The Film
Basket Case 2 opens with the ending of the
original film, in which Duane and his brother Belial seemingly fall to their
deaths, and then picks up almost immediately thereafter, with news reports of
the scene. There is a nice shot in the hospital where Duane wakes up and begins
ripping the tubes out of his arms. This is shown in the background while in the
foreground a man flirts with the nurse. And it’s not long before the killing
begins.
This film has a good dose of humor as well, as in the
scene where Duane and Belial manage to leave the hospital without anyone
seeing. They are picked up by Ruth (played by Annie Ross – yes, the woman who
was absolutely amazing in Short Cuts) and Susan (Heather Rattray), who
take them back to their mansion, a sort of refuge for freaks. What’s great is
that in some ways Ruth is actually creepier than Belial. (Another really funny
moment is when she introduces the other freaks, including Lorenzo, who has a
beautiful singing voice.)
Time passes, and a reporter named Marcie (Kathryn Meisle)
is assigned to follow up on the story of the missing twins who are wanted for
murder. There is a great sequence of a man who has a fake sideshow, pretending
to have the skeleton of Belial. The man’s name, coincidentally, is Mr. Barker.
There is also some wonderful humor when Ruth has Belial on the couch for a
therapy session. She tells him, “I understand your pain, but ripping the
faces off people may not be in your best interest.” Later Ruth takes on the
airs of a religious cult leader, which is wonderful. “Our sanctuary here has
been violated!” she shouts, seeming to relish her position as leader.
Duane wants to move on, and in fact wants to run away
with Susan, Ruth’s granddaughter, and create a new life for himself. He laments
to her, “I’m living in a house full of freaks on Staten Island” (another
great line). Meanwhile, Belial is developing a love interest of his own.
This film also features a great, freaky ending.
The DVD Features
The DVD includes Beyond The Wicker: The Making Of
Basket Case 2, which features some video and still photographs from the
production, focusing on the making of Belial and the other creatures. And
writer/director Frank Henenlotter gives his perspective on the film and on the
MPAA. (By the way, there is also a bit about Frankenhooker as well.)
This feature is approximately twenty-three minutes.
The second special feature is The Man In The Moon Mask,
an interview with David Emge, who talks about how he got the job and about
working in a mask. This feature is approximately six minutes.
Basket Case 2 was written and directed by Frank
Henenlotter, who wrote and directed the original film as well.
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