Basket Case (1982) KILL COUNT

Zoran Gvojic

Mike Cygan

Basket Case (1982) KILL COUNT is the two hundred and fifty first video of James A. Janisse's series, The Kill Count

## Overview

Dr. Julius Lifflander tries to leave his home, but he gets scared by the movement of the surrounding trees. Back home, he locks himself up and tries to call the police. A huge hand attacks him and kills him viciously.

Duane Bradley arrives in New York from the small town of Glenn Falls, to the ugly Hotel Broslin. Anthony, the hotel manager, mocks him and asks for twenty bucks a night. Duane is loaded, pays in cash and is given room 7. On her way up, Josephine chit-chats about the old guest in his room. Once inside his room, Duane unlocks his basket and feeds it a huge quantity of hamburgers. Duane reads a thick volume of medical papers, where he appears as a patient. At night, Belial, the body in the basket, tries to talk to him, but Duane only wants to sleep. We know that Belial can leave the basket on his own. Casey warns Duane that Brian Mickey O'Donovan was peeping through the keyhole because he saw the wad of bills which Duane had.

Duane takes the basket to see Dr. Harold Needleman MD. Receptionist Sharon tries to make small conversation with Duane, who sees Dr. Needleman under the name of Duane Smith. Duane rejects Sharon at first, but then he asks for her number and sets on a date. Needleman looks at the huge scars on the right side of Duane's body. When Needleman gets rid of Duane, he tries to contact Lifflander and when he can't, he phones Dr. Judith Kutter, who reminds him to deny any knowledge of Glen Falls.

Duane goes to the cinema to see a martial arts film and dozes off. A thief steals the basket and is attacked by Belial when he opens the basket. After Sharon has left, Duane leaves and opens the box. Belial is free to terrorize and kill Needleman, and also takes Needleman's address book.

Duane buys a television set for Belial, so that he can go out with Sharon. They kiss, but as Belial has a telepathic link with Duane, he gets frantic and messes up room 7. All the guests and the receptionist run to see what happens and they enter the room. O'Donovan realizes where the cash money is. Apart from the mess, nothing strange appears on the room. They all leave, but O'Donovan comes back to take the money. He is attacked and killed by Belial on room 8. Duane feels sick because of Belial's terror, so he comes back running to the Broslin Hotel. A detective asks Duane about a dog in his hotel room, but finds nothing. Belial had hidden in the toilet.

Duane takes the basket to a bar, where he gets drunk, while Casey keeps him company. Duane spills his life story to her, but she doesn't believe him. Duane talks about their mother, who died giving birth to them. He and Belial were brought up by their aunt, as their father would like to kill them both, especially Belial. A social worker visits them, as Aunt has asked for custody. She is terrified when he sees a younger Duane with Belial at his right side of the body. Father thinks that Belial is not even a person. No doctor dares to try to separate both twin brothers, as it would mean the death of Belial, but finally, three doctors perform the surgery. At night, Duane is woken up. He picks Belial up from a rubbish bag put out with the rest of the rubbish. That night, when Belial recovers, kills Father by cutting him in half. Aunt will keep on taking care of the brothers. After this story, back at the Broslin Hotel, Casey puts Duane to bed and leaves. Back on her room, Casey realizes that Belial is there, caressing her. She screams and wakes all the guests up. Belial is gone fast. He has stolen Casey's underwear, and takes it with him to his basket.

Dr. Kutter is a veterinarian. A dog barks at the basket in the waiting room. With plenty of noise and blood, Belial kills her. Sharon visits Duane after she comes to know that Dr. Needleman is dead. They try to make love but Belial doesn't want Duane to have or sex, or be in love, or be independent. Duane gets angry with Belial for the first time. Belial hesitates in killing Duane.

Duane dreams of himself running naked through the city. Sharon is sleeping naked. Duane touches her in a dream and then he starts making love to her. Suddenly, he wakes up. He realizes that it was not a dream: Belial is making love to her. By that, Belial is killing her with lots of blood spilled all over the place. Duane is so angry with Belial that he tries to kill him. Duane takes Belial back to the hotel where they fight until both tumble out the window.

## Deaths

### Counted Deaths:

1. Dr. Julius Lifflander: Face torn at - 3 mins in
2. Dr. Needleman: Face torn at, cut in half - 31 mins in
3. O'Donovan: Face torn at - 41 mins in
4. Duane & Belial's Dad: Cut in half vertically - 1 hr 1 min in
5. Duane & Belial's Aunt: ??? - 1 hr 2 mins in (body seen)
6. Dr. Kutter: Face full of scalpels - 1 hr 14 mins in
7. Sharon: Neck broken or strangled or something - 1 hr 25 mins in

### Non-Counted Deaths

* Duane and Belial's Mom - Died durng childbirth, mentioned.