4K UHD Review: Arrow Video’s Basket Case (Limited Edition) 

Frank Henenlotter’s disturbing and darkly comedic masterpiece Basket Case gets a 4K UHD upgrade thanks to Arrow Video. 

The Film 

Frank Henenlotter’s Basket Case is a deranged mixture of Bad Seed and Monster cinema.  The film shows New York City the same way that Taxi Driver, Q: The Winged Serpent and Maniac do.  That artfully grimy filth that permeates throughout each of those films is ever present here along with the sort of sledgehammer thematics that all save one (Taxi Driver), deal in.  Henenlotter with Basket Case seems driven to be the weirder Larry Cohen. 

The film is essentially a revenge picture with Duane and Belial Bradley in search of the Doctors that separated them.  Oh, yeah Belial is actually the not-fully-developed no-longer-conjoined twin of the full-formed Duane.  This task takes them from the deepest woods of upstate New York to the grit and slime of New York City in the early 1980’s.

What Henenlotter’s film lacks in subtly, it more than makes up for in brash excess and surprisingly effective set pieces. Where many would wink and nod to the audience, making sure everyone knew it was okay to laugh; Basket Case does nothing of the sort.  Henenlotter makes sure that any sort of unintentional comedy is sucker punched away.  Basket Case is designed to be a nasty bit of business.  It succeeds in a way some of its contemporaries could never or would never attempt.

The success is because of Kevin Van Hentenryck’s performance.  Van Hentenryck’s performance is on par with Mark Hamill’s in The Empire Strikes Back.  Both performers spend most of their respective films’ runtime performing against a puppet.  What would have stopped anyone else’s performance dead in its tracks seems to unencumber Van Hentenryck to create this wonderfully deranged performance.  Duane is a shattered human being, abused by everyone including his father.  Van Hentenryck commits to playing that shell of a human portrayal.  Duane’s finding some small piece of humanity and how that’s stripped from him is what gives the film and the performance such power.

Basket Case more than forty years later still has the power to push and pull an audience.  Though it’s steeped in grindhouse cinema, there is something more to this film.  The blunt force trauma of where Henenlotter takes the film is more artful than those inarticulate money-grabs masquerading as films.  That wherein lies the power of Basket Case, its sledgehammer artfulness.  

The Transfer

The 4K restoration from the original 16mm negative by MoMA in its native form with Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) is literally jaw-dropping.  This restoration is on par with MoMA’s brilliant work on Night of the Living Dead transfer that Criterion recently upgraded to 4K UHD.  It’s simply stunning the amount of data that comes through this 4K.  MoMA has taken the time, care, and attention to detail to make this transfer look better than Basket Case has ever looked – including recent Blu-ray releases.  There isn’t a fleck of dirt or a scratch to be found throughout the entire runtime of the film.  The color and contrast are a standout here with the neon-soaked nights and hallucinatory lighting getting a pop in a way they haven’t before.  The black levels are a marvel with none of the dreaded “crushed blacks” that can sometimes happen on lower-budget productions when they’re given the deluxe treatment.  

The Extras

They include the following; 

• Audio commentary with writer/director Frank Henenlotter and star Kevin VanHentenryck
• Archival audio commentary with Frank Henenlotter, producer Edgar Ievins, actor Beverly Bonner and filmmaker Scooter McRae
• Basket Case 3-1/2: An Interview with Duane Bradley – short film by Frank Henenlotter
• Me and the Bradley Boys – interview with actor Kevin VanHentenryck
• A Brief Interview with Director Frank Henenlotter – a strange 2017 interview with the director
• Seeing Double: The Basket Case Twins – interview with actors Florence and Maryellen Schultz
• Blood, Basket and Beyond – interview with actor Beverly Bonner
• The Latvian Connection – featurette including interviews with producer Edgar Ievins, casting person/actor Ilze Balodis, associate producer/special effects artist Ugis Nigals and Belial performer Kika Nigals
• Belial Goes to the Drive-In – interview with film critic Joe Bob Briggs
• Basket Case at MoMA – footage from the 2017 restoration premiere
• What’s in the Basket? – feature-length documentary covering the three films in the Basket Case series
• In Search of the Hotel Broslin – archival location featurette
• The Frisson of Fission: Basket Case, Conjoined Twins, and ‘Freaks’ in Cinema – video essay by Travis Crawford
• Slash of the Knife (1976, 30 mins) – short made by Frank Henenlotter featuring many of the same actors from Basket Case, including optional audio commentary with Frank Henenlotter and playwright Mike Bencivenga
• Basket Case and Slash of the Knife outtakes
• Belial’s Dream (2017, 5 mins) – animated short by filmmaker Robert Morgan
• Extensive image galleries
• Trailers, TV & radio spots

