The Brain (1988)

Better Late Then Never

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

You are going to have a good time. Repeat it. You are going to have a good time. No need for brainwashing in what is an outrageously silly and strange, but very fun low-budget Sci-fi / horror b-grade hokum with cult actor David Gale's straight-up glee to his clinical mad doctor role adding much more to the amusement. But the real star has got to be the hideously throbbing human brain with its huge beady eyes, sharp pointy teeth, snarling, telepathic abilities in controlling people's thoughts, presenting hallucinations (the opening sequence has a nightmarish pull to it) and it seems to be growing thanks to its diet for human flesh. Oh it's a sight watching it chomp down on someone's head?! It's nasty, but rather daft. Watching it move about is just as laughable. Barry Pearson's imaginative screenplay is obviously a satirical pot-shot on the TV's hypnotic influence in swaying the viewers and how it can be taken advantage of through particular scientific/religious groups. The ironic delivery does come off and you got to love the use of sodium. Even with this on mind, there's no doubts that none of this is taken all that seriously with it mixing that 50s cheesy drive-in mentality with 80s over-the-top visual intensity. What actually occurs is a predictable pattern (no one believes our rebellious teen protagonist with the things going on behind the scenes at psychological research centre) and despite what has happened some of the character's decisions are dumbfounding. Director Ed Hunt's sporadic handling works well keeping a sharp pace to this taut on-the-run formula and giving many scenes much needed punch with its shocks and twisted surrealism. While the make-up FX and special effects are cheap-looking and tacky, they're effectively done and somewhat colourful. The performances are limited, but Tom Breznahan and Cyndy Preston make for likable heroes. Low-grade, but enjoyably shoddy entertainment for those that have trouble dealing with reality. "Give yourselves a hand you independent thinkers".

Let's face it, this film isn't great; hell, it's not even good. But it does feature a huge pulsating purple brain with googly eyes and fangs that eats people, and if that sounds like your bag of trash then you'll no doubt derive some pleasure from this patently daft drivel. I know I did.The film sees power-mad TV psychologist Dr. Anthony Blakely (David Gale) plotting to control the world with the help of a giant disembodied brain that can transmit hypnotic suggestions over the airwaves. When obnoxious high-school trouble-maker Jim Majelewski is sent to Blakely for treatment, he subconsciously manages to resist the brain's mind control powers, but suffers from a series of hallucinations which almost cause his death. Realising that all is not right at Blakely's institute, the plucky lad decides to investigate...In addition to the titular creature with a liking for human flesh, this dumb B-movie horror offers viewers the following dubious delights: a girl being attacked by rubber claws and tentacles in her bedroom; Jim performing the old 'sodium block down the loo' prank (a scene necessary to help explain the brain's final demise); an industrial basement plastered with warning signs about the facility's use of sodium (hmmmm!); a topless nurse; several people having their heads chomped by the brain; and a couple of decapitations (with David Gale once again losing his head!).Oh, and one giant exploding brain, of course.5.5 out of 10, rounded up to 6 for the topless nurse (an element that I feel can improve almost any film).

The Brain is the story of an evil alien brain that tries to take control of the world through a threadbare looking self-help show. When it fails to take control of a rebellious teenager it sets him up as a murderer which as it turns out is pretty easy. If you shout "he killed them" to the cops they will believe you, even if you are holding an axe and there is a headless cop at your feet.The effects for this movie range between shoddy and outright hilarious. The brain itself is obviously the comedy highlight but also memorable is the explosion where two very obvious fireworks can be seen. The story itself isn't that bad and there is some good acting, the thing is though you'll just be laughing at the effects too much to notice much else. I'm not saying it's well written though, the ending is spelt out in mile high letters within 20 minutes which is a bit of a shame.People are always saying that bad movies are "so bad they're good" but this is one film that's genuinely deserving of that accolade. I really enjoyed it, if you feel like some cheap laughs and a watchable story you'll find them with this movie.

My friends and I rented this for "Bad Movie Night" with high hopes, but The Brain was something of a letdown. The Brain itself is gloriously goofy-looking, but it mostly just sits on its little platform. Who thought that it would be cool that the Brain only gets to munch on three people throughout 94 drawn-out minutes? This movie has a number of things going for it at first, including an Estevez-knockoff lead playing a rebellious genius (we're told that his enormous intellect is misdirected into his elaborate pranks and school stunts, which include putting krazy glue on someone's chair). It also has some great lines, a hilariously out-of-shape and out-of-breath henchman who just barely manages to be everywhere, and, yeah, some chick gets naked. However, the director desperately needs some schooling in the art of pacing. During the last half things just start to drag on and on, with at least 3 or 4 pointless, boring chase scenes making up the middle third of the plot. The scenes inside the PRI complex are especially bad. At least 15 minutes of this movie are people running up and down the same stairwell. I could've fixed the screenplay to this thing in half an hour- more cheese, more gore, more nudity, more Brain action. If you're going to make a bad horror movie, at least give me something cool to look at while my superego shuts down. Maybe the director was trying to really bring the audience into his movie- I started feeling like one of the zombified townsfolk by the end of this crapfest.