japanesedream_72 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
japanesedream_72) wrote2004-12-23 05:47 pm
japanesedream_72) wrote2004-12-23 05:47 pm
Entry tags:
Xmas Movie Madness
Went to my aunt & uncle’s yesterday for dinner & presents. Ate entirely too much, but had a nice time. Got a pretty iron & glass candle-holder inlaid with big, red stones, as well as a stationery set (note cards, notebook, envelopes, bookmark, list pad, & pen).
Anywho, I’ve got some reviews for you, & more to come after Xmas!
Frank Henenlotter strikes again!
Gotta give props to my mom for this one. She was nice enough to lend me “Basket Case” (http://aol.imdb.com/title/tt0083624/) - considered something of a cult classic among lovers of strange & cheezy horror. From the director of “Frankenhooker” (but made a full 8 years before) comes this story of sibling love/rivalry, of devotion & revenge. It’s horror with a heart.
Of course, some of that heart gets ripped out & splattered all over the walls. At least in the first scene, where a doctor in upstate NY is pursued & then slaughtered in his home by an assailant unseen but for a shadow on the wall.
Next, a young man named Duane with a wicked head of hair & a wad of cash takes a room in a seedy NYC hotel. He carries with him a good-sized picnic basket, as well as a backpack, out of which he takes a bloody file last seen at the murdered doctor’s place. He goes out for some food, brings back far more than he, himself, can eat, & drops several hamburgers into the basket, which jumps about as its hidden occupant devours the meat & hurls out the buns (must be on the Atkins diet, ne?). Later on, we see Duane, awakened in the wee hours of the morning, talking to someone only he can hear.
The following day, Duane takes his basket to the office of a doctor. He feeds the receptionist (to whom he takes a bit of a liking) a line about being an old friend of the doctor’s & secures an appointment. To the doctor, he reveals a rather nasty scar on the right side of his body. Afterwards, the doctor, obviously shaken, phones another doctor, trying to warn her about someone from the past. In hushed tones, Duane makes a date to go sight-seeing with the receptionist. But after she closes up & the doctor is alone, all hell breaks loose. This doc, like the one in the opening scene, ends up dead, only this time, we see who - or, rather, what - did it.
And so the heart of the story comes into play. Turns out Duane was born a conjoined (Siamese) twin. His brother, Belial, was attached to his side. Belial is horrifically deformed - he’s basically a fleshy blob with claw-like hands, a big, toothy face, glowing red eyes, & laboured breathing. He speaks to Duane telepathically & can read his thoughts. The two had been the family’s dirty secret until the age of 12, when their father engaged the services of 3 surgeons to separate them. Belial, thought to be dead, was thrown in the trash. Duane rescued him, & together, they killed their father. The kindly aunt who’d accepted them unconditionally, & had helped to raise & educate them, took them in until her death. After that, they sought out the doctors who’d performed the operation, vowing revenge.
But Duane’s feelings for the receptionist anger Belial, especially since he can’t have a woman of his own. He is alternately dominant, jealous, & fearful that his brother will abandon him. Duane is nothing if not devoted to Belial. He takes care of him & has aided in his murderous plans. But he wants a moment to himself now & then. And when his shy, awkward demeanour dissolves into comfort & desire in the company of the receptionist, he finds that he might just want a moment with someone else, as well.
“The Official Splatter Movie Guide vol. 1" says, “Henenlotter’s canny eye for the absurdities inherent in the splatter genre transforms this low-budget gore-fest into a nice surprise. It’s as funny as it is gross, & vice-versa.” I won’t argue with that. There are lots of humourous moments, mostly involving Belial & the quirky assortment of tenants at the hotel (not to mention the occasionally over-eager foley artists). There’s even a scene or two in stop-motion animation! The deaths are appropriately bloody, considering: a) they’re being committed by a homicidal, rampaging blob with claws, & b) the film is dedicated to Herschell Gordon Lewis. Suspense brews as we wonder where Belial is when he’s not in the basket (that blob gets around), & when he’ll strike next. The ending’s a little sad, but don’t worry, there’s a sequel. And it’s “Freaks”-inspired!
Basket Case 2: Henenlotter Strikes Back!
An interesting follow-up effort from a guy who knows how to blend sick with schtick. Again, props to my mom for lending me this one.
