Basket Case (1982) 4k UltraHD Review

In the 80s horror films were plentiful. There are so many horror films from that decade that have become cult classics. It was probably the best decade for horror.

This decade saw such horror classics at The Shining, Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, The Thing, Aliens, An American Werewolf in London, Cujo, Poltergeist, The Changeling, and my favorite 80s horror film Pet Semetary.

In 1982 a low budget horror film was released that over the years has achieved cult status and that is Basket Case. 42 years after its initial release Arrow Video have given this film a chance to live fore ever in 4k with their new deluxe UltraHD release.

Duane Bradley seems like a pretty ordinary guy. His formerly conjoined twin Belial, on the other hand, is a deformed creature who lives in a wicker basket. Arriving in the Big Apple and taking up a room at a seedy hotel, the pair set about hunting down and butchering the surgeons responsible for their separation.

Basket Case is the feature film directorial debut of Frank Henenlotter probably best known for directing 1990's Frankenhooker. Basket Case is a real product of its time, but that is probably what makes it such an enjoyable fun little horror film. The jump scares, the cheesy gore, the crazy looking monster! Too Awesome!

In March 2017, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) selected Basket Case for preservation and restoration. Now seven years later Arrow Video have released this cult horror film on deluxe UltraHD!

Arrow Video new UltraHD disc features the newly restored 4K version of this film from the original 16mm negative by MoMA. The film has been transferred to 4K in 2160p UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible). The audio soundtrack is the original uncompressed PCM mono audio. There is also the option for English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing.

It is so impressive to see how great this restoration looks. When you think this is coming from a 16mm negative. The picture quality is gorgeous. The colors are bright and vibrant. The gory detail of the kills are insane. The audio is clean with no signs of hiss, pops, cracks or drops outs. This restoration is simply amazing. But that is not all that is included in this new 4K. Take a look at the bonus features included.

* Audio commentary with writer/director Frank Henenlotter and star Kevin VanHentenryck

* Archival audio commentary with Frank Henenlotter, producer Edgar Ievins, actor Beverly Bonner and filmmaker Scooter McRae

* Basket Case 3-1/2: An Interview with Duane Bradley – short film by Frank Henenlotter

* Me and the Bradley Boys – interview with actor Kevin VanHentenryck

* A Brief Interview with Director Frank Henenlotter – a strange 2017 interview with the director

* Seeing Double: The Basket Case Twins – interview with actors Florence and Maryellen Schultz

* Blood, Basket and Beyond – interview with actor Beverly Bonner

* The Latvian Connection – featurette including interviews with producer Edgar Ievins, casting person/actor Ilze Balodis, associate producer/special effects artist Ugis Nigals and Belial performer Kika Nigals

* Belial Goes to the Drive-In – interview with film critic Joe Bob Briggs

* Basket Case at MoMA – footage from the 2017 restoration premiere

* What’s in the Basket? – feature-length documentary covering the three films in the Basket Case series

* In Search of the Hotel Broslin – archival location featurette

* The Frisson of Fission: Basket Case, Conjoined Twins, and ‘Freaks’ in Cinema – video essay by Travis Crawford

* Slash of the Knife (1976, 30 mins) – short made by Frank Henenlotter featuring many of the same actors from Basket Case, including optional audio commentary with Frank Henenlotter and playwright Mike Bencivenga

* Basket Case and Slash of the Knife outtakes

* Belial’s Dream (2017, 5 mins) – animated short by filmmaker Robert Morgan

* Extensive image galleries

* Trailers, TV & radio spots

* Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sara Deck

* Double-sided fold-out poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sara Deck

* Collector’s booklet featuring writing on the film by Michael Gingold and a Basket Case comic strip by artist Martin Trafford

Now Arrow Video in the past has put a great amount of bonus features on some of their releases, but boy did this go over and above with this 4K UltraHD as you can see above. With Interviews, audio commentaries featurettes, an animated short film and so much more this release will offer 80s horror film fans days of entertainment.

So, if you enjoy horror films of the 80s Arrow Video has created an UltraHD release that is literally a must own for your collection. Head over to Amazon and order your copy today! You will have tons of fun with this 4k!