The Basket

Starring:Peter Coyote, Karen Allen, Robert Karl Burke, Amber Willenborg, Jock MacDonald, Eric Dane, Brian Skala, Casey Cowan, Tony Lincoln, Patrick Treadway, Ellen Travolta, Jack Bannon, Elwon Bakly, Joey Travolta, Paul Hostetler, Kelly B. Eviston, Cole Gamble, Jeff Waggoner, Michael Van Gelder, MacKenzie Koppa
Director: Rich Cowan
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Product Type: DVD

Product Description

Includes: A Great Transformation? (v.1), What Becomes of Snow? (v.2), Puddles Of Memories (v.3), The Clearing Sky (v.4)

The Sohma family is cursed. When a member of the family is embraced by a person of the opposite gender, they transform into an animal of the Chinese Zodiac! The Sohmas managed to keep the curse private for generations, but when a young girl stumbles upon their hidden secret, life at the Sohma house changes forever! Conflict erupts as Zodiac rivals clash in this most unusual household. Young Tohru Honda must promise the secret will remain her own... or face the consequences!

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com

Fruits Basket (the name refers to a children's game similar to "The Farmer in the Dell") has all the elements of a classic shojo (girl's) series: a sweetly domestic heroine, unconventional living arrangements, and two romantic candidates--one exquisitely gentle, the other hiding a heart of gold beneath a thorny exterior. Sixteen-year-old orphan Tohru Honda has been living in a tent when she meets the Sohma family. Handsome, intelligent Yuki is the most popular boy in school; his older cousin Shigura is a pulp novelist; Kiyo, another cousin, is a hot-tempered, red-haired martial artist. Members of the Sohma family labor under a curse: when embraced by a member of the opposite sex, they turn into animals from the Chinese zodiac: Yuki becomes a rat; Shigure, a dog; Kiyo, a cat. (According to legend, the cat failed to attend the feast held by Buddha at which the animals of the zodiac were chosen, but Tohru adores cats.) After short time, they return to human form--naked. The set-up owes a lot to Ranma 1/2, but Fruits Basket is a schmaltzy romantic comedy, not a martial-arts farce.

Tohru moves into this weird household and wins everyone's heart by cooking, cleaning, and keeping their secret. She also functions as an in-house Dear Abby, helping all the Sohmas with their emotional problems, which grow increasingly sentimental as the series progresses. Adolescent girls are clearly the target audience for Fruits Basket. (Unrated, suitable for age 13 and older, violence, mild profanity, minor risqué humor, tobacco use) --Charles Solomon

Customer Reviews:

Excellent series.......2007-05-15

I do not enjoy or watch anime, in fact I normally hate it. But my hubby and sons were watching so I sat down to fold laundry and I got sucked into this real quick. I could not walk away. It was so good that I ordered my own copy and I'm ready for episodes 27, 28, 29, etc.

Great!.......2007-05-13

At first I didnt think I would like this anime. But onced I watched it I was hooked. Now i am reading the magana; I loved it. It is a great feel good anime.

A wonderful series.......2007-05-06

The whole series from start to finish pulls you from one end of your emotional spectrum to another. You learn to care for each and every character, no matter how annoying they might seem in the beginning. And don't be fooled because it's a shojo, or for girls series. Everyone can truly appreciate this masterpiece. I just wish there was more of it....

Zodiac Curse of a Lifetime!.......2007-04-28

Fruits Basket is an anime series based on the Sohma family who has been cursed. They have the zodiac curse upon them making certain members of the family transform into the animals of the zodiac (including the cat) when they are embraced by a member of the opposite sex or when they are under a great deal of stress. The three main zodiac members in the series are Shigure, a writer and the zodiac dog; Yuki, the rat; and Kyo, the cat who has a curse worse than anyone can imagine. This certainly makes for an interesting time when Tohru Honda, a high school girl and classmate of Yuki. Tohru has a very positive outlook at life and comes to live with these three Sohmas by accident after her mother dies in a car accident. She becomes the housekeeper for the family and also seems to be the only one that can keep Yuki and Kyo from fighting (well, fighting a lot anyways). She comes to know the Sohma secret and becomes immersed in the family's life. Tohru also brings a kindness into the family that everyone of them has been lacking while simultaneously changing everyone of their lives in the process; she is the light in the Sohma family's dark curse.

Exceptionally well written anime series. I was really upset when it ended and I wanted it to keep continuing.

Sweet and juicy like Fruits.......2007-04-02

Fruits Basket is the most attractive and adorable show I have ever seen. It is about human troubled emotions and problems and how friendship, love and acceptance can heal them. This what makes it a great show full of lessons; besides the great humor in it that leaves you light-hearted and happy. I never get tired of watching it over and over again. The characters are beautiful and so enjoyable, the background setting is wonderfully drawn, and the music is so touching. It is the kind of anime that everyone should see(please don't miss it). However, this is not the end. The anime stops where Tohru accepts Kyo and sord of heal him. but the novel goes on to where their relationship developes to a happy ending. I can't wait until they complete the series!

This Box set contains the 4 chapters, each inside it's own box. It is so beautifuly designed and quite handy. I love it!

Basket Case (20th Anniversary Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

Great horror cult classic!
"Campy" at It's best!
AN EXCELLENT FILM ON A SHOE STRING BUDGET
What a B movie!
A MINISCULE BUDGET, THE MAIN POINT OF THIS REVIEW IS TO LET YOU THE READER KNOW A DREAM WAS ACCOMPLISHED............

Basket Case (20th Anniversary Special Edition)
Starring: Chris Babson , Ilze Balodis , Beverly Bonner , Diana Browne , and Kerry Buff
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

Slasher Flicks | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

Horror | Cult Movies | Genres | DVD | Video

Cult Movies | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Special Editions | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video

Basket Case 3: The Progeny
Basket Case 2 And 3 [Region 2]
Brain Damage
Frankenhooker
C.H.U.D.

ASIN: B00005KH30
Release Date: 2001-07-17

Amazon.com

Here's a sick little movie for you--a creepy-funny shocker that's become a semi-cult classic since its release in 1982. It's a cheesy, low-budget horror flick about a small-town geek who arrives in New York City's Times Square carrying his mutant, telepathic twin brother in a big basket (hence the movie's title, get it?). They were once Siamese twins, and now they're seeking gory revenge against the doctors who surgically separated them against their will! Talk about brotherly love! The "normal" sibling has to keep his brother well- fed, and the basket-dweller's appetite runs the gamut from hamburgers to hookers. There's plenty of lowlife "meat" to be found in the seedy motel where the brothers live. Not exactly mainstream fare, as you might already have guessed, but director Frank Henenlotter handles the gruesomeness with resourceful ingenuity. The movie even gathered enough horror-buff momentum to spawn two lesser sequels in 1990 and 1992, which is all the proof you need to add this dubious trilogy to the gross-out hall of fame. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Great horror cult classic!.......2007-04-16

In the seediest part of New York City, a strange young man named Duane Bradley check into a hotel in times square with everything especially a basket that contains his small deformed brother. Long ago Duana was born with his twin brother attached to him creating a fuss among his family and when he was older him and the creature got surgically seperated leaving the Siamese brother in a garbage can, he did rescued him and protects him every know and then. Now they seek revenge on the people that seperated them as the creature goes out of control for it eats ravenously and craves for blood even the ones from room intruders.

An unforgottable horror comedy independent flick that became an instant midnight cult favorite with critical acclaim even from Rex Reed, this darkly comical terror tale is gory as hell and funny too. The violence and gore gave this movie an X rating originally but was released uncut and unrated into theaters, the acting maybe wooden but the storyline is quite original and features some good make-up and stop motion effects.

