You know from the jump that BASKET CASE 2 (1990) is gonna have a little more money behind it than the first one, because it has both Troma and Shapiro Glickenhaus credits. That’s power right there.  For those just joining it starts with footage from the end of part 1, with poor Duane and his murderous, surgically separated lump brother Belial hanging off a hotel sign, falling and splattering in front of screaming New Yorkers. We also get a news report from Times Square, describing Belial as “a small, grotesque monstrosity” and a “small, twisted deformity whose most startling feature is an unnervingly human face” and a “strange little being” that “might actually be human.”

An old lady, Grannie Ruth (Annie Ross, PUMP UP THE VOLUME), and her adult granddaughter Susan (Heather Rattray, “White House Press Conference Reporter [uncredited],” DEEP IMPACT) flip through the channels watching all the coverage, and seem to know who the Bradleys are, and they head to the hospital to free them. By that time though the boys have already escaped on their own and added to their crime spree. (Henenlotter pulls a HALLOWEEN II by having hospital staff hitting on each other before becoming victims.)

But Grannie catches up with the brothers outside and convinces them to get in her van. When Duane wakes up he sees the blurry image of a bunch of freaks, because Grannie runs a home for them. She travels around to sideshows (it was the ‘90s, after all) rescuing human oddities from exploitation and hiding them in the attic of a huge house in Staten Island*. As a place to live it seems much more comfortable than the Hotel Broslin, but as a place to watch in a movie I gotta say it’s less fun.

The special makeup effects are by Gabe Bartalos, who had done BRAIN DAMAGE with Henenlotter, and later directed SKINNED DEEP. This is more of a professional production than the first one, and the effects are hugely ambitious, not only adding detail (and glowing eyes!) to Belial, but creating all these other cartoonishly malformed individuals. Most of them are actors with oversized latex additions, though some are lumps like Belial. I’m actually not sure which category this guy falls into (does he have a body under there?) but he looks grotesque and has the voice of an angel:

We later learn from a sleazy tabloid editor (Jason Evers, THE BRAIN THAT WOULDN’T DIE) that he used to cover Grannie under the nickname “Doctor Freak.” She had a son born with eleven arms and when he died “it made her sort of a missionary for freak’s rights. Even had a freak commune somewhere out west.” He sends hungry reporter Marcie (Kathryn Meisle, BEREAVEMENT) just to get a comment from Grannie about the Times Square incident, but she uncovers a real story. Much like Belial, Grannie’s justified feelings about the treatment of so-called freaks send her on a murder spree. It’s a pretty standard ‘80s/‘90s horror comedy joke: friendly grey-hair with a pearl necklace, actually a psycho. But I like that she genuinely cares about her patients, even acts as a therapist to Belial, with some success.

As much work as obviously went into all these other creatures, Belial is still the highlight. There’s just something lovable about that mean little tumor of a man. And don’t worry, Grannie understands that he’s comfortable sleeping in a basket, so she provides a new one. Title relevance retained.

I think Jolt Cola might’ve had a product placement deal with this movie. There are a bunch of empty cans in one part but also one of the freaks is wearing a Jolt t-shirt during the finale. I guess Troma-Shapiro-Glickenaus alone can’t get you this many monsters, you gotta get that Jolt money. But it’s not just slicker because of the budget. I’m happy to say there’s some clear directorial vision at work here. I like the two scenes staged with hospital employees talking about bullshit in the foreground while not noticing Duane escaping in the background. And especially the scene where the tabloid photographer (his douchebaggery signaled by his constant gum-chewing even while sneaking into the home) pokes his head into the dark attic and starts taking photos. Through the strobe of his flash we see the freaks all coming toward him, then Duane takes his camera and keeps shooting as they tear him apart. His colleague outside sees flashes and silhouettes of violence through the attic window. A strong sequence.

There’s another good gimmick where someone threatens Duane in a bar and then finds out he’s surrounded by all the freaks improbably disguised with masks. A good reminder that you gotta pay attention to your surroundings. Situational awareness is important.

Though it can’t help but feel a little safer than the original when everything looks professional and clean, it’s nice that there’s not really a traditional good guy in it. Everybody is kinda fucked up. Duane is maybe the protagonist, and he’s lost his mind, and is involved in these murders. I like that both the reporter and the doctor play their parts as evil – the latter straight up acting like a cult leader when she makes a speech to rile up the residents who believe in violence. “Children… children… the wolves are once again at our door!”

I remember seeing this as a teen and hating it. I think I accused it of being a wannabe NIGHTBREED (though Henenlotter was probly thinking more about Tod Browning’s FREAKS). I like it more now but I gotta say, I still kind of hate these supporting freaks. Some of the designs are cool, and I suppose I can accept how cartoonishly not-having-anything-to-do-with-reality all their birth defects are, but they’re so inexpressive and the actors just do a team mascot type of miming, holding their hands in the air or on their cheeks, doing these exaggerated walks, just a very bottom of the barrel kiddy TV level of characterization that I find very grating, especially when combined with the shitty Full Moon Video type circusy synth sounds (by Joe Renzetti, THE EXTERMINATOR, VICE SQUAD, CHILD’S PLAY) that were required by law to use in these types of movies in the ‘80s and early ‘90s. Honestly I wish Belial would’ve had beef with the others and burned the whole house down with them inside. He can do better than those dorks.

To me the whole look and feel and concept of the sequel is less cool than the original. I miss the urban seediness, the authentic grime, and Duane’s hair looked way better longer. But this is wild enough that I gotta respect it. It’s certainly not a rehash, and it’s very ambitious. There’s a frog man, a rat man, a guy with a bunch of noses, a living gargoyle, a guy with giant teeth, etc. Best of all there’s a lady lump named Eve (Denise Coop). A girl Belial. I wish she had the traditional gender-specifying bow on her head like Ms. Pac-Man, but she has hair and a more human face, so I guess it’s not needed.

I really like Kevin VanHentenryck’s performance as Duane this time. He has this delusional forced pleasantness that reminds me of Norman Bates when he loses it in PSYCHO II and III. The best thing about the movie is the way it switches up the Duane/Belial dynamic at the end. Duane decides he’s in love with Susan, and that she’s the key to a healthy, happy life, then he kisses her and feels a psychic ping from Belial. But wait, it’s not the usual jealousy that he’s with a girl – it’s because Belial is with one too at that very moment! He’s about to get it on with Eve.

Come to think of it they beat BRIDE OF CHUCKY to the punch on funny puppet love scenes. It’s pretty great because gentle music plays and there’s a romantic kiss and close ups of their hands caressing each others’ lumps. Then it cuts back to Duane so I thought it was over but it comes back for some passionate, bed-rocking boot knocking. Moans and everything.

And then things don’t work out with Duane and Susan (spoiler: she turns out to be a freak in her own way, he flips out and she falls out a window like he once did), but Belial says he’s happy and in love, and it’s Duane who goes crazy. He decides “the only way to make things right again” is to sew Belial back onto his side, and the little guy’s screams of agony while he does it make you feel for him (if you don’t think too much about his past crimes).

Okay yeah, I guess I kinda like this one.

*Somewhere nearby RZA was working on music under the name Prince Rakeem. Within 2 years he will have formed the Wu-Tang Clan with many of Grannie’s neighbors.