We're gonna need a bigger basket.

In 1990, eight years after the original, Frank Henenlotter returned to the basket and brought us another insane story of his twisted creation...Belial. This time we get an ever crazier comedy/horror film than the first Basket case. It picks up right where the first movie ended when Belial and Duane (played by Kevin van Hentenryk who is in all three Basket case movies) fall from the window, survived and were taken to the hospital where the truth of Duane and his deformed twin brother are exposed to the world. Duanes creepy aunt Ruth ( played by Annie Ross, a well known jazz singer in real life) shows up and helps them breakout of the hospital and brings them to her home, a giant mansion that is somewhat of a hideout for freaks of all kind, so Belial fits in just fine. Living with aunt Ruth is her pregnant daughter Susan who has issues of her own. It doesn't take long before we get a predictable love story between Duane and Susan. Two reporters are hot on the case of finding Duane and Belial's hideout serving as a side story to the main which is the usual Henenlotter freak circus of bad acting, cheesy practical effects and a unbelievable plot. As the reporters get closer and closer to the truth of what is going on at aunt Ruth's house, Belial, Duane, Susan and aunt Ruth catch wind of this and devise a plan to get rid of the sneaky reporters once and for all. Will the secret of the freaks be revealed? Will Belial find true love?
Basket case 2 takes the insanity of the first film and turns it up to eleven. The make-up effects on the "freaks" living at the mansion are hilarious to say the least. In no way did anyone involved with this film ever think the were making a scary horror movie, this is in-your-face tongue-n-cheek. There is a lot of scenes involving the freaks just running around for no reason at all. The acting is a bit better than the first film but not by much. We also get treated to a nasty if not the most disturbing sex scene in movie history involving Belial, that's all you need to know.
There are actually some urban legends connected to the mansion they filmed at in Plainfield NJ.
The title it is also known by, House Of Freaks, is a very fitting title and sums up this film perfectly.
The budget for Basket case 2 was 2,500,000. I am positive a good portion of this went to the actual creation of the freaks including a man with a moon-shaped head. Even with a bigger budget than the first film it still holds true to staying as campy as possible, which is the heart and soul of all three of the Basket case films and why they are so fun to watch.
Synapse films released a superb DVD of Basket case 2 with a beautiful high-def anamorphic widescreen transfer from the original 35mm camera negative. The disc also includes an interview with David Emge who played the moon faced freak and a behind the scenes featurette. If you love this movie this DVD is the one to own.
Frank Henenlotter is truly a one of a kind director and he has such a love for he genre, which shows in his films. With the basket case films you get Henenlotter at his craziest and that is what makes these movies so unique, they are over the top campy classics that are made to shock and entertain the viewer, and Henenlotter is not afraid to throw some of the wackiest scenes on the screen to achieve this, those of which any other director probably wouldn't have the balls to do. Basket case 2 might just be the Citizen Kane of campy movies and in the end it's pure fun.

Joe Bob Briggs says "Four stars...why did this sequel take nine years to make? Because it's perfect. Check it out."

Review by Jason

Rating: C+