What a weird (and perversely fun) movie.

a classic of no-budget splatter

Shy dude walks the streets of NY with his deformed brother in a basket. Murky, earthtoned and often disgusting. What's not to love here?

It's as brilliantly ridiculous and hilarious as "Brain Damage" and is generally a better film, Belial is no Aylmer though, which is really what counts.

Cult movie, but I'm not a member. Original, but just too crude and tasteless to dig it that much

Oh my ! Low budget, low(ish) production values, wierdly unconvincing effects but a daringly audacious plotline. Acting is not so much wooden as dead - it nearly makes it into the 'so bad it's good' category. Not one to change your plans for.

WHAT THE HELL WAS THIS?!

Crazy mutated freak in a basket goes around killing people... You need to know more???

This is not a good film, but you should watch it. The acting is downright terrible and the effects are pretty bad. Despite its shortcomings Basket Case still manages to be pretty damned creepy because of its premise.

One of the most entertaining indie horror movies I have seen. The minor characters chew scenery like crazy, and the monster is a sight to behold.

An 80's B-horror classic. It could have had a lot more impact with a higher budget and better acting, but there are a few dozens movies made during this time I can say that about. Bottom line: Good enough to watch.

Revenge is a dish best served by a teratomatous scone of flesh with the face of David Letterman. Sent me to my laughing place more than a couple times.

Frank Henenlotter's first film. Yes!

Its low budget shows: terrible acting and pretty silly looking effects elicit much laughter. But the idea is so bizarre and twisted, and the story itself continues to lead to such depraved alleys that I have to admire it for sheer audacity. It was a lot more fun and interesting than most other horror from this period.

A few laughs.

Extremely gory (try to avoid the 83-minute R-rated cut) but also very funny, with authentically sleazy 42nd Street atmosphere and lots of oddly likable characters.

Despite the general 'bad movie' crapiness it's creepy and has some memorable moments.

The owner of the hotel has seen it all, UNTIL NOW. One weird movie.

I really admire directors who have a weird, simple idea, and are able to see their low budget project through to completion. Peter Jackson's Bad Taste springs to mind. I could tell Basket Case was a labor of love. I enjoyed the weirdness of the main character, and I really loved the creature itself; cheesy looking, yet oddly creepy. And the gore effects were surprisingly decent. A great movie to watch while drinking with your buddies.

totally fukking awesome.

Funny and gross but it's nowhere near as good as Henenlotter's subsequent films.

Definitely more insightful (not to mention hilarious) than the horrid but similarly plotted Rain Man.

A serviceable genre film that works equally as a slice of grindhouse trash as it does a cinematic love letter to the same.

Definitely a bad horror movie, but not devoid of entertainment. It's labeled as a comedy, but I'm not really sure if that's intentional. The story's shaky, but at least it makes decent sense. Despite some really sub-par special effects, it does a fair job of making the horror scenes shocking and weird.

Basket Case is one of those B-movies that is so atrociously disgusting, sleazy, and laugh-out-loud corny you can't help but have so much fun watching it. Frank knew he had a 0 budget and he totally went for it!

Bizarre and hilarious.

Good

A classic

Although there is actually something creepy about this movie, most of its charm is of the "so bad it's good" variety. Not just the acting but the dramaturgy and characterizations are hilariously caricaturistic across the board. The film actually has a great pace and is enjoyable regardless of its many laugh-out-loud "WTF" moments. For the very low budget, even the effects are pretty decent. Great popcorn movie to watch with friends.

The production is raw to the point its charming, its 42nd Street location feels far more vivid than in more larger-scale stories, the actresses are unglamorous but more beautiful on screen, and Henenlotter's mix of sympathetic characters and eccentrics with bizarre and downright ridiculous special effects and gross-out gore creates a film that, on a second viewing, is far more imaginative and interesting than more glossier horror films.

if you can manage to read the synopsis without wanting to watch this that you probably shouldn't. otherwise, it's game on for some cheesy 80's horror.

Frank Henenlotter adds another "what in the hell is this" movie to the horror genre. The plot is...absurd, in a perfect 80's type of way.