Basket Case 2 (1990)

(In French, On Cable TV, September 2021) I approached the first Basket Case as a slasher horror film and was surprised to find that it was much weirder than that, with a final revelation taking the film into body horror. By the time I sat down to watch the sequel, I had figured out in-between Frankenhooker and Bad Biology that writer-director Frank Henenlotter was after outrageous fare. Basket Case 2 clearly shows that trajectory when measured against its prequel: it’s weirder, funnier, slicker, and gorier. It multiplies the deformed freaks (paying homage to the 1930s film along the way) in landing the protagonists of the first film into an environment where they are welcomed, and then have to defend it from the outside. It’s honestly not that great of a film, but it’s quirky and outrageous in the fun way that happens when horror fans let loose for their own enjoyment. Basket Case 2 feels a bit scattered at times, with makeup effects taking precedence over the story. I’m not sure I’ll rush to see it again, but it’s not that bad—especially if you’re up to what Henenlotter is going for.