in which people
going to see basket case were given surgical masks with the words basket case
printed on them. (Just like the ones real doctors wear. )This was an obvious nod
to david f.Friedman's brilliant blood feast campaign in which viewers were given
vomit bags.Alas you'd have more need for a vomit bag for blood feast than a
surgeon's mask for basket louis vuitton
mens case, for it's more likely you'd vomit during the former than get
cinematic blood sprayed on you in the latter. (Real blood, however, might coat
you had you seen the film in its original release in a 42nd street theater in
times square. )When all is said and done the marketing campaign is really a case
of selling the sizzle and not the steak, for this film is really not that
bloody. Basket case tells the tale of one duane bradley and his brother belial,
siamese twins separated at birth.This would seem innocent enough, except duane
and belial are a bit different.For while duane is a rather charmingly aloof
fellow, his brother belial has got some problems cosmetic problems.It seems
belial is what one would call a mutant, a horrifically disfigured, tiny version
of his brother, with seemingly superhuman strength.To make matters worse, when
the pair came out of their mother they did some ripping and gouging that just
tore the poor woman apart.This didn't sit well with dad, whose reaction to the
loss of his wife was to focus his rage on his sons specifically poor, poor
belial. Spared from infanticide by the intervention of a kindly aunt, who took
the children under her wing and made them feel wanted, the boys developed a
seriously warped codependant relationship that was to be partially severed by
their father some years later.Sneaking into the house while the aunt was away,
good old dad gathered together some surgeons for a little impromptu operation
and split the boys up.This might have been forgivable if dad hadn't left belial
for dead in a trash bag out in the front yard.As it stands, however, people will
have to pay.With their lives. Years later duane and belial come up to new york
to pay a little visit to the doctors who separated them.Duane, the"Nice"Guy,
conceals his homicidal sibling in a wicker basket until the time is right for a
little killing. While in new york, duane starts a relationship with a young
woman, opening up a whole pandora's box of resentful emotions from belial and
creating a major rift in the young men's relationship. Like it or lump it,
basket case does have its charm.The shoddy sets actually look like a real new
york dive.So much so that for years henenlotter told people that the"Hotel
broslin,"The hotel where duane and belial stay, was real, causing many tourists
much confusion.Star kevin van hentenryck plays duane with a naive aloofness that
masks the heart of a killer;It's a good performance.The icing on the cake is
henenlotter's script which plays with the twins' relationship, getting
deliciously twisted towards the end.Very unnerving.Oh, and last but not least,
let's not forget the plethora of red karo syrup used when belial goes to work.
Basket case is a cheap louis vuitton shining example of
what happens when a filmmaker makes the most with a limited budget.Film schools
should show this to their students rather then those horrid ingmar bergman
movies(Wild strawberries my ass).For this is a good blueprint of how to make a
movie on no budget.Lewis and/or produced by david f.Friedman, for the same
reasons. ) Fans of low budget fun should kneel before the temple of mike
vraney.The former manager of the dead kennedys has single handedly saved
hundreds of films of this type from the waste bin.Basket case, however, would
have been around even without him for it is one of the more recognized films of
its kind.Still, when image got vraney to do a something weird special edition of
this film, fans around the world cried out with joy. This disc has remastered
the full frame(1.33:1) film from its original16millimeter negative, making this
the best looking version of BASKET CASE available to date.Of course the film was
never that great looking to begin with(Cheap stock, on the fly shooting)But now
it doesn't look as murky.For fans of dolby digital 5.1 get lost!The audio here
is dolby digital mono and proud of it.While the sound on basket case has never
been spectacular, here it's been cleaned up and sounds pretty darned good. There
is a commentary track with frank henenlotter, producer edgar ievins, and actress
beverly bonner that is just a delight.As with most something weird commentary
tracks, the participants are entertaining and informative.Also included are
outtakes and behindthescenes footage, but they're all compiled together in one
3minute segment.The original theatrical trailer is included along with tv and
radio spots, as is a short called in search of the hotel broslin in which
henenlotter guides us through a tour of key basket case locations.Other features
include a gallery of basket case exploitation art and another gallery of
neverbeforescene photos, two radio interviews with leading lady, terri susan
smith, and excerpts from bonner's cable access show, beverly bonner's laugh
track. The only complaint about this assortment of goodies is that there's not
much with kevin van hentenryck, which is a shame for his excellent performance
is one of the many reasons basket case has such a fervent following today.
Basket casemovie grade:B disc grade:Areviewed format:Dvd Rated:Not home rated Stars:Kevin van
hentenryck, terri susan smith, beverly bonneroriginal year of release:1982
Suggested retail price:$19.99 Extras:Audio commentary;Outtakes/behindthescenes
footage;Trailers;Tv spots;Radio spots;In search of the hotel broslin
short;Excerpts from beverly bonner's laugh track;Radio interviews with actress
terri susan smith;Gallery of basket case exploitation art;Stills gallery;Dolby
digital mono
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