This special edition DVD has quality picture and sound with cool extras like audio commentary by director Frank Henenlotter with producer Edgar Levins and Actress Beverly Bonner, theatrical trailers, TV spots, outtakes, behind the scenes footage, a featurette, radio spots, radio interviews, clips from Beverly Bonner's comedy cable TV show "Beverly Bonner's Laugh Track", and poster-and-still gallery for this is a must have for true horror aficionados.

Also recommended: "The Toxic Avenger", "Day of the Dead", "Re-Animator", "Demons", "It's Alive!", "C.H.U.D.", "The Devil's Rejects", "Ichi The Killer", "Phenomena (a.k.a. Creepers)", "From Dusk Till Dawn", "Evil Dead II", "I Spit on Your Grave", "Maniac (1980)", "Creepshow", "The Driller Killer", "The Prowler", "Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky", "Dead Alive (a.k.a. Braindead)", "Texas Chainsaw Massacre part 2", "Blood Feast 1 & 2", "Hostel", "Brain Damaged", "Frankenhooker", "Terror Firmer", "The Brood", "Inferno", "Men Behind The Sun", "Cannibal Ferox", "Bloodsucking Freaks", "Street Trash", "Cannibal Holocaust", "Grindhouse", "Motel Hell", "The Evil Dead", "Dawn of the Dead (1978 and 2004)", "Saw Trilogy", "Dead Ringers", "Videodrome", "Scanners", "Caligula", "Last House on The Left", "Sin City", "An American Werewolf in London", "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer", "The Kindred", "American Psycho", "A Nightmare on Elm Street", "May", "High Tension", "The Untold Story", "Cannibal Apocalypse", "Hannibal", "Wolf Creek", "Final Destination 2" and "The Hills Have Eyes (1977 and 2006)".

"Campy" at It's best!.......2007-04-15

If you like campy horror flicks or "Horror comedy", then Basket Case is right up your ally. Basket case is a film about a young man who moves into a shady apartment in New York. People who meet him find him a little odd because he is always carrying a basket with him. It is later reveled that what he is carryig is his grotesquely deformed siamese twin. When I say deformed, I mean it. It gave me the freaking creeps.(It makes terrible noises when it's mad)Well, the young man soon starts to see a cute desk girl who he meets at his doctors office. The two start to date but it turns out the his brother in the basket has some murderous "Seperation" issues. The production is B grade. The acting is so corny its hilarious but "Basket Case" still delivers enough scares to keep you interested. The beauty of the film is that it knows it's corny but it makes it's corniness one of it's strengths. If you're a fan of B horror or just horror in general "Basket Case" is a must see.

AN EXCELLENT FILM ON A SHOE STRING BUDGET.......2007-04-09

This is a very strange movie, but it is also a good movie. The director Frank Henenlotter pretty much made this movie all by himself! He wrote directs and stars in this wierd tale of two brothers. This is not for everyone, but if you like horror and have an open mind, check this out and the really wierd sequels. Also recommended "Frankenhooker" and "Brain Damage" by the same director.

What a B movie!.......2007-03-21

In my opinion, this is the most unique, entertaining, unforgettable B movie of all time! A must-have for any movie collection. This is so funny, creepy, and original! Basket Case 2 and 3 I'm not too sure about. The movie was complete enough so that sequels were unnecessary. Every single person I've ever showed this movie to has said unanimously that it was a one-of-a-kind, and were all very entertained! This is money well spent. Now all we need is for movie makers to release Saturday The 14th on DVD (or even VHS!) and we'll be set for life!!

A MINISCULE BUDGET, THE MAIN POINT OF THIS REVIEW IS TO LET YOU THE READER KNOW A DREAM WAS ACCOMPLISHED...................2006-08-16

People will say Basketcase sucks. That is what makes it great.Director Frank Henenlotter brilliantly directed this horror shlock gore fest. Henenlotter made the most of this films miniscule budget. Actors Kevin Van Hentenryck and Terri Susan Smith are incredible in their performances. Beverly Bonner played a prostitute, but her charachters performance and credability in this movie were incredible. Basketcase was done with alot of guts and a belief that it could be a success. Henenlotter was correct, this movie is known all over the world, and has made a fortune. Basketcase does have very bad (cheap) special effects especially the stop motion scenes of Belial, Duanes mutated twin. This movie does supply emotion, and is very touching at the end. Gus Russo supplys the soundtrack for this movie. When you see the end of Basketcase, Gus Russos music blends in beautifully with the scene and makes this scene very sad. If you the viewer of this movie are expecting "Freddy vs. Jason" effects your not even getting a microcosim of Freddy effects. This is a great grade c movie made during the age of gore 1978-1983. Alot of effort went into Basketcase as with most gore movies of this era, just try to have some imagination when watching Basketcase, so the special effects are not of "Star Wars episode III". I got news for you the reader, George Lucas himself along with alot of big time hollywood directors probably like basketcase for Henenlotters creativity and his belief in basketcase. The extras on this dvd are plentiful and the video short "in search of the Hotel Broslin" explains alot about Basketcase and is really a facinating look into this outrageous bizarre movie. The last 15 minutes of this film make this a heart warming classic. This film is not in widescreen like I wish it would have been, but the digital transfer of this film is done splendidly, the picture is really clean. Dont be so harsh on ripping this movie, look at it this way, Frank Henenlotter and his crew actually put in an incredible effort into making this movie.....

Fruits Basket, Volume 2: What Becomes of Snow? (Episodes 7-12)

Average customer rating:

Cool Gift
Best Anime Show Ever!
Get it now
Curses... Part 2.
Meet the Cousins

Fruits Basket, Volume 2: What Becomes of Snow? (Episodes 7-12)
Starring: Yui Horie , Aya Hisakawa , Tomokazu Seki , Ryôtarô Okiayu , and Yuka Imai
Director: Nagisa Miyazaki , and Akitarô Daichi
Manufacturer: Funimation Prod
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Anime & Manga | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( F ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Fruits Basket, Volume 1: A Great Transformation? (Episodes 1-6)
Fruits Basket, Volume 3: Puddles of Memories (Episodes 13-19)
Fruits Basket, Volume 4: The Clearing Sky (Episodes 20-26)
Fruits Basket, Vol. 6
Fruits Basket, Volume 7

ASIN: B000089746
Release Date: 2003-01-21

Product Description

The Sohma family is cursed. This is no ordinary curse, however. When members of this family are touched by the opposite gender, they turn into one of the animals of the Chinese Zodiac. So what happens when they take in a young girl who is down on her luck? How long can they keep their family secret ...a secret? To make matters worse, two rivals of the zodiac have decided to pursue the same girl the Sohmas are sheltering. Be sure to add this anime title (based on the #1 manga by Takaya Natsuki) to your basket!

System Requirements:
Approx. 60 Min.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

Cool Gift.......2007-01-06

This was bought for my 13 year old niece who is really into "anime". She tells me she really likes the DVD.

Best Anime Show Ever!.......2006-11-16

Fruits Basket is one of the best anime shows I have ever seen! The characters in this show were amazing too and the plot moved very fast too. I wish this show would make more episodes, because I don't feel that I got enough of it. Again a great show and I am thinking about buying it.

Get it now.......2005-12-27

I bought this show totally blind-sighted. I had no idea what to expect. I might love it automatically (Bebop, Gungrave) or I might loathe it forever (Fushigi Yuugi).
I LOVED IT! It was all so well done. You get through it so unbelievably quickly that it leaves you wanting so much more. It is all so worth it--all the characters are so worth it--all the seemingly pointless plotlines are so worth it.
GET IT NOW!

