BASKET CASE 3 (1991)

Basket Case 3 (1991)
Directed by: Frank Henenlotter
Written by: Frank Henenlotter, Robert Martin
Starring: Annie Ross, Beverly Bonner, Dan Biggers, Gil Roper, Jim O'Doherty, Kevin Van Hentenryck

BASKET CASE 3 (1991)
Co-written and Directed by Frank Henenlotter
Available as part of Second Sight’s Basket Case Trilogy 3 disc set

Belial’s reattachment to Duane is short-lived as Granny Ruth separates the twins once again and locks Duane up in a straitjacket to keep the two apart. Whilst Duane is without a doubt a problem, Granny Ruth’s concerns are elsewhere as Belial and the rest of the unique individuals in her household are preparing for the arrival of Belial and Eve’s child. The only person who they can trust to deliver such a baby is Uncle Hal so Granny Ruth arranges a roadtrip for the entire family. Will Eve’s baby be born healthy or will Duane ruin Belial’s chances at a happy future once again?

The third and final movie in Frank Henenlotter’s Basket Case franchise, BASKET CASE 3, is the craziest, zaniest, most fun outing for Belial and Duane yet! Somehow over the course of the three movies, Duane has become the despised brother whilst his deformed twin Belial seems to rule the roost in their home full of “freaks”. Besides from Granny Ruth, who everyone sees as a mother and guardian of their community, Duane’s normal appearance, despite the scar, makes him the freak of the household. His over the top reaction to Susan’s baby which resulted in the young woman’s death, plus the fact he attempted to stitch Belial back onto his body, has left Duane as the black sheep of the house, the one who could potential destroy everything Granny Ruth and co. have worked for. With his IQ having seemingly declined since we were first introduced to him back at the Hotel Broslin, Duane is played more for goofy laughs here and in many ways is taken out of the main action of the film but wherever he is, he still has an impact on his brother’s life and vice-versa.

I commented in my last review how Basket Case 2 lacked the humour the first film had, but BASKET CASE 3 answered my prayers. From Granny Ruth buying shit loads of condoms and asking for bigger sizes in a drug store to the Sheriff managing to spout a tongue twister centred around the letter B, there’s plenty of little moments that will give you a giggle. Even Beverly Bonner, who played Casey in the first two movies, reappears as a fast food joint assistant who can’t seem to keep up with the mammoth order she’s being given. The other unique individuals in the household get to speak and do a lot more in this film too, adding extra layers to their characters and allowing their different personalities to shine through. A manic Ruth is leading them all the way with her ever-so-positive and assertive grin and she isn’t afraid of breaking into song either.

Just in case you haven’t had enough nightmares from Basket Case 2, once again we are treated to scenes of Belial getting jiggy with Eve as the end few minutes of the second film are used to open the third. The pregnancy idea is outrageous and the film delivers on its mad-hatter promises. It’s strange, daft and positively out-there which makes it one hell of an amusing watch. I also suspect a bit of inspiration from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles‘ Krang is used towards the end of the film though the character itself could well have been inspired by the first Basket Case film.

Out of all three of the films, BASKET CASE 3 has the best death scenes. Belial gets his chance to shine and makes fine work of anyone who gets in his way or does him wrong. He still hates doctors though and his penchant for ripping and tearing at people’s faces is still prevalent however the audience is treated to some pretty impressive FX work as Belial wreaks havoc at the local county jail. This is not the only outlet for prosthetic and animatronic puppeteering as the entire disfigured family of Ruth’s return and of course, we have the arrival of Eve and Belial’s offspring which allows for more mutant mayhem.

You might have thought one film and one Belial was enough for a lifetime but BASKET CASE 3 shows that more can just be as fun.

Rating:

The Blu-Ray disc doesn’t contain any special features as all of them are on Disc One of the trilogy with the first Basket Case movie.