Boasting a somewhat bigger budget (noticeable due to a more well-formed Belial & a host of prosthetic heads, limbs, & other things), “Basket Case 2” (http://aol.imdb.com/title/tt0099108/) picks up where the original left off. The brothers, their story all over the news after a very public display at the end of part 1, end up in the hospital, but make their escape & are taken to a clandestine home for “unique individuals” (a nice way of saying they make the Elephant Man or the freaks in “Freaks” look like supermodels) run by Granny Ruth & her grand-daughter, Susan. Ruth, once dubbed “Dr. Freak” by the tabloids, long ago bore & lost a deformed child, & became a staunch advocate for unwanted or exploited creatures. She dropped out of the public eye years earlier, but a pesky reporter on the trail of the brothers tracks her down & catches sight of Duane in the house.
Meanwhile, Duane is struggling with some issues of his own. Much like the latter part of the first film, he wants to be his own person, & yearns to leave the home & live his own life in the “normal” world. He voices this desire to Susan, with whom he’s beginning to fall in love, & even asks her to go with him. She tries to explain that neither she nor he, despite their looks, are actually “normal”, nor do they belong in the outside world.
Belial, too, wrestles with his own feelings about the situation. Granny urges him to confront his anger, spawning a riotously funny moment in which she tells him, “Ripping the faces off people may not be in your best interest.” There is, however, hope for Belial, as he gradually finds comfort in the unconditional love & acceptance of his new caretakers, & a whole ‘family’ of beings like himself...particularly a female blob named Eve.
But the pesky reporter won’t stay away for long - in fact, she’s bringing reinforcements - & Granny Ruth urges her “children” (as she calls them) to protect their home. Even Duane, so eager to separate himself from the freaks, vows to stay & fight. At this point, the movie returns to the dynamic that made its predecessor so endearing. The “us against them” mentality makes for some enjoyable viewing as Duane & the freaks ambush the reporters in defense of the safety, privacy, & dignity Granny’s sanctuary affords them.
A bit tragic & slightly crazed at the end (though it seems to have inspired a Simpsons moment), & perhaps a little too outlandish for its own good, “Basket Case 2” plays more for dark-humoured story than out-&-out gory, never taking itself too seriously. What it does, however, is take the original film to new & bizarre levels. And as much as I loathe love scenes, there’s one in this flick that even I could appreciate!
Anywho, I’ve got some reviews for you, & more to come after Xmas!
Frank Henenlotter strikes again!
Gotta give props to my mom for this one. She was nice enough to lend me “Basket Case” (http://aol.imdb.com/title/tt0083624/) - considered something of a cult classic among lovers of strange & cheezy horror. From the director of “Frankenhooker” (but made a full 8 years before) comes this story of sibling love/rivalry, of devotion & revenge. It’s horror with a heart.
Of course, some of that heart gets ripped out & splattered all over the walls. At least in the first scene, where a doctor in upstate NY is pursued & then slaughtered in his home by an assailant unseen but for a shadow on the wall.
Next, a young man named Duane with a wicked head of hair & a wad of cash takes a room in a seedy NYC hotel. He carries with him a good-sized picnic basket, as well as a backpack, out of which he takes a bloody file last seen at the murdered doctor’s place. He goes out for some food, brings back far more than he, himself, can eat, & drops several hamburgers into the basket, which jumps about as its hidden occupant devours the meat & hurls out the buns (must be on the Atkins diet, ne?). Later on, we see Duane, awakened in the wee hours of the morning, talking to someone only he can hear.
The following day, Duane takes his basket to the office of a doctor. He feeds the receptionist (to whom he takes a bit of a liking) a line about being an old friend of the doctor’s & secures an appointment. To the doctor, he reveals a rather nasty scar on the right side of his body. Afterwards, the doctor, obviously shaken, phones another doctor, trying to warn her about someone from the past. In hushed tones, Duane makes a date to go sight-seeing with the receptionist. But after she closes up & the doctor is alone, all hell breaks loose. This doc, like the one in the opening scene, ends up dead, only this time, we see who - or, rather, what - did it.