Curses... Part 2........2005-09-30

Disc 2 of season one of Fruits Basket begins with an episode about teamwork. The students in Tohru, Yuki, and Kyo's class must make a rice ball stand, and they all have different ideas of how to run it. Ultimately they end up going with an idea of Yuki's, much to Kyo's annoyance. He also reveals to Tohru that he is envious of some of Yuki's personality traits, as Yuki revealed in the previous disc that he sometimes wishes he was like Kyo. This causes Tohru much contemplation, as she wishes that they could each openly admit their admiration for each other. On the day of the sale more Sohma's enter the picture. Momitchi (or Momiji) Sohma, the young boisterous lad who is possessed by the rabbit and Hatari (Ha'ri) Sohma who's animal manifests itself to appear as a seahorse, but in actuality is a dragon. They were both born in 1987 and 1976 respectively, as close as I can figure it.

Hatari becomes an important plot element as some of his past is quickly revealed. He was, in fact, engaged to a woman, a member of the Sohma clan who is not a zodiac member (not all Sohma's are). He encounters difficulty when he tells Akito, the head of the Sohma house hold, that he and Kana are to be wed, and Akito acts out against this by harming Hatari permanently. This scene was actually one of the first in the series that made me cry...one of the first, which implies that there are more tear-jerker moments, and trust me there are many heart sickening moments that these unfortunate cursed people end up having to endure.

Another character is also introduced, in fact it's my favorite character, Hatsuharu Sohma, Haru to the family. This young man is possessed by the spirit of the ox and is born in the year 1985. He physically resembles his animal counterpart, what with his white tipped hair and black roots... his hair is so white that Tohru mistakenly thinks he is an older man passed out on the ground when she first meets him. The thing that draws me to Haru is his "white/black" sides. See, when he is "white" Haru he is docile and pleasant, like a cow, but when he is "black" Haru he becomes enraged like the bull, and it's hard to keep him from harming people. He also seems to suffer Tourette's syndrome when he is black Haru, which I find hysterical. I guess I have always been inclined to split personality characters, I can blame this on the fact that I am a Gemini, I suppose.

Again, the series is wonderful. I can't say enough good things about it. I love the animation, the soundtrack is wonderful, most of the scores are very well done. I have been watching it in the dubbed version (eek, I know, I'm so unfaithful) and I find all of the voice actors to be very good. One thing I have noticed in my years of watching anime is that the dubbed voice acting has improved ten thousand fold. This is good for me, as I can never sit down and just watch anything, so I must have the dubbed on in order to be able to hear it with whatever else I am doing. I guess my only complaint is that there are not enough girls in it, but there are enough beautiful boys in it that I am not unhappy. It is Shojo after all, and what would Shojo anime be without bizarre circumstances, beautiful boys, and gut wrenching scenarios... oh, and there is, indeed, the delicious love story/triangle in place, which I imagine will only become juicier as the series progresses. What's not to love about this series?

Meet the Cousins.......2005-08-06

In this volume, Tohru meets three more Zodiac members as word of her starts to spread through the Sohma family.

First there's Momiji the Rabbit, a hyper, friendly boy who's both more childish and wiser than his years. He hits it off with Tohru immediately and in most ways it's perhaps her easiest introduction. She'll need it, because soon after she's unnerved by a meeting with Hatori the Dragon. Although decent in and of himself, it's Hatori who will have to erase Tohru's memories if that's what word eventually comes down from Akito, so Yuki warns her never to let him see her alone. Finally there's Hatsuharu the Ox, who's pretty tight with Yuki (and not so much with Kyo) as the Zodiac legend told earlier implied. Haru's just about the nicest guy you could meet, his street tough appearance contrasting a sweet personality. Unfortunately he suffers a split personality that makes Kagura's seem tame by comparison, which makes his first meeting with Tohru a bit of an experience.

After the meetings, we get one of the funniest episodes so far. Let's just say it involves Kyo, Kagura and Valentine's day. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

As usual, mixed in with comedy is more than a little drama. Tohru sees Hatori in a different light when Momiji tells her his story; and she learns a little more about Yuki from Haru, who tells her how he developed a crush on him when Yuki helped him overcome his humiliation at being the family joke because the Ox blindly gave the Rat a free ride to the banquet.

A wonderful continuation.

Fruits Basket, Volume 1: A Great Transformation? (Episodes 1-6)

Average customer rating:

Cool Gift
Furuba is love.
Different from the Manga
An anime that'll leave you warm and fuzzy inside
Fruits Basket?

Fruits Basket, Volume 1: A Great Transformation? (Episodes 1-6)
Starring: Yui Horie , Aya Hisakawa , Tomokazu Seki , Ryôtarô Okiayu , and Yuka Imai
Director: Nagisa Miyazaki , and Akitarô Daichi
Manufacturer: Funimation Prod
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Feature Films | Anime & Manga | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Anime & Manga | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

Feature Films | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( F ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Fruits Basket, Volume 2: What Becomes of Snow? (Episodes 7-12)
Fruits Basket, Volume 3: Puddles of Memories (Episodes 13-19)
Fruits Basket, Volume 4: The Clearing Sky (Episodes 20-26)
Fruits Basket, Vol. 6
Fruits Basket, Vol. 8

ASIN: B00006SFK7
Release Date: 2002-10-29

Customer Reviews:

Cool Gift.......2007-01-06

This was bought for my 13 year old niece who is really into "anime" and I was having a hard time locating anything she would like. She really enjoyed this gift.

Furuba is love........2005-12-30

When I got this, I was a bit wary of bad dubbing- but as it turns out- the DVD's almost follow the manga's exactly! That pleased me to no extent, because a lot of dubs tend to ruin good animes.

The animation, I think, is quite nice, simple shading and such but enjoyable.

Overall, this is a great seris with an excellent plot. The end may leave you hanging, so purchase the next volumes of manga. ;D

Different from the Manga.......2005-11-26

All right! Fruits Basket anime! About high school girl, Tohru Honda, who is orphaned when her mother dies in car accident. She ends up living in a tent in the woods. Then, into the picture, enters the Sohmas! Turns out that Tohru was living in the Sohmas' woods and she ends up being the housekeeper for them. Yuki Sohma, who is in Tohru's class, is the younger cousin of Shigure Sohma, whose house Tohru is now staying in. Before she moved in, Yuki and Shigure had warned Tohru to not hug anyone in the house, and for one reason: in the Sohma family, there are 13 cursed juunishi (ones of the chinese zodiac). When hugged by people of the opposite sex, they change into there cursed animal forms. Considering there were only males in the house Tohru was staying in, where there were only males.
Oops! I forgot one important detail in this series. There are only 12 animals in the chinese zodiac, but there are 13 cursed Sohmas. There is a story that goes along with this and it goes like this:
Long ago, God invited all the animals to a special banquet. All the animals except for the cat heard of the invitation, so the rat decided to play a joke on the cat. The rat had told the cat that the banquet that God was holding was to be the day after the day it really was. So, on the day that the banquet was held, all the animals arrived, except for the cat, who was fast asleep because he was told that the banquet was the day after. According to Takaya-sensei, this is the story of the 12 animals of the chinese zodiac, and why the cat is not on the zodiac. The animals were: snake, horse, sheep/ram, monkey, rooster, dog, boar, rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, and dragon. In
Fruits Basket, the cat is Kyo Sohma.
*A QUICK COMPARISON OF THE ANIME AND THE MANGA OF FRUITS BASKET*
There are currently 26 episodes of Fruits Basket (I believe that people are trying to convince the company producing FB to make more episodes, but that is just what I have heard). The manga is over 17 volumes long (I have read up to chapter 102 so far, and there is still more, it is at about volume 18)sorry, forgot to mention that I read from scanalations, those volumes aren't released in the US yet:D). The anime does not show the horse or the rooster, nor does it reveal Akito's true identity. A few differences in the characters' personalities, but not many details were changed. The anime covers about the first 6 volumes of the manga, and the part revealing Ritsu (volume 8).
I have more to say about this anime, but I shall tell no more. THIS ISN'T THE LAST TIME YOU HEAR FROM ME!! *he-he* ^_^

An anime that'll leave you warm and fuzzy inside.......2005-10-11

Tohru Honda is a cute, bubbly orphaned high school sophomore who lost her mother in May, and is secretly living in a tent in the woods. She pays for her own tuition via her janitorial job. She's got it rough, but she feels blessed to have two friends, tough talking blonde Arisa Uotani and the goth-like Saki Hanajima, with a soft but low menacing voice who threatens to zap anyone bullying Tohru with harmful vibes. But as she says, "one of my virtues is that no matter the times, I will not be discouraged."

