Basket Case is the third single from Green Day's iconic album Dookie. It is perhaps the most well known song from the album and is one of the group's most famous songs overall. Like many Green Day songs, its lyrics are about Billie Joe Armstrong's personal experiences, in this case his struggles with anxiety.
The video is a perfect match for the song's manic energy and paranoid lyrics. Directed by Mark Kohr it was filmed at an actual abandoned mental institution and makes numerous references to the classic book and film "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest". The band members are depicted as patients, and the video opens up with the them being "assisted" by the institution's personnel in preparing for their performance. Most notable is drummer Tre Cool being wheeled out on a gurney. Armstrong of course in front and center with his eyes bugged out of his head and face twitching throughout the song. His convulsions couldn't be more appropriate for the song's theme.
Adding to the surreal atmosphere are the stark colors that were achieved by filming the video in black and white and colorizing it later in post production. The hospital patients, with the exceptions of the band members, all remain in black white. That, coupled with the creepy distorted "Brazil " masks they all wear, make them blend in with the background while the band members stand out. While the video's imagery makes for an uneasy feel, the it definitely has a humorous side to it as well. One thing Green Day is known for is being tongue in cheek even when the subject matter is serious or bleak.
Overall a nice gem from the 90's punk pop scene and a classic video back from when MTV was actually worth watching.
