Basket Case 3 – A whole new film

I’ve watched the whole ‘Basket Case’ trilogy now and, like many who have a soft spot for cheesy eighties horror, enjoyed the first one’s entertainment value.  It deserves its place as a ‘cult classic’ from its title alone.  However, it’s sequels were less well known.  This was possibly because the second one seemed to veer so far away from the overall dark and horrific feel of the original that it seemed like a completely different movie.  And that was just ‘part II!’ Now we have the third instalment and it’s practically unrecognisable as part of the franchise.  One of my main complaints about the second instalment was that it didn’t really feature the titular ‘basket case’ monster, dwelling more on a whole new cast of characters and freaks.  At least now our murderous anti-hero gets the screen time that he was possibly robbed of in the middle film, but, even so, this feels like a totally different film when compared to the original. 

Like the first followed closely from the second, the third picks up right where the predecessor left off.  There’s a whole house-load of monsters who live quite happily with their human ‘aunt,’ but the basket case and his, only slightly less creepy, human brother can’t seem to fit in – expect many murders to follow. 

The first two thirds don’t really seem to go anywhere and feel just like extended padding for the final act.  If you’re really going to find enjoyment out of this cheeky little movie then the pay-off is what you’ll be waiting for.  In the last third you get the majority of the gore, the majority of the silliness and even a couple of plot points that I didn’t see coming regarding characters. 

Realistically, it’s not a bad little horror film.  It’s not big budget and doesn’t have a single recognisable face (with the possible exception of a talk-show host!), so if you don’t mind that then you’ll be party on your way to get something out of this.  You will certainly need an appreciation of eighties horror (yes, I know this was technically filmed in the nineties, but it’s eighties at heart!) and the silliness that came with it.  The best gore and prosthetics all come in the final third and, when they do, they are kind of fun.  However, if you were a die-hard fan of the original, you probably won’t believe how far the series strayed from the original.

6/10 Should probably keep you awake if Freddy Krueger was haunting your nights