Meet the Sohmas. Tohru does and discovers to her amazement that they are a family cursed with the spirits of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac. Whenever their bodies weaken or they are hugged by a member of the opposite sex, they turn into their totem animal. Shigure turns into a dog, Yuki into a rat, and Kyo into a cat. She then becomes greater friends with Yuki, the handsome and androgynous popular "prince" of Tohru's high school. In exchange for keeping their secret, Tohru gets free rent and cooks and cleans for them. The Sohmas become like a new family to her, as she finds somewhere she belongs, bringing to mind the game Fruits Basket, where each child was given the name of a fruit, and when their name was called, they'd join in the center. Tohru was given the name "onigiri" or riceball, as a cruel joke, and hence she was excluded.

According to legend, the zodiac animals were invited to a banquet by god, but the mischievous rat told the cat the banquet was the day after. The cat missed the banquet and was thus excluded from the zodiac. Thus the cat and rat are at odds against each other, and a large piece of the story involves the short-tempered and embittered Kyo threatening to physically beat Yuki, to become a formal member of the zodiac, but alas, Yuki amazingly kicks Kyo's a** repeatedly, as well as bickering. As an injoke, Saki and Arisa says the pair's arguing reminds them of that cartoon, "something and Jerry."

Kyo, though, feels he isn't cut out for socializing, but Shigure tells him that "unless you interact with people, hurting them and being hurt by them as you learn about them as well as yourself, you'll never be the kind of person who can be concerned about others." But Tohru, who wept as a child upon hearing the cat's fate, is someone who loves the cat and despite Kyo's temper, some of it aimed at her, realizes that Kyo is someone "who is a little more awkward than others, but a good person deep down, a gentle person who knows when he feels sorry."

Both Yuki and Kyo are socially awkward with people, and popular. Whereas Yuki feels inferior because of his shyness, Kyo doesn't react well to people he doesn't know, but once they get to know him, he tends to attract people like a magnet. Yuki says that he's nice because he wants to be liked by others, but that makes him hypocritical.

But Tohru recalls her mother saying how people weren't born with kindness, and that it's easier to doubt than to believe and better to do the latter. "Kindness is something that develops just as our bodies do, and the heart that grows inside is our conscience. ...Tohru, become a girl who believes in others. That will surely lend strength to someone." And she does, to both Yuki and Kyo.

Voicing Tohru has given Yui Horie her most lovable role ever. Other veterans include Tomokazu Seki (Kyo), who's done work for Chobits (as Shimbo) and more recently, as cosplay costume designer Tanaka in Genshiken. Pop singer Aya Hisakawa (Yuki) also voiced PE teacher Kurosawa in Azumanga Daioh and Sailor Mercury in Sailor Moon.

I was soooooooo enchanted, mainly because of Tohru, who is that rare of people, a romantic, a cooperator, "someone who understands other people's feelings," and someone who wants to be friends with everyone and charms everyone she meets with her personality. When at first it looks as if her memory might be erased to keep the Sohmas' secret, she fully understands and cheerily asks Yuki, who feels stunned and guilty, "When my memory is erased, please be my friend again, okay?" The revelation of her mother's death kind of stirred something in me, as my own mother also died in May. Small wonder she is my second favourite anime character, after Aoi Sakuraba (Ai Yori Aoshi), and FB my third favourite anime series.

Fruits Basket?.......2005-10-06

Let me start out by saying that I love Fruits Basket manga, and I discovered the Anime. I of course bought it, and began watching immeadiatly. Perhaps my standerds were a bit too high, but I was severely disappointed.

They, as it turns out, are very different from the books, but also quite alike. In my own opinion, it should perhaps be different then the book so that you aren't just watching the same thing you alreasy read. However, this one followed the storyline almost exactly, but was 'cute-ified'. Instead of the strong characters and storylines I fell in love with, I was left with a confused expression on my face watching everything be 'cute'.

It really doesn't feel finished at the end, which leaves you hanging, but also not really caring enough.

I also much add- If you have not read any of the books, then you must know that the main character can be VERY annoying if you are not under age 8. In fact, I think that this is much preffered for ages 6-12. It is enjoyable for that age group, but considered quite childish for teenagers.
I am not saying you won't enjoy it if you are a teenager or up, I'm just saying it isn't very appealing for most. So if you have a kid in that age group, I believe they will enjoy them a lot, but not like the books however. But if you enjoy the depth of the books to their fullest, then you probably won't like this.

I must also warn you. If you decided to buy the DVD anyway, then I highly recommend the Japanese voices and English subtitles. It improves the quality by far. The English voices are just boring and monotone.

Fruits Basket, Volume 3: Puddles of Memories (Episodes 13-19)

Average customer rating:

Cool Gift
Curses...Part 3.
Family Ties
Anime Therapy
AWESOME!

Fruits Basket, Volume 3: Puddles of Memories (Episodes 13-19)
Starring: Yui Horie , Aya Hisakawa , Tomokazu Seki , Ryôtarô Okiayu , and Yuka Imai
Director: Nagisa Miyazaki , and Akitarô Daichi
Manufacturer: Funimation Prod
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Fruits Basket, Volume 4: The Clearing Sky (Episodes 20-26)
Fruits Basket, Volume 2: What Becomes of Snow? (Episodes 7-12)
Fruits Basket, Volume 1: A Great Transformation? (Episodes 1-6)
Fruits Basket, Vol. 6
Fruits Basket, Volume 7

ASIN: B00008976V
Release Date: 2003-03-25

Product Description

As the one year anniversary of her mother s death looms on the horizon, Tohru Honda is forced to take inventory of her life. Over the past 12 months she remained strong and focused despite her personal tragedy by becoming a valued member of the well known but mysterious Sohama household. But with he arrival of a new school year comes even more turmoil. Tohru soon discovers that the love and care she gives others is exactly what she needs in the most difficult time of her life. Be sure to add this new anime based on the #1 manga by Takaya Natsuki to your basket.

Extra Features:

Character profiles

Textless Songs

Japanese & English Languages

English Subtitles

Scene Selection

Fruits Basket Room #2

Eyecatch Gallery 2

Trailers

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

Cool Gift.......2007-01-06

This was a gift for my 14 year old niece who loves "anime". She hasn't had a chance to watch this DVD, but did enjoy Volume's 1 and 2.

Curses...Part 3........2005-09-30

The third DVD of the first season of Fruits basket begins with a new school year for Tohru, Yuki, and Kyo. It's been about 6 months since Tohru has lived with the Sohma's, and all is going along swimmingly. Kyo and Yuki still fight like cats and dogs (or, in this case, cats and rats), and there is an intimacy forming between Tohru with each of them. All seems to be going well, Momitchi and Haru are starting at the school as well and both cause quite a stir with their physical appearances when the arrive. What really stirs everyone up is some information that they have for Yuki and Kyo... Akito, head of the Sohma house hold, has come to the opening day of school to check in on them, and he actually encounters Tohru independent of the others. Yuki becomes distressed by this news and wanders off, only to find Akito and Tohru together. There is much animosity, and a large part of Yuki and Akito's dynamic and past is divulged to Tohru for the first time.

