Imagine that movie “Twins” but instead of being set in LA go back 6 years to 1982 New York, switch out Arnold with a version of Eric Forman from “That 70s Show” that kind of has elements Mrs. Vorhees and Tom Hanks from “Castaway”. Instead of having a deep connection with a volleyball named Wilson, it’s his twin brother that was removed from him as a boy and left to die, but didn’t,... and now he’s kept in a basket, with a padlock… Thankfully. The brother is still played by Danny Devito, but kind of like if Devito’s head had been kept in the microwave 15 minutes too long and allowed to coagulate into a part giant piece of cauliflower part alpha-rage chimp. We follow Eric Forman around with his brother in the basket as he seeks out information and addresses bit by bit from various maps and yellowpages… Like the 80s! Both the brothers are clearly after something. As Eric gets a room at a grimy old hotel he slowly befriends different women he runs into which makes his brother in the basket awfully upset. Forman is clearly sexually frustrated having to carry around his pervert brother in a basket all the time so he’s constantly trying to sneak away to find brief moments of normalcy, but, like all conjoined twins, they are telepathically linked and one of them has glowing red eyes sometimes, so every time Forman gets even an awkward make out session it sends melty Devito head into a... rampage. The film is filled out by a bizarre cast of characters that you might find in a “Seinfeld” episode but they showed up in this movie instead after they forgot to take their medication. Top that off with some fake blood, 80s Casio sounds, and needlessly elongated violent and sexual moments and you have yourself a C-Grade Horror flick from the early 80s! “Cut!-Print!-Perfect!”. Take the “The Room”, “Phantasm” and “Twins” and swirl them into a tale of how your brother is always messing up your dates and you almost have a romantic comedy if it weren’t for all the creepiness, gore, and 2nd degree murder. #artJWB #film #review #basketcase #80s #arklodgecinemas #Seattle #columbiacity #movies #frankhenenlotter #meltydevitohead (at Columbia City's Ark Lodge Cinemas)