The first Audio commentary with writer/director Frank Henenlotter and star Kevin VanHentenryck was recorded specifically for the 2018 Blu-ray Release.  Some of the details include a discussion of the first day’s work – including what the first shot was; how the film originated with the short Slash of the Knife (which is included here); the shooting in the hotel – and various anecdotes from that and also the NYC of the era (which is discussed throughout); the way the “financing” came together over a year – a larger discussion of the way they raised funds through assembling the footage and then showing to investors; how they found various props by scavenging through dumpsters around NYC; how they got the 16mm camera to film the production – which leads to a larger discussion about technical issues that caused them to reshoot the first days shot; a larger discussion about the way Henenlotter developed the story; Henenlotter’s personal history with the infamous 42^nd Street in NYC; the casting Ilze Balodis and how this turned into her becoming the casting director of the film; a discussion of Van Hentenryck’s make-up application and just how difficult it was for the actor; the issues with the printing and low light at the time; the creation of Belial and work of Kevin Haney – including a great story about Haney talking with Dick Smith; a larger discussion of how he animated the sections of Belial all by himself with no formal training because no one else would; a great story about shooting Cruising at the time they were filming; the reasons why it took more than a year to finish the filming; a larger discussion about how Bilal was animated scene to scene; a larger discussion of the various locations used to make the film; a larger discussion throughout about the various actors hired for the film; and much more.  

The second audio commentary with Frank Henenlotter, producer Edgar Ievins, actor Beverly Bonner and filmmaker Scooter McRae is an archival one from the DVD release.  Some of the details include the owners of the house of the opening being very upset with Henenlotter; the shooting budget of the film; Henenlotter and company discussing going to movies in the heyday of 42^nd Street and the grindhouse scene in NYC; the actually shooting of the film and the troubles they had with cameras and getting the shots Henenlotter wanted; the editing of the film and a huge mistake in taking a European editing bay; the various Bilal versions they used to accomplish to bring him to life; and much more. This commentary track is more of a relaxed affair being more anecdotal rather than informational.  Still a fun track with everyone getting a little bit rowdy during the track.  

Basket Case 3-1/2: An Interview with Duane Bradley (8:39) – a hilarious little short film by Henenlotter.  This clever little “found footage” style short catches up with Duane, Belial, and Belial’s progeny.  Let’s just say it’s interesting where they are now. 

Me and the Bradley Boys (16:25) – is an archival interview with Kevin Van Hentenryck (with a special guest in attendance).  The interview, conducted by Henenlotter, charts Van Hentenryck’s history with Henenlotter, how he got the part, and the production.  It’s a fascinating interview and only confirms how much time and care Hentenryck took with his performance. 

A Brief Interview with Director Frank Henenlotter (3:58) –is a hilarious parody of interviews where a man who isn’t Frank Henenlotter sits naked (yes, very-very NSFW naked) answering questions with a special guest in attendance as well, just as naked as the man who isn’t Henenlotter. 

Seeing Double: The Basket Case Twins (9:00) – is an archival interview with the twin Nurses of Basket Case; Florence and Maryellen Schultz.  The twins who also happen to be Henenlotter’s cousins discuss their childhood with their cousin and the production itself.  

Blood, BASKET, and Beyond (6:09) – is an archival interview with actor Beverly Bonner.  Bonner discusses her history post-Basket Case with the series and her side-sequel project that evolved out of her off-off-off Broadway experience and history.  

The Making of Basket Case: The Latvian Connection (27:37) – is an archival making-of featurette with producer Edgar Ievins, casting person/actress Ilze Balodis, associate producer/effects artist Ugis Nigals, and Belial performer Kika Nigals. Rather than be a normal making-of the conceit of the doc is telling the story of Basket Case through the friends of Frank Henenlotter’s who would eventually become the crew (and sometimes cast) of the film.  There are some great stories and recollections in this featurette, like the daughter of Balodis and Nigals, Kika was the primary puppeteer.  Keep in mind their daughter Kika was only nine years old at the time!