A visit from another member of the zodiac proves to be too much for Yuki. This time it is his older brother Ayami (Aaya), born in 1977. This makes him take on the form of the snake. Ayami is tall, good looking, vivacious, and a huge flirt. HE flirts with everyone, no matter who it is... Tohru, Kyo, Shigure... even Yuki to a degree. He's such an oddball, his personality is the polar opposite of Yuki, which I suspect is due to Yuki's angst and attempt to be a little like his brother as humanly possible. Ayami reveals to Tohru how much he cares about Yuki, and she encourages them both to try to be friendly to each other, for their familial tie if nothing else.

Tohru visit's the grave of her mother on the anniversary of her death with all of her friends and Sohma's in tow. Soon after Momitchi reveals something terrible about his mother, and Tohru cannot believe that this young man has had to deal with such pain. She bonds with him over his loss and tries to empathize as well as she is capable of doing. Not long later she develops a cold, and it happens to be the exact time that her mid term retests are. Kyo insists that she stay in bed and acts as a proper nurse maid to her... even so far as to listen to her grief about retaking the tests and what that means to her promise to her mother that she made before her death. Also in the disc a new member of the zodiac, Kisa Sohma is introduced. This mute girl was born the year of the tiger, 1986. She bonds with Tohru fairly quickly.

Of course there is more, but I can't give it all away, you'll just have to pick it up and watch it for yourself. Again, the art is spectacular, the story is absorbing, and all that jazz. One thing I found hilarious about this was the character Ayami...more appropriately the voice acting for him in the English dubbing. By this point I am reading the manga (because I can get it faster than the DVD's through work, and I find I need a Fruits Basket fix in between discs). When Ayami was introduced I imagined his voice to be high, yet soft, like a woman's I suppose. He is the token sexual deviant, and his sexuality is ambiguous at best... is he gay, is he not, he's flamboyant like a gay boy, a huge flirt, and pretty much aids in perpetuating every negative homosexual male stereotype there is. However, when they hired a voice actor they chose to get someone who could speak with a booming tenor, yet fluctuate the tones from high to low constantly, and put strange emphasis` on bizarre words and syllables ... it reminds me vividly of a cross between the deep tones of Sher Khan's voice (drool, George Sanders) and Kaa's intonations from Disney's "The Jungle Book". I originally would have just said they were copying it from Kaa's voice (seeing as Kaa was a snake), however when I though about it I remembered that the voice it reminded me of more was George Sanders rather than Sterling Holloway. I'm guessing they went with a deeper voice to amp up the hilarity of having that voice come out of that character's mouth. All that aside though, do see this one. That was just something odd that I noticed while watching it, but that is not a reason to miss this wonderful series.

Family Ties.......2005-08-07

Tohru meets two more Sohmas as Fruits Basket continues.

The volume begins with an episode both humorous and creepy. Momiji and Haru's hilarious first day at high school turns sinister as Yuki is scared witless by a sudden appearance by Akito, and we find out through flashbacks exactly why Yuki was so desperate to flee to Shigure.

Tohru gets her own more innocent scare when she meets Ayame the Snake, Shigure's favorite cousin - and Yuki's big brother - in the garden. There are reasons Yuki hasn't mentioned him. They're not exactly close because of a ten year age gap and the fact that our Aya just happens to be a very loud, hypersensual, presumably bisexual, crossdressing drama queen - which of course mortifies spotlight hating Yuki. How bad is he? The man has his own bagpipe theme that plays whenever he shows up. Of course, Tohru thinks he's the greatest thing since sliced bread once she gets over her initial shock, and Shigure's no help considering that his mentality degenerates to that of a five year old whenever he's anywhere near Aya. The only one who also wants Aya's visit to be as short as possible is Kyo.

Ayame did not show up to cause problems, though. He's actually come because he heard about Yuki's scare and wanted to make sure he was o.k. He also knows that being the older brother he dropped the ball by not making sure that he stayed in Yuki's life, and he wants to make things right and be there for him if things get bad with Akito.

Later, Tohru also meets Kisa the Tiger, who isn't speaking to anyone - including her mother and Haru, with whom she's very close - after suffering trauma in elementary school.

The volume also covers the one year anniversary of the death of Tohru's mother, on which Tohru further bonds with Momiji, who she finds out bears a terrible burden of his own behind his seemingly perpetual smile. Haru shows surprisingly tactful sensitivity in quietly helping Yuki out with his Ayame problem and has some very moving moments with Kisa.

There's also a weak episode built around the Yuki Fan Club notable only for the appearance of Hana's equally strange brother, but all in all this is a worthy follow up to the first two volumes.

Anime Therapy.......2005-01-22

Fruits Basket is like a healing balm for all your troubles and worries. All the unusual characters, their interactions, and the dialouge are so funny and also deeply moving. With Fruits Basket, you will laugh and you will cry, and you will feel better about your fears, doubts, and concerns. You will also feel better about yourself.

Volume Three, Puddles of Memories, has an astounding SEVEN eps (#13-#19). What a value for your money! In this DVD, we meet three new Sohmas. Two of them are little kids. They are so adorable, and their stories are so heartwrenching. The first kid, Momiji, appears three times, in episodes 13, 15, and 19. Thirteen is just comedy, but prepare yourself with a box of tissue for episode fifteen. His story is haunting, and will always stay with you. I almost fell out of my chair crying.

The other little Sohma is a girl named Kisa. She is a tiger! And the tiger is so CUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Her story is in episode eighteen.

My favorite new character in this DVD is Ayame, the Snake. Ayame is flamboyant, drop-dead gorgeous, and just total eye candy. Gorge on him. My friend said yesterday that he looks like Sesshoumaru from Inuyasha. He does! Ayame and Shigure may or may not have a hot thing going on, which provides lots of comic relief. In fact, Ayame is one of my favorite characters in anime, period.

AWESOME!.......2004-09-29

The entire series rocked. Of course, I could've died when I found out that Chris Sabat dubbed for Ayame Sohma(the pain), but overall the dvd was great!!

Oh yeah, in the Extras menu, type in 10 with your DVD remote for a surprise!!

Fruits Basket, Volume 4: The Clearing Sky (Episodes 20-26)

Average customer rating:

You will feel so much that, you just want to face the charicters and cry for all of them( exept akito usually)
This is good...but the Manga is better.
KICK ASS ANIME!!!
It's reall great!
Curses... The final Chapter.

Fruits Basket, Volume 4: The Clearing Sky (Episodes 20-26)
Starring: Yui Horie , Aya Hisakawa , Tomokazu Seki , Ryôtarô Okiayu , and Yuka Imai
Director: Nagisa Miyazaki , and Akitarô Daichi
Manufacturer: Funimation Prod
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Fruits Basket, Volume 3: Puddles of Memories (Episodes 13-19)
Fruits Basket, Volume 2: What Becomes of Snow? (Episodes 7-12)
Fruits Basket, Volume 1: A Great Transformation? (Episodes 1-6)
Fruits Basket, Volume 7
Fruits Basket, Vol. 8

ASIN: B00008H2G4
Release Date: 2003-05-27

Product Description

Fruits Basket episodes 20 - 26:

To say that Tohru Honda's life in the Sohma household has been difficult would be quite the understatement. She has learned to adapt to a constantly changing environment, to selflessly put others before herself, and to courageously face her own inner demons. But even despite all the trauma and heartache, Tohru will discover a reality far worse than any nightmare when she learns Kyo's shocking inner secret. Tohru heads toward the crossroads of her fate. Which path she takes will determine how much she has truly learned about others...and herself.

