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Frank Henenlotter’s ‘Basket Case’ Goes HD!

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In 1982, a low budget horror film raised its twisted head and created a buzz with a strange mix of comedy, gore, sleaze and heartfelt pathos. On September 27th, Image Entertainment and Something Weird proudly join forces to unleash Basket Case in a brand new HD transfer supervised by writer/director Frank Henenlotter. The Blu-ray has an SRP of $17.97 and contains a basket full of bonus features including an all-new video introduction by the director, commentary tracks and outtakes.
Carrying a mysterious wicker basket wherever he goes, Duane Bradley checks into a flea-bag hotel in New York’s Times Square. What’s in the basket, you ask? Why, it’s Duane’s hideously misshapen Siamese twin brother, Belial, who seems to wield some sort of odd control over his more normal looking brother. Together, they’re in town to hunt down and wreak havoc on the sick surgeons who separated them, but this isn’t your normal revenge flick.

With memorably gruesome scenes and some seriously disturbing stop-motion animation, Basket Case is one of the most beloved, cheerfully demented cult classics of all time. Many discovered it in the days of VHS, but now Basket Case is reborn and remastered on Blu-ray for a new generation of twisted fans to enjoy. Open the basket if you dare!

Bonus Features include:
– New Full-Frame HD Transfer Preserving the Original 16mm Camera Ratio
– New Video Introduction by Director Frank Henenlotter
– Audio Commentary by Director Frank Henenlotter, Producer Edgar Ievins, and Actress Beverly Bonner
– Rare Outtakes and Behind-the-Scenes Footage from the Director’s Personal Collection
– Two Theatrical Trailers plus TV Spot
– 2001 Video Short: In Search of the Hotel Broslin
– Two Rare Basket Case Radio Spots
– Gallery of Basket Case Exploitation Art and Behind-the-Scene Photos

With a price point that low, one has to wonder whether or not they really went back to the 16mm negative for this transfer. And if they did, how good is it?

Home Video

Gateway Horror Classic ‘The Gate’ Returns to Life With Blu-ray SteelBook in May

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One of my personal favorite horror movies of all time, 1987’s gateway horror classic The Gate is opening back up on May 14 with a brand new Blu-ray SteelBook release from Lionsgate!

The new release will feature fresh SteelBook artwork from Vance Kelly, seen below.

Special Features, all of which were previously released, include…

  • Audio Commentaries
    • Director Tibor Takacs, Writer Michael Nankin, and Special Effects Designer & Supervisor Randall William Cook
    • Special Effects Designer & Supervisor Randall William Cook, Special Make-Up Effects Artist Craig Reardon, Special Effects Artist Frank Carere, and Matte Photographer Bill Taylor
  • Isolated Score Selections and Audio Interview
  • Featurettes:
    • The Gate: Unlocked
    • Minion Maker
    • From Hell It Came
    • The Workman Speaks!
    • Made in Canada
    • From Hell: The Creatures & Demons of The Gate
    • The Gatekeepers
    • Vintage Featurette: Making of The Gate
  • Teaser Trailer
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • TV Spot
  • Storyboard Gallery
  • Behind-the-Scenes Still Gallery

When best friends Glen (Stephen Dorff) and Terry (Louis Tripp) stumble across a mysterious crystalline rock in Glen’s backyard, they quickly dig up the newly sodden lawn searching for more precious stones. Instead, they unearth The Gate — an underground chamber of terrifying demonic evil. The teenagers soon understand what evil they’ve released as they are overcome with an assortment of horrific experiences. With fiendish followers invading suburbia, it’s now up to the kids to discover the secret that can lock The Gate forever . . . if it’s not too late.

If you’ve never seen The Gate, it’s now streaming on Prime Video and Tubi.

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