Get Your Reps In: “Basket Case” Launched Frank Henenlotter’s Cult Horror Career

Basket Case (1982)

With $35,000, a tumorous puppet, and a sick ol’ dream, director Frank Henenlotter launched his cult-cherished horror filmography in 1982 with Basket Case. The sloppy revenge tour of two telepathically connected brothers—one an earnest young newcomer to New York City, the other a legless, razor-clawed monster who lives in a wicker basket—screens Nov. 23 at Buckman neighborhood VHS bar Cult Classics.

Like most other Henenlotter movies (Brain Damage and Frankenhooker, especially), Basket Case is beloved by horror heads in the know for its scrappy execution, darkly comedic exploitation, and gonzo manifestation of otherwise thought-provoking themes. Also, it’s the unofficial record-holder for the movie in which the most people ask, “What’s in the basket?” Cult Classics, Nov. 23.

Also Playing:

5th Avenue: Landscape Film, Roberto Burle Marx (2018), Nov. 21–23. Academy: The Shawshank Redemption (1994), Kiss Me Deadly (1955) and The Wizard of Oz (1939), Nov. 19 and 20. Straight Time (1978), Nov. 21–26. The Green Mile (1999) and The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928), Nov. 21–27. Cinema 21: Fight Club (1999), Nov. 21 and 22. To Be or Not to Be (1942), Nov. 22. Cinemagic: Goodbye, Dragon Inn (2003) and E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (1982), Nov. 20. Falling Down (1993), Nov. 21. Thanksgiving (2023), Nov. 21 and 26. Rififi (1955), Nov. 22, 24 and 26. The Italian Job (1969), Nov. 22, 25 and 26. Thief (1981), Nov. 23 and 24. Inception (2010), Nov. 22, 23 and 25. Clinton: The Feather Fairy (1984), Nov. 19. Popcorn (1991), Nov. 20. Jason X (2001), Nov. 21. The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996) and The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), Nov. 22. Hollywood: Ms. 45 (1981), Nov. 19. Black Dynamite (2009), Nov. 20. A Chinese Ghost Story (1987), Nov. 21. Metropolis (1927) and A Chinese Ghost Story II (1990), Nov. 22. Chulas Fronteras (1976) and The Maestro: King of the Cowboy Artists (1994) double feature and A Chinese Ghost Story III (1991), Nov. 23. The Great Waldo Pepper (1975), Nov. 25. Tomorrow: Memoria (2021), Nov. 20. The Color of Pomegranates (1969) and L’Inferno (1911), Nov. 23.