System Requirements:

Running time: 143

Customer Reviews:

You will feel so much that, you just want to face the charicters and cry for all of them( exept akito usually).......2006-06-16

During the first three episodes Tohru Honda visits a friendly , yet sightly perverted, Ayame Sohma and his womens cothing store, meets the enveyous Hiro Sohma and understands why he lashes out at Tohru's friendship with Kisa Sohma, and then meets the EXTREEMLY insane yet kind and thoughtful Ristu Sohma.
That is not as convinsingly moving as my review title eh?
Well you didnt let me go on to the last three episodes.
Tohru Honda is an optimistic warm hearted young girl who lives with a new family since the untimely death of her mother. One of the three young men she lives with, Kyo Sohma , is one of the many Sohmas cursed with an evil animal spirit. Kyo, however lives with the worst of all of the curses. When the beaded bracelet he wares comes off his wrist , his true cursed form comes forth; a freakishly hiddious beast. Kyo's martial arts master involves the removal of Kyo's braclet one day...This isnt the worst of it, it happens before Tohru and she is given the greatest burden she edured since the realization of her mothers death, faceing and accepting the grotesque beast that is the zodiac Sohma curse. What is worse, Akito Shoma stops hideing HIS evil side and attempts to crush Tohru's soul with what is the darkest cloud of hate he can put in to her. At the same time Akito virtually begs her to calm Kyo's relentless spirit. Ok, I idmit that I am not the best at discribing a tear jerking sequence but hear me out, the last three episodes will with out a doubt, make you flood your shirt with tears.
Sorry if I bored you-Colleen Krizak- :)

This is good...but the Manga is better........2006-04-19

This anime is great, but if you read the manga then you should be disappointed. Although they followed the story line pretty good, they totally messed it up in the end, with Kyo, Tohru, Yuki, and Kazuma. In the manga it was totally different, and Shigure barely had anything to do with it. Akito wasn't there, either. Although I know that they had to end it somehow and that they couldn't just wait for the series to be done (although if they wanted to make it good then they should have done just that), they could have made it a little more like the book. I'm not talking about just this volume, but the whole series. The anime was great and i liked it a lot, but it didn't do the manga justice.

KICK ASS ANIME!!!.......2006-03-19

This is for sure my favorite out of the four Fruits Basket DVD's I've seen. I confedently give this DVD a 5+ rating. KICK ASS ANIME!!!

It's reall great!.......2006-02-14

Fruits Basket is a great series!
There are many fans out there who do not like the ending of it so much (which is on this DVD).
However, I think that is because they don't understand it as much as they should.
Not everything in this show can be interperated through normal words. If you watch it more than once, and try to think deep into it, it really makes sense!
The english dub isn't bad at all!
(of course, I do suggest the japanese with english sub.)

Curses... The final Chapter........2005-10-06

The last disc of the first season of Fruits Basket starts off with a visit to Ayami's shop by Yuki and Tohru. Little does Yuki know that when Ayami says he sells "Male romantic Fantasies" what he means is that he sells ladies lingerie he designs and hand makes himself. This throws Yuki off, but he decides to try to continue bonding with his older brother anyways, and while he's at it he gets the added bonus of seeing Tohru sample some of Ayami's handiwork.

Another member of the zodiac crosses paths with Tohru; this time it's Hiro Sohma, born the year of the ram. Hiro is roughly Kisa Sohma's age, and it is because of Kisa that he decides to approach Tohru, a woman he finds obnoxious. But he must do it, especially if it is for Kisa. After that yet another member shows up, this time it's Ritsu Sohma, the monkey, a man who is not what he seems at first glance, and has severe anxiety problems.

The height of this disc comes in the last three episodes, all more or less a continuation of each other up into the climax of the series. When Kyo's master shows up the house goes into an uproar. Apparently along with training Kyo, Kagura, and Yuki, Master Kazuma acted as a surrogate father to Kyo, raising him in his own home since he was a young child after the unfortunate death of his Mother. At first Kyo is reluctant to show his happiness at Kazuma's arrival in front of Yuki, but he is nothing short of ecstatic to have his former master about, and he begs him to remove him from that house. Kazuma decides to push Kyo further and forcibly convinces him to reveal his true self to Tohru. This requires that Kyo remove his beaded bracelet, then his original self emerges in all of it's horrifying glory...What will Tohru say when she sees him like this? How will she react? Will he lose her if she sees him as he truly is?

I can't give everything away, nor would I want to. The climax to this series is so moving, I was crying by the end of this three part episode. There were parts that were altered from the manga...or at the very least switched about, I have not read the last four volumes of the manga yet so it is hard for me to say how accurate it is, but there are many tender moments that have been added to create more character depth and dynamics in the plot. Yuki and Kyo have a bonding moment in the end of the "Revelation of Kyo's true self" episode, and it's almost obvious where the two of them stand with Tohru as far as romantic love goes. Even Shigure, who is normally there for comic relief, has a few serious moments that turn out to be nothing short of heartwarming. Arisa and Hana show up as well, to show just how much they care about Tohru. Even Akito turns up in the ending of the series, and there are some nail biting screen moments between him and Tohru, but they are resolved well enough to lead into a second season....if there will ever be one.

I guess that could be my only real complaint about the way this series turned out... that the rest of it has not been animated yet. Personally, I can't wait to see where the members of the zodiac go from here. Everything was left at such a cliff hanger as far as character development goes that it would be an utter shame if the studio that produced it failed to get another season off the ground. Do I have any predictions for the future? Of course I do, but mine come from the knowledge I have gleaned from reading further into the manga series than has been animated up until this point, so I am going to keep those thoughts to myself, for the moment. All I can say is...wow... I hope more gets made soon... I'm going to go into withdrawal until it does.

The Freak Show Box Set (Frankenstein's Castle of Freaks / She Freak / Blood Freak / Basket Case)

Average customer rating:

Four very different movies, with great extras

The Freak Show Box Set (Frankenstein's Castle of Freaks / She Freak / Blood Freak / Basket Case)
Starring: Frank Henenlotter , Kevin Van Hentenryck , Terri Susan Smith , Beverly Bonner , and Robert Vogel
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

The Herschell Gordon Lewis Collection (The Gore Gore Girls / A Taste of Blood / She-Devils on Wheels / The Gruesome Twosome / The Wizard of Gore / Something Weird)
Box of Blood
The Blood Trilogy: Blood Feast/Two Thousand Maniacs!/Color Me Blood Red
The Defilers/The Scum of the Earth
Brainiac AKA El Baron Del Terror

ASIN: B00016RNNA
Release Date: 2004-02-03

Description

Step right up, folks, and feast your eyes if you dare on the freakiest, creepiest show on earth! It's a four-ring circus of sideshow scares straight from the Something Weird vaults, bound to keep you gasping, screaming, and squirming! First up is the ultimate midnight movie cult classick, Basket Case, the tender story of young Duane exploring sleazy Times Square with his mutant Siamese twin brother stuffed away in a basket! Packed with gore and giggles, this unspeakable ode to brotherly love will have you coming back for more. And you'll swear you're hallucinating when you see the Blood Freak, a killer Turkey-Man who drinks the blood of drug addicts with his beak! It's a monster movie unlike any other, the world's only bloodthirsty-gobbler/anti-drug/pro-Jesus epic. But if you want something a little more feminine, get a load of She Freak, a colorful and kooky carny-noir from producer David F. Friedman (Blood Feast) in which a gold-digging hash slinger finds out the hard way that a midget scorned is a very scary thing. Then take a trip up to Frankenstein#s Castle of Freaks, where the crackpot doctor (Rossano Brazzi) unleashes monsters Goliath and Ook for a monster rumble to top them all. Come on, come all, come scream!

