This “Sunday Scaries on Shudder” feature is the 1982 Frank Henenlotter cult film, Basketcase. This midnight movie gained popularity during the home video era and has been a fan favorite ever since. Riddled with dark humor, gore, and with a plot centered around revenge, Basketcase makes for the perfect dive into the world of 80s horror. New York plays as the backdrop in this story which just adds to the grimy feel of the film.
Basketcase was never meant to succeed in the way that it did because Henenlotter thought literally no one would ever watch it. It’s definitely a low-budget, DIY style project, but that only adds to its charm. Most of the time, it’s hit or miss when you are dealing with low budget horror, but this one stuck with people. With an estimated budget of only $35,000, the director and crew really pulled this off nicely.
It’s about a man carrying around his deformed, and now detached, conjoined twin in a picnic basket. As you can imagine, the duo gets themselves into all sorts of shenanigans and maybe a little bit of murder here and there. The relationship between the two brothers makes this more than just a trashy horror film. It’s quite endearing and the “creature,” Belial is so well liked – even when he is causing all sorts of havoc. He’s so grotesque that he comes off rather sweet.
At first, Basketcase seems unassuming, but it becomes obvious that it should be on every “must watch 80s horror” list that exists after a watch or two..or twelve. For a long time, it wasn’t an easily accessible film – major snaps to Shudder for acquiring it. It’s a nice little campy flick to get you laughing and soothe those Sunday Scaries.
Brittany Fernandez is a Lifestyle Writer for SoBros Network. She’s a Nashville native covering events on the local scene, B-movie horror reviews, and everything in between. Her go-to karaoke song is “No Diggity.” Follow on Twitter: @brittbutspooky
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