 As a trilogy this was an interesting watch, and certainly changed tack after the first movie – but why not? With better effects and I'm sure a bigger budget to call upon, there was always scope to do more, and Henenlotter really doubled and tripled down with the pure oddness of the sequels to the grimier original. This only leaves me a couple of Henenlotter's movies to review – and it'll be a slightly sad day when I've concluded them all.... Oh yes folks, we're back, and it's time for one final uneasy peer into the basket as we draw this particular trilogy to a close. Nine years on from the first movie, director Henenlotter brings us Basket Case 3: The Progeny, and picks up almost directly from Basket Case 2 – so directly, in fact, that we kick off with the finale of the previous movie being replayed to us. Given that was only out a year before, it seems a bit of a pad for the runtime, but it's not as egregious as it might have been. It's probably not helped by the fact I was trying hard to forget that absolutely gross ending... shudder... So, Duane and Belial are basically estranged after those events, with Belial refusing to talk to his brother at all, and Eve is pregnant with Belial's kids. With the clan of unique individuals not having the skills to see the labour through, Granny Ruth piles the whole collective onto a school bus with blacked-out windows – with a sign at the front wonderfully reading 'NO ONE YOU KNOW' – to visit Uncle Hal and Little Hal to deliver the little ones. Little Hal is an inventor and another unique individual, although the small town they live in seems to tolerate him just fine. However, when Granny Ruth's wards arrive in town – with a distinctly upset Belial among them – that tolerance doesn't last terribly long, and soon enough the police in the town start to turn against them. And that's not to mention Eve having an absolute plethora of babies in the mix... The thing I loved about this movie – not to mention the one before – is just how fabulously weird it is. The cast of unique individuals (that's how the movie describes them, in case you're wondering why I keep using the term) give everything a totally chaotic edge, and the visual effects make for some really delirious viewing. Like the finale of something like Society, you might find yourself wondering if you really saw it in places or if you've managed to slip into some sort of waking dream. It's helped by the effects, which barring one or two cases look really good here – a big advance on the first movie for sure. Basket Case 3 revels in its own madness, and has so many of the components that made the series a success – the bizarre look and feel, some creative death scenes, Kevin van Hentenryck's Duane Bradley still being as totally clueless about the real world as always, Annie Ross having a ball as the upbeat Granny Ruth, and plenty of scenes to make you smile to yourself if not exactly laugh out loud. It has that Henenlotter edge for sure – manic, energetic, wild and just plenty of (and I know I've used the word a lot) fun! It's been a pleasure looking back at these three, because I don't always get to have much fun reviewing these movies. I'm sure next week normal service will be resumed and it'll be back to something significantly more unpleasant and harrowing... As a trilogy this was an interesting watch, and certainly changed tack after the first movie – but why not? With better effects and I'm sure a bigger budget to call upon, there was always scope to do more, and Henenlotter really doubled and tripled down with the pure oddness of the sequels to the grimier original. This only leaves me a couple of Henenlotter's movies to review – and it'll be a slightly sad day when I've concluded them all.... RATING: 8.5/10. Probably my favourite of the set, this one leans more and more on the comedy than the shock, although it still has its moments now and then. While it's pretty different in tone and look than the first, I'd take your feelings about Basket Case 2 as your ultimate cue – if you enjoyed that one, then you're almost bound to get a kick out of this one. If the sequel left you cold, then this is in many ways more of the same and you might be better checking out after the second film. But if you like strange humour, grotesquerie and the sort of off-the-wall zaniness that is the trademark of this director, then you should find this one well worth your while.   |
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