Customer Reviews:

Four very different movies, with great extras.......2004-07-08

For those unfamiliar with Something Weird Video, they specialize in releasing forgotten low-budget movies; their DVD's feature a plethora of bonuses that will keep collector geeks amused for hours on end. If your idea of horror is big-budget CGI-fests like Underworld and Freddy vs. Jason, you will be well advised to skip this box set. If you're a drooling low-budget horror fanatic like myself, read on! But as the package says: "Warning: Contains Graphic Violence, Nudity and Killer Turkeys."

The best known and, in my opinion, best movie in the set is Basket Case, written and directed by Frank Henenlotter. It's about Siamese twins who are separated shortly after birth: as an adult, the normal-looking Duane carries around his hideously deformed evil twin Belial in a large, padlocked basket. Equally gruesome and funny, this cult film truly deserves its reputation. Fans will oooh and aaah at the generous extras included, especially the outtakes, behind-the-scenes footage, and the video short "In Search of the Hotel Broslin," in which Henenlotter re-visits the Times Square locations where he originally shot Basket Case. Hilariously, the people who run the hotel now refuse to let the video crew into the lobby to film! Just goes to show ya, outside of the horror conventions a low-budget filmmaker gets no respect.

Next, we have the Italian release Frankenstein's Castle of Freaks. I would recommend a six-pack of your favorite cold beverage to accompany the viewing of this one, mainly due to the large amount of unintentional laughs. Picture the usual Frankenstein antics with a couple cavemen thrown in, and you've got the general idea. Don't expect lots of blood and gore, but you do get some good nude scenes, one a memorable mud-bath where the girls are spied upon by a voyeuristic dwarf. Something Weird continues along these lines with the inclusion of the short subjects "The Monster and the Maiden" and "Frankenstein and the Naughty Nurse," both of which feature a Frankenstein monster and a stripper.

Step right up, ladies and gentlemen, for writer/producer David F. Friedman's She Freak! This 1967 film made the most of its carnival/sideshow location shooting, or as the poster said, "filmed on actual locations where it COULD have happened!" Storywise it's a semi-remake of Tod Browning's classic movie Freaks, but not nearly as creepy. The main character is the hateful Jade Cochran, a small-town waitress who decides to join the carny lifestyle and claw her way up the ladder. There's lots of outrageous trashy dialogue, and as a fan of old-school carnival/sideshow stuff I enjoyed the colorful setting. The main complaint I have with this movie, or rather the packaging: the DVD cover and the main DVD menu both give away the big "shocker" shot which is the climax of the film. The original trailer, included here, gave it away too, though, so I guess it's that old exploitation way of bringing in the paying customer by whatever means necessary. It's still a fun movie, and there's great old newsreel footage included of sideshow attractions like Siamese twins and a pinhead!

Finally, we come to (shudder) Blood Freak. Do you pride yourself on being a huge fan of such low-budget campfests as Plan 9 from Outer Space and Blood Feast? Me too, but that doesn't mean you are adequately prepared for 1972's Blood Freak, "the world's only turkey-monster-anti-drug-pro-Jesus gore film!" Plot: guy gets hooked on marijuana, eats some turkey meat laced with an experimental drug, and becomes a monster with a giant turkey head that drinks the blood of drug addicts. Ah yes, it's as bad as it sounds. Bizarre, funny at times, includes a couple (inept) gore scenes, but painful....oh so painful. Fortunately, there's a cornucopia of special features, lots of trailers, a gallery of old comic cover art (very cool), and five, count em, five short films! These include "Beggar at the Gates," which is a bizarre Mondo-type overview of American religious sects of the 60's, the anti-drug classic "Narcotics, Pit of Despair," and the self-explanatory "Brad Grinter, Nudist." By far the weirdest of the short films is the soft-core porn "The Walls Have Eyes," starring Steve Hawkes, star/co-writer/co-producer/co-director of Blood Freak. This sleazy little film features a girl shooting up and voyeurism, and definitely gives you a taste of what was playing on 42nd Street in 1969. These copious DVD extras help to compensate for the agony of the featured film itself.

Amazon.com

The Basket, set in the United States during World War I, is a quiet family film about tolerance and basketball. German orphans Helmut and Brigitta are adopted by the pastor in the tiny farming town of Waterville, Washington. The people of Waterville are suspicious--both of the new "Huns" in town and new schoolteacher Mr. Conlon (Peter Coyote). Conlon sets the town abuzz by teaching (gasp!) German opera and showing his students a new game from the east called basketball. Can the small-town hayseeds beat the juggernaut team, the Spokane Spartans? Will Helmut get to play? And what about that new tractor everybody wants? The Basket doesn't generate quite the excitement of, say, Hoosiers, but it is not a bad movie at all and is beautifully shot, to boot. It's also a great way to teach kids that it isn't as easy as you might think to spot the bad guys. --Ali Davis

Description

Peter Coyote (E.T., Erin Brokovich) and Karen Allen (The Perfect Storm) star in this touching family drama about the unifying power of basketball in a community torn apart by war. Both a riveting sports film and a tale of triumph over adversity, The Basket is "a hoop dream movie with a whole lot of heart" (Dallas Morning News)! In 1918, when the wheat-farming townspeople of Waterville, Washington, welcome home their first wounded son from WWI, they'restruck by the harsh reality of war. And just as bigotry and hatred toward two German orphans dividethe close-knit community, a new schoolteacher, Martin (Coyote), rolls into town with some strange ideas and an even stranger leather ball. Through the brand-new game called basketball, Martin strivesto bring harmony to the town...before it tears itself apart!

Customer Reviews:

An Insult To American Values.......2007-01-08

This film is not a salute to rural America of the past as its cover suggests. It is an anti-war propoganda piece of the left. It is an insult to every American now serving in our armed forces and to all who have chosen to serve this nation in the past. A central character in the film is the father of a boy who lost a leg in the trenches of World War 1 and the guilt he now feels for "sending" his son to war.

Rather than a salute to small town America, this film is an attack on the very values so many Americans hold so dear. There are more Americans who feel pride in the sacrafices their sons and daughters make in the service of their nation than there are who feel guilt for "sending" them to war.

The mothers and fathers of children who choose to serve in our armed forces do not "send" their children to war. They raise children who know there are some things worth fighting for.

The Basket.......2006-05-03

A story within a story. Rent or buy this DVD. Great acting,
great scenes, great plot. Wonderful family-type film.

Wonderful.......2004-11-13

A Hallmark type film, written by some wonderful people (I know them). The film has a great story line and a wonderful moral. Good family film. Two thumbs up as far as I'm concerned!!

This movie was a class act!.......2003-06-14

This movie had everything - beautiful cinematography, a great storyline, great acting by Peter Coyote and Karen Allen, fantastic music. You won't be disappointed with THE BASKET!

Tolerable but nothing special.......2003-01-13

For most Spokanites, the fun of seeing familiar surroundings and spotting actors that you might know personally tended to distract them from the content of the film itself. I rented the video hoping that this movie would measure up to all of the publicity it received here in Spokane while it was being filmed.

I hoped it would be good; when I finished watching, I was just relieved that it wasn't any worse than it was. It is not a complete waste of time, but I can't say I was left with any deeper insights into the human condition, although I know this movie was trying mighty hard to send a message.

