Evil Brain from Outer Space (1966)

It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

I readily admit that Ken Utsui's films as Starman from the mid-60's are a guilty pleasure. You get the strangest possible scenarios, and from the Cold War-era time of countries jockeying to be the first into manned space travel, when movies of this ilk were both a commercial gold-mine and slowly but surely getting a higher degree of intellectual and artistic sophistication (three years before its pinnacle, '2001: A Space Odyssey'). This is my second of his (to my knowledge) four times as the caped benevolent Starman, always sent from the Emerald Planet when Earth is threatened (not sure why, they must be extremely nice people).Here, the brain of a demented dictator survived and escaped to Earth, where he is able to gather forces and threaten the world with global domination. It's pointless to explain, but the fight scenes (which play out more like carefully choreographed dances) are worth watching the film simply in themselves, and it's good-naturedness, charm and Utsui's likability shine through, and make this endeavor well-worth checking out and discovering for yourself. I found mine in my Mill Creek 50-film pack, 'Nightmare Worlds' for a very low price, and it can be seen for free online.

This Japanese sci-fi movie was seemingly edited together from a TV serial. There appear to have been others of the same ilk such as Invaders from Space (1965). In this one a man of steel from a distant planet called Starman is sent to Earth by an intergalactic council to save it from a series of monsters and villains under the control of the being known as the evil brain from outer space.This film is quite poor overall but with aspects that elevate it somewhat. While Starman is a somewhat dull hero, luckily there are some decidedly interesting monsters and minions. There is a sprite-like demon that makes weird jarring sounds and an ominous silent witch-like woman with long nails and a beak-like nose. These characters appear from out of nowhere throughout the story and always enliven events when they do. In addition, the space council is populated by an assortment of very odd looking alien creatures and a large planet seen in the background clearly appears to be swinging on a bit of string. For the most part though, the events in the story are not terribly engaging or interesting and it's only the aforementioned weird aspects that keep it from being a snooze-fest. Certainly okay for a watch though if you like the particular strangely specific forms of sci-fi that came out of Japan in the 60's.

"A giant alien brain is leading its forces across the far reaches of space with the intent to conquer the universe. Arriving at Earth, the monstrous brain unleashes a hoard of monsters upon the planet to spread disease and destruction. The Earth's only hope of survival rests with Starman, the hero from another world, who must use all of his awesome powers to defeat the monsters and stop the alien brain," according to the DVD sleeve's synopsis.The last three Ken Utsui (as Sûpâ Jaiantsu, or Super Giant) movies, edited together for the USA; it's understandably not very fresh, but "Evil Brain from Outer Space" features a relatively high dose of