And so the heart of the story comes into play. Turns out Duane was born a conjoined (Siamese) twin. His brother, Belial, was attached to his side. Belial is horrifically deformed - he’s basically a fleshy blob with claw-like hands, a big, toothy face, glowing red eyes, & laboured breathing. He speaks to Duane telepathically & can read his thoughts. The two had been the family’s dirty secret until the age of 12, when their father engaged the services of 3 surgeons to separate them. Belial, thought to be dead, was thrown in the trash. Duane rescued him, & together, they killed their father. The kindly aunt who’d accepted them unconditionally, & had helped to raise & educate them, took them in until her death. After that, they sought out the doctors who’d performed the operation, vowing revenge.
But Duane’s feelings for the receptionist anger Belial, especially since he can’t have a woman of his own. He is alternately dominant, jealous, & fearful that his brother will abandon him. Duane is nothing if not devoted to Belial. He takes care of him & has aided in his murderous plans. But he wants a moment to himself now & then. And when his shy, awkward demeanour dissolves into comfort & desire in the company of the receptionist, he finds that he might just want a moment with someone else, as well.
“The Official Splatter Movie Guide vol. 1" says, “Henenlotter’s canny eye for the absurdities inherent in the splatter genre transforms this low-budget gore-fest into a nice surprise. It’s as funny as it is gross, & vice-versa.” I won’t argue with that. There are lots of humourous moments, mostly involving Belial & the quirky assortment of tenants at the hotel (not to mention the occasionally over-eager foley artists). There’s even a scene or two in stop-motion animation! The deaths are appropriately bloody, considering: a) they’re being committed by a homicidal, rampaging blob with claws, & b) the film is dedicated to Herschell Gordon Lewis. Suspense brews as we wonder where Belial is when he’s not in the basket (that blob gets around), & when he’ll strike next. The ending’s a little sad, but don’t worry, there’s a sequel. And it’s “Freaks”-inspired!
Basket Case 2: Henenlotter Strikes Back!
An interesting follow-up effort from a guy who knows how to blend sick with schtick. Again, props to my mom for lending me this one.
Boasting a somewhat bigger budget (noticeable due to a more well-formed Belial & a host of prosthetic heads, limbs, & other things), “Basket Case 2” (http://aol.imdb.com/title/tt0099108/) picks up where the original left off. The brothers, their story all over the news after a very public display at the end of part 1, end up in the hospital, but make their escape & are taken to a clandestine home for “unique individuals” (a nice way of saying they make the Elephant Man or the freaks in “Freaks” look like supermodels) run by Granny Ruth & her grand-daughter, Susan. Ruth, once dubbed “Dr. Freak” by the tabloids, long ago bore & lost a deformed child, & became a staunch advocate for unwanted or exploited creatures. She dropped out of the public eye years earlier, but a pesky reporter on the trail of the brothers tracks her down & catches sight of Duane in the house.
Meanwhile, Duane is struggling with some issues of his own. Much like the latter part of the first film, he wants to be his own person, & yearns to leave the home & live his own life in the “normal” world. He voices this desire to Susan, with whom he’s beginning to fall in love, & even asks her to go with him. She tries to explain that neither she nor he, despite their looks, are actually “normal”, nor do they belong in the outside world.
Belial, too, wrestles with his own feelings about the situation. Granny urges him to confront his anger, spawning a riotously funny moment in which she tells him, “Ripping the faces off people may not be in your best interest.” There is, however, hope for Belial, as he gradually finds comfort in the unconditional love & acceptance of his new caretakers, & a whole ‘family’ of beings like himself...particularly a female blob named Eve.
But the pesky reporter won’t stay away for long - in fact, she’s bringing reinforcements - & Granny Ruth urges her “children” (as she calls them) to protect their home. Even Duane, so eager to separate himself from the freaks, vows to stay & fight. At this point, the movie returns to the dynamic that made its predecessor so endearing. The “us against them” mentality makes for some enjoyable viewing as Duane & the freaks ambush the reporters in defense of the safety, privacy, & dignity Granny’s sanctuary affords them.
A bit tragic & slightly crazed at the end (though it seems to have inspired a Simpsons moment), & perhaps a little too outlandish for its own good, “Basket Case 2” plays more for dark-humoured story than out-&-out gory, never taking itself too seriously. What it does, however, is take the original film to new & bizarre levels. And as much as I loathe love scenes, there’s one in this flick that even I could appreciate!