Basket Case 3 - The Progeny

Shapiro Glickenhaus. Director Frank Henenlotter; Producer Edgar Ievens; Screenplay Frank Henenlotter, Robert Martin; Camera Bob Paone; Editor Greg Sheldon; Music Joe Renzetti; Art Director William Barclay

Annie Ross
Kevin Van Hentenryck
Dan Biggers
Gil Roper
Tina Louise Hilbert
James O'Doherty

Pic opens with a lengthy dose of footage from Basket Case 2, detailing sex between the two monsters Belial and Eve and the death of Eve's sister Susan. Part three begins with Eve's pregnancy.

Granny Ruth (jazz vocalist Annie Ross) takes Eve, papa-to-be Belial and a commune of unique individuals (i.e. monsters) to a small town in Georgia to stay with Uncle Hal (Dan Biggers), a doctor who will help with the mutant birth. Ross is reunited there with her grotesque monstrosity of a son (stand-up comic James O'Doherty), while Belial's 'normal' twin brother (series regular Kevin Van Hentenryck) gets a crush on the sheriff's pretty daughter (Tina Louise Hilbert).

Henenlotter's mix of wild over-acting, cartoon color scheme and heavy-handed message regarding tolerance is tough to take for the uninitiated. His fans will enjoy seeing the growing menagerie of creatures, including the cute/grotesque progeny.

Van Hentenryck acts way over the top, while Ross literally dominates the film with her intensity and gets to lead the monsters in a sing-a-long of the golden oldie Personality. Heroine Hilbert makes a good impression in a Jekyll & Hyde role. Creature effects are quite inventive.

(Color) Available on VHS. Extract of a review from 1992. Running time: 90 MIN.

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