First Post Thoughts and Why Everyone Should Love Basket Case

First off, for all you inquiring minds out there: Why "Inside the Wicker Basket"?

Hopefully you didn't stumble upon this blog thinking you'd find a tutorial on how to weave with rattan core, or some other delightful basket-making technique. I tried to come up with a fun site name that incorporated the words "horror" or "blood" into it, but most of the good ones are already taken (plus, I'm just not that witty).

Instead, I decided to use a reference from an obscure horror movie - Frank Henenlotter's 1982 low-budget masterpiece Basket Case.

You see, Basket Case is easily one of my favorite horror films of all time. Among other things, it has a wonderfully grimy atmosphere to it, along with a lot of memorable characters that give the movie an undeniable charm. I’ll never forget the summer night a few years ago that I watched the VHS copy rented from the now-deceased Video Paradise – Basket Case truly left its mark on me.

For those who haven't had the pleasure of experiencing it (and shame on you), the movie follows the story of Siamese twin brothers Duane and Belial Bradley, separated at birth - literally - because the latter was a deformed monster.

Now all grown up, Duane travels to Times Square with his genetically-deficient sibling in a wicker basket (ah ha!), seeking bloody revenge on the doctors who tore them away from each other.

Anyway, if you haven't seen Basket Case, Netflix it now, or better yet buy the damn Something Weird DVD. It's like $5 in most places, and has a lot of great special features, including an informative commentary by Henenlotter.

And if you have seen it, watch it again. I'll post my complete thoughts on this cinematic gem (along with the far inferior sequels) another day.

Perhaps more importantly, why do I feel the need to post my thoughts for the whole world (or more realistically, maybe 10-15 people) to read? No reason I guess. It's something I just enjoy doing; I've loved horror movies since I was little, and I love talking about them with anyone who will listen. I have a degree in journalism and wrote horror movie reviews for my college newspaper whenever I could - this is just another outlet for me to rant and rave.

I don’t claim to be the definitive source on all things horror, but I hope I can offer a refreshing perspective on the past, present and future of my beloved genre. Whether or not you have a passion for Italian zombie movies, slasher flicks or vigilante exploitation films, I hope this blog can be both entertaining and informative.