“Basket Case” Limited Edition 4K Available Now!

The feature debut of director Frank Henenlotter (Brain Damage, Frankenhooker), 1982’s Basket Case is a riotous and blood-spattered “midnight movie” experience, now presented for the first time ever on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray.

Duane Bradley seems like a pretty ordinary guy. His formerly conjoined twin Belial, on the other hand, is a deformed creature who lives in a wicker basket. Arriving in the Big Apple and taking up a room at a seedy hotel, the pair set about hunting down and butchering the surgeons responsible for their separation.

Filmed on a shoestring budget against the backdrop of 1980s New York (where it played on the midnight movie circuit for over two-and-a-half years), Basket Case has clawed its way from its humble origins to become one of the most celebrated cult movies of all time.

4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS

  • 4K restoration from the original 16mm negative by MoMA
  • 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
  • Original uncompressed PCM mono audio
  • Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • 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
  • Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sara Deck
  • Double-sided fold-out poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sara Deck
  • Collector’s booklet featuring writing on the film by Michael Gingold and a Basket Case comic strip by artist Martin Trafford

I was able to review an advance copy of the disc and while this movie definitely isn’t for everybody, for those that love it or enjoy this type of film it looks amazing. I had previously watched this for the first time a few years ago on a streaming service which wasn’t the best presentation. The restoration, supervised by MoMA no less, brings the movie to life in a way that made me feel like I was watching it for the first time. I had a better appreciation for the effects and gore than I did before.

I’m not personally a fan of cult horror movies and I wouldn’t say this movie falls into my wheelhouse, but it is such a unique film executed in a DIY way it must be seen to believed. It is quite the marvel and if movies like this are your jam then you are going to love this release. “Basket Case” is available today from Arrow Video and can be purchased here.

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