Lido Cinemas

The tenant in room 7 is very small, very twisted, and very mad

Duane Bradley is on a mission of revenge, but his heart isn’t really in it. His brother Belial, however, is primed for destruction, hell-bent on hunting down those responsible for their brutal separation. Once they were literally joined at the hip, now Duane carries Belial around in a large wicker basket, and tries desperately to blend in, which is almost easy in early 1980s New York City.

A weird and elegant metaphor for the damage caused when we carry our trauma like baggage, BASKET CASE is also an oddly charming comedy that clearly loves the collection of New York personalities that populate its grimy locations. The feature debut of filmmaker and film historian Frank Henenlotter (BOILED ANGELS, BRAIN DAMAGE, FRANKENHOOKER), BASKET CASE is a one of a kind monstrosity that wears its heart on its sleeve while heartily splashing blood across the screen. Dedicated to Paracinema icon Herschell Gordon Lewis (SOMETHING WEIRD, BLOOD FEAST), shot on 16mm and made for US$35,000, BASKET CASE epitomises the creative energy and cinematic delights inspired by the golden age of Grindhouse theatres. The special effects may be crude but they are shockingly effective, featuring prosthetics and stop-motion work by Kevin Haney and John Caglione Jr., disciples of Dick Smith (THE EXORCIST) and future Oscar winners for DRIVING MISS DAISY and DICK TRACY respectively. It is a classic ‘Midnight Movie’ that took the horror industry by storm, running for 2½ years at The Waverly in NY, and becoming a stand-out title of the VHS era.

But that’s not the end of the incredible story. In 2017, BASKET CASE was placed in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and restored from the original 16mm negatives (long thought lost until they were re-discovered in Henenlotter’s mother’s attic). Paracinema Fest is proud to present the Australian Premiere of the 4K restoration of BASKET CASE, a film that has travelled all the way from ‘low’ to ‘high’ art.