Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
New Friends For Duane & Belial..., November 13, 2005
BASKET CASE was a cult horror hit thanks to its gory premise and the story of two brothers, one normal and one a lumpen deformed monster, out for revenge against the doctors that separated them. The movie was a great premise for revenge against those out to destroy their very lives. Of course, you can't forget the ending in which the tension from Belial's jealously over Duane's romance with coy, busty Sharon builds to a rather unfortunate sibling dispute. After plunging from the third floor of the hotel from a brawl between each other, it may have been believed that they were both dead...ah, but this is a horror movie, and there's no way you'd really think that these two could not survive a fall like that.
So, after inevitably surviving a dangerous plummet from the Hotel Broslin sign, Duane and Belial end up in a hospital, where the recuperation takes effect almost immediately for Belial, who's really pissed off and wants to get back at more of the people he doesn't like. So he and Duane, who looks badly bruised and just beat altogether, plan an escape, and they kill off a cop and manage to make their way out of the hospital. There's a snooping reporter, though, and she wants to expose them so they'll get justice for the murders. Granny Ruth and Susan, her daughter, decide to help the brothers recuperate and take refuge in her sanctuary of "unique individuals" who all have some deformities. We have a "pinhead" Frankenstein; we get a guy who has humongous teeth; we get a Belial-like girl who Belial falls in love with; and we get a guy with dozens of noses on his face...plus the other oddities you have to see to believe. When a cop and a reporter decide to team up, along with a sniveling little photographer, things get really out of hand. They try to infiltrate the house, and well, all the special people have other plans for them, and soon the photographer is murdered by Belial, and now things aren't what the reporter hoped they would be. Now, it's up to Phil to help stop the brothers, and he confronts them at a bar, which turns out to be quite the wrong move. The reporter's just desserts are equally as disgusting, and you'll actually enjoy the gruesome ending of the film that leaves it open perfectly for the not-as-strong BASKET CASE 3, which still manages to entertain. While awaiting the release of this flick on DVD in a US version, I am still entertained by the highly enjoyable original and the less memorable third sequel on DVD.
Overall, though, BASKET CASE 2, while not as memorable as its predecessor, is still a very entertaining flick that feels more horror than comedy, though there are some mildly humorous moments, but most of that is left to the third film. If you liked the first film, you should find many things to enjoy with this very entertaining sequel.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One Of The Best And Strangest Movies Ever, November 21, 2004
Switching gears a fair bit, "Basket Case 2" retains the continuity and the ferociousness of the first "Basket Case", and is certainly equally bizarre (if not more so!) but has added in more humor and even a great deal of fun. Humor and fun? After the searing and almost traumatically shocking nature of the original, adding in these elements in abundance , plus moments of great beauty, would be one thing - and would take a great deal of magic to pull off the transition - but to do it even while holding onto the savagery and the tragedy that made the original such a unique entry in the annals of horror is quite another. Incredibly, just such a feat is pulled off flawlessly. "Evil Dead 2" successfully combined intense goriness with comedic freakout-ishness, but this goes even beyond that. It's like combining "Gremlins" or even "Return Of The Killer Tomatoes" with "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre", something which should be impossible to do right without the contrasting elements crippling each other. Another way to view it is the Creature Cantina scene from "Star Wars" done as a horror movie set at the Fawlty Towers hotel.
Picking up years after the first movie, Duane and Belial find a place in the world at a home run by a kindly woman for 'unique individuals' (meaning Belial-type mutants, though Duane is readily accepted into the fold as well) and unique is certainly one way to describe them. The greatly improved special effects are necesary to bring to life this weird and wonderful assortment of characters, and the acceptance into this haven quells Belial's murderous bloodrage. Both he and Duane even find love in their new home. But when their sanctuary is threatened by outside forces, it's an uprising the likes of which film has never seen before.
Clearly, the ambiguity of the first movie gives way to a more direct representation of Belial as the protagonist, but by no means is he a tame creature, and it's not unthinkable that he could go completely out of control even after finding sanctuary. The prescence of brighter elements in no way means the horror is gone, and there are shocks in the movie both happy and terrifying. I'm probably not doing full justice to the movie, but a film like this simply defies easy description. I noted in my writeup on the first one that there was never another movie like it. Well, this is a worthy and faithful followup but indeed quite unlike its predecessor in many ways, yet somehow, despite all odds, maintaining excellent coherency. And, there would never be another movie quite like "Basket Case 2" either - the third installment is even more bizarre and warps in different directions! Truly, the Basket Case trilogy is one of the most unbelievable series in film history, and Part 2 is as mind-blowing as any of them. This HAS to come out on DVD eventually.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
sick pleasure, June 5, 2003
This is actually a good movie, granted the 1st was a classic, this one is much more gory, demented fun. Don't expect an awesome movie just enjoy it for it's sick pleasure. The freaks, the plot, the gore even belial himself are better than the original. You don't have to, but try to see pt. 1 1st.. sit back, be disgusted and have fun with this one beotch...
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