Belial Goes to the Drive-In (7:00) – is an archival interview with the great Joe Bob Briggs shot in and around the late great Waverly Cinema in New York City.  Briggs brings his artful dissection of Basket Case and his very interesting history with this film which began at the Cannes Film Festival.  

Basket Case at MoMA (37:17) – is an archival Q&A with Henenlotter, Van Hentenryck, Bonner, Maryellen & Florence Schultz, and Ugis Nigals done post-screening of the MoMA restoration.  Note that they do have the introduction to the film where they discuss the MoMA restoration itself – and Hennenlotter doing a funny intro.  The Post-Q&A is as awkward as you would expect with Henenlotter attempting to answer the non-questions of the audience.  [Note to any audience member at a Q&A screening of anything.  Ask a real question to the filmmakers and cast.  Never start off with “This isn’t a question more of a statement…” No one cares about your stupid and embarrassing statement.  Yes, they are stupid.  Yes, they are embarrassing.]

What’s in the Basket (78:44) – is another archival making-of but this one is a feature-length documentary created by Severin Films (for their initial release) that just doesn’t cover the first film but the entire trilogy.  Director David Gregory does a fantastic job of creating not just a normal making-of retrospective but also giving some great context of the era specifically NYC and 42nd Street that inspired Basket Case.  Nothing isn’t examined or covered including the development, pre-production, production, release, critical responses, the sequels (their development and production), and the rise in status as a true cult classic. The documentary is wonderfully edited together with some truly great footage from not just Basket Case (and its sequels) but of other films and photographs/footage of the era.  Featuring interviews with Henenlotter, Van Hentenryck, Ievins, Bonner, Kevin Haney, and others.  

In Search of the Hotel Broslin (16:13) – is an archival featurette with Henenlotter who’s accompanied by a man named R.A. “The Rugged Man” Thorburn as they wander New York looking for the various locations that compose of the Hotel Broslin.  This featurette from 2001 may be the ultimate New Yorker’s New Yorker interview I’ve ever seen.

Frisson of Frission (23:03) – is a 23-minute video essay by Critic Travis Crawford.  The essay is a great piece of critical and visual work.  Crawford does a great job of dissecting Basket Case and putting it in the context of Cult Cinema as a whole showing various films of similar ilk (including the great Todd Browning’s Freaks), the history of conjoined twins and society’s fascination, and much more. 

Basket Case Outtakes (6:23) – is a random smattering of B-Roll, Take Markers, Alternate Takes, and deleted scenes edited together in a very entertaining featurette with production sound and music cleverly edited in.  For any fan of the film, this will be a goldmine of footage rarely seen.

Slash of the Knife (30:30) – is an early short film by Henenlotter that is actually referenced quite a few times on the special features.  The film’s plot is cleverly about the uncircumcised people.  A homage to the public scare exploitation of the 50s and early 60s is an excuse for Hennenlotter to show nudity (yes, it’s male nudity) and “gross out” moments. The short is quite hilariously takedown of our medical industrial complex (showing people in the 2020’s nothing has changed).  Note: a commentary track and Outtakes (5:39) are included for the short.  

Belial’s Dream (4:59) – a stop-motion animated film from 2017 directed by Robert Morgan featuring what is conceivably a “wet dream” quickly turned nightmare for the conjoined twin.  Note: included in the submenu that’s very interesting but brief making-of (2:06). 

Image Galleries 

• Promotional Stills – consisting of 46 stills. 
• Behind the Scenes – consisting of 108 behind-the-scenes photos.  
• Ephemera – consisting of 21 various props and items from the release and production.
• Advertisements – consisting of 43 various pieces of art, lobby cards, press kits, and more from the US release and releases from around the world.  
• Home Video Releases – consisting of 9 Betamax, VHS, Laserdisc, DVD, and Blu-ray home release art.   

Trailers (5:10) – is a collection of 3 trailers with informational title cards before each.  

TV Spots (1:04) – like the trailers each of the TV spots has an informational title card before each. 

Radio Spots (1:51) – the radio spots play with production still of Belial and other gore moments. 

The Final Thought 

Arrow continues its reign of masterful 4K UHD Upgrades to their titles.  Basket Case looks stunning in its 4K iteration.  Highest Possible Recommendations.  

Arrow’s 4K UHD Edition of Basket Case is out April 30^th