I did appreciate the focus on anti-German discrimination during World War I, which is something we tend to forget about. However, most of that discrimination was focused on recent immigrants and naturalized US citizens who were obviously foreign-born. War orphans, I seriously doubt, entered into the mix. Logistically speaking, I cannot figure out how American troops were in a position to be killing German civilians on German soil.

Also the story of the discrimination is told in a rather ham-fisted style, as we are beat over the head, again and again, with the fact that the dad hates these orphans because his own son died due to Germans, etc etc etc. How many times do we have to have this illustrated to us? Many scenes seem to be simply repetitive.

The subplot, featuring a fictional German opera, also beats you over the head with clumsy, all-too-obvious symbolism. Yes, yes, we all get that the plot of the opera mirrors the events unfolding in the town. The faux-Wagnerian music is almost impossible to bear at times.

The ending of the movie was also a bit too corny for my taste. Everything seemed to wrap up a bit too tidily. I suppose you have to make the audience feel good.

Customer Reviews:

Buyers BEWARE!!!.......2007-01-05

Amazon just recently posted the information about the DVD NOT playing on most US DVD players. I have bought mine before the warning was posted and now the company won't take the movie back.

DEFORMED,HIDEOUS,FREAKS.......BASKET CASE 2.......2006-07-05

A mansion owned by a woman and occupied by a bunch of DEFORMED,MONSTER-LIKE-FREAKS that are quite hideous and grotesque,so hideous in fact that they must hide from the outside world.These people(???)only need a place to stay and try to enjoy their secretive home life the best they can,but if someone trys to violate their rights and freedoms and try to interfere,WATCH OUT,because these deformed freaks WILL GET EVEN!!!!!!......Quite a unique and GREAT movie.LOVE IT!!!

New Friends For Duane & Belial..........2005-11-14

BASKET CASE was a cult horror hit thanks to its gory premise and the story of two brothers, one normal and one a lumpen deformed monster, out for revenge against the doctors that separated them. The movie was a great premise for revenge against those out to destroy their very lives. Of course, you can't forget the ending in which the tension from Belial's jealously over Duane's romance with coy, busty Sharon builds to a rather unfortunate sibling dispute. After plunging from the third floor of the hotel from a brawl between each other, it may have been believed that they were both dead...ah, but this is a horror movie, and there's no way you'd really think that these two could not survive a fall like that.

So, after inevitably surviving a dangerous plummet from the Hotel Broslin sign, Duane and Belial end up in a hospital, where the recuperation takes effect almost immediately for Belial, who's really pissed off and wants to get back at more of the people he doesn't like. So he and Duane, who looks badly bruised and just beat altogether, plan an escape, and they kill off a cop and manage to make their way out of the hospital. There's a snooping reporter, though, and she wants to expose them so they'll get justice for the murders. Granny Ruth and Susan, her daughter, decide to help the brothers recuperate and take refuge in her sanctuary of "unique individuals" who all have some deformities. We have a "pinhead" Frankenstein; we get a guy who has humongous teeth; we get a Belial-like girl who Belial falls in love with; and we get a guy with dozens of noses on his face...plus the other oddities you have to see to believe. When a cop and a reporter decide to team up, along with a sniveling little photographer, things get really out of hand. They try to infiltrate the house, and well, all the special people have other plans for them, and soon the photographer is murdered by Belial, and now things aren't what the reporter hoped they would be. Now, it's up to Phil to help stop the brothers, and he confronts them at a bar, which turns out to be quite the wrong move. The reporter's just desserts are equally as disgusting, and you'll actually enjoy the gruesome ending of the film that leaves it open perfectly for the not-as-strong BASKET CASE 3, which still manages to entertain. While awaiting the release of this flick on DVD in a US version, I am still entertained by the highly enjoyable original and the less memorable third sequel on DVD.

Overall, though, BASKET CASE 2, while not as memorable as its predecessor, is still a very entertaining flick that feels more horror than comedy, though there are some mildly humorous moments, but most of that is left to the third film. If you liked the first film, you should find many things to enjoy with this very entertaining sequel.

Basket case 2........2005-04-16

While the film isn't as fun to watch than the first one it atleast has been slightly improved by the budget of the film and the acting although it still sucks and I have a feeling that some horror fans won't like it. The story continues soon after the incedint that took place after the ending of the first film when Bilial and his brother were hanging on the sign of the hotel Broslin and fell on the street, after being in a critical condition they both end up being in a hospital they also end up being on the news and have been called the NY blood twins or something like that so a granny who takes care of freaks helps them out. Now this is the part of the film where the film gets really dumb as the granny introduces the other freaks to the twins while some of them looked average the others were so awfull that they looked like they were rejected from a childrens t.v. show and the musical score for this film was just retarded. The reason I added a star is because I thought that the story might of had a decent story but all of that was a missed oppritunaty. I suggest you should avoid this unless you really want to know what happens to the freak twins.

One Of The Best And Strangest Movies Ever.......2004-11-22

Switching gears a fair bit, "Basket Case 2" retains the continuity and the ferociousness of the first "Basket Case", and is certainly equally bizarre (if not more so!) but has added in more humor and even a great deal of fun. Humor and fun? After the searing and almost traumatically shocking nature of the original, adding in these elements in abundance , plus moments of great beauty, would be one thing - and would take a great deal of magic to pull off the transition - but to do it even while holding onto the savagery and the tragedy that made the original such a unique entry in the annals of horror is quite another. Incredibly, just such a feat is pulled off flawlessly. "Evil Dead 2" successfully combined intense goriness with comedic freakout-ishness, but this goes even beyond that. It's like combining "Gremlins" or even "Return Of The Killer Tomatoes" with "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre", something which should be impossible to do right without the contrasting elements crippling each other. Another way to view it is the Creature Cantina scene from "Star Wars" done as a horror movie set at the Fawlty Towers hotel.

Picking up years after the first movie, Duane and Belial find a place in the world at a home run by a kindly woman for 'unique individuals' (meaning Belial-type mutants, though Duane is readily accepted into the fold as well) and unique is certainly one way to describe them. The greatly improved special effects are necesary to bring to life this weird and wonderful assortment of characters, and the acceptance into this haven quells Belial's murderous bloodrage. Both he and Duane even find love in their new home. But when their sanctuary is threatened by outside forces, it's an uprising the likes of which film has never seen before.

Clearly, the ambiguity of the first movie gives way to a more direct representation of Belial as the protagonist, but by no means is he a tame creature, and it's not unthinkable that he could go completely out of control even after finding sanctuary. The prescence of brighter elements in no way means the horror is gone, and there are shocks in the movie both happy and terrifying. I'm probably not doing full justice to the movie, but a film like this simply defies easy description. I noted in my writeup on the first one that there was never another movie like it. Well, this is a worthy and faithful followup but indeed quite unlike its predecessor in many ways, yet somehow, despite all odds, maintaining excellent coherency. And, there would never be another movie quite like "Basket Case 2" either - the third installment is even more bizarre and warps in different directions! Truly, the Basket Case trilogy is one of the most unbelievable series in film history, and Part 2 is as mind-blowing as any of them. This HAS to come out on DVD eventually.

60 Minutes - Carl Hiaasen (June 4, 2006)

Average customer rating:

60 Minutes - Carl Hiaasen (June 4, 2006)

Manufacturer: CBS
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Description

The crooks and eccentrics who gravitate to Florida make for a rich swamp of material on which author Carl Hiaasen bases his off-the-wall novels. The Miami Herald columnist lets Steve Kroft into his weird world where, in most cases, he doesn't have to make anything up.

DVD:

DVD

DVD

DVD

Nobody

Fast Times at Ridgemont High/Dazed and Confused

Murder Between Friends [1993]

DVD: Stay Hungry

Volldampf in Deutschland - Teil 2