HALLOWEEN HORRORFEST 2021: Basket Case 2 (1990)

Today on the Horrorfest, I began viewing the first of three films sponsored by my film critic friends on the West Coast.  Why I have so many friends who are film critics on the West Coast, I will never know....

Anyway, our sponsor is one half of the Critically Acclaimed podcast network, which brings us such gems as the titular survey of recent movies, the weekly dig into film history Critically Reclaimed, and the delightful study of TV shows that lasted only one season or less, Canceled Too Soon, as well as a proudly self-proclaimed cinema snob and audio drama writer/director/actor, the great Witney Seibold!  Witney is sponsoring The Trevor Project, which provides suicide prevention help and counseling to young LGBTQ+ youth!

Witney has chosen a film from a director I discussed in last year, Frank Hennelotter.  Back then I discussed Hennelotter's last film to date, Bad Biology.  Today I'll be discussing the sequel to one of the pioneering midnight movies, Basket Case 2!

(And here's where I once again extend an open invitation to Hennelotter to guest on my podcast The Honeywell Experiment to discuss a nudie cutie or roughy of his choice.  If you know Hennelotter, let him know we'd love to have him!)

Immediately after the climax of the original film, Duane (Kevin Van Hentenryck) and Belial are rescued from the hospital by a former doctor calling herself 'Granny Ruth' (jazz singer Annie Ross) and her granddaughter Susan (Heather Rattray).  Ruth runs a halfway house for mutants like Belial, and welcomes the twins into her home.  However, when a journalist for the tawdry newspaper Judge and Jury figures out where Duane and Belial are hiding, Granny Ruth turns from caregiver to cult leader, urging the twins and their new friends into protecting their homestead by any means necessary.

There are two things that struck me in my rewatch of this film, which got a limited theatrical release.  The first is that this--along with Frankenhooker, which was filmed at the same time for the same producers--marks when Hennelotter seems happiest.  Here he's got a budget that, while still low, allows him to indulge in his every whim and a special effects man in Gabe Bartalos who's able to visualize those whims.  This allows him the equivalent of free reign, and the joy he has in having that is apparent in every scene.  The second is that in its way, Basket Case 2 is the precursor to the works of Clive Barker, especially Nightbreed...like that flick, it's a story about monsters defending their homeland where the monsters are the heroes.

I have to take some time to single out the glory that is Annie Ross' performance.  She could have easily half-assed Granny Ruth, but this woman digs in with both hands and creates a credible character with both a sweet and a mean side, skipping between the two effortlessly.

There are moments in the script that are a little ropey, and I have to wonder if many of the performances are intentionally arch to recreate the atmosphere of the original entry.  But let's give credit where credit is due--when Rattray's Susan claims she and Duane belong with the freaks, I thought I knew what to expect (especially since her statement comes after the introduction of Belial's female counterpart, Eve)...but I was still taken aback by how what to expect was expressed.  And what flaws there are in this are minimized in the face of Bartalos' work on Granny Ruth's 'children', which are spectacularly insane.  Supposedly, Bartalos was told he could make whatever he wanted, and he went all out.

This is a fun, excellent film that makes the most of its ninety minutes run-time.  I enjoyed every minute of it and I recommend it to you...Hell, people curious about Hennelotter's unique work may find this an easy entry point before, you know, moving onto some of his more extreme--but equally compelling--films...like Bad Biology.  I certainly recommend this.

Tomorrow, Witney's podcast brother and Schmoedown Superstar William Bibbiani takes the spotlight with a black and white film from Mexico about voodoo, zombies, an idol that looks like Jar-Jar Binks and an evil bocor with both a wicked wardrobe and a disco ball.  It's time for me to dive into the wild and wooly filmography of Alfredo Salazar with 1961's Curse of The Doll People!  William will be representing The LGBT Resource Center!

There are presently fourteen open slots for this year's festival, and if you'd like to be included, there are four ways to get your share of the spotlight:

1) You can become a Domicile of Dread Patreon at any level.  Patreons always get a free slot, as well as advance access to podcasts and other goodies!

2) You can buy me a coffee at Ko-Fi.  Suggested donation is $3

3) You can make a donation to Queens Community House Covid-19 Relief and Recovery Campaign.  Suggested donation is $10.  Please forward your receipt to me as proof.

4) You can choose to make a donation to the charity chosen by a sponsor on his/her/their day. Like with the third possibility, please forward me proof of donation.

It is not necessary to choose a rat-based horror film.  However, if you do, I will forward you a special Ratapalooza banner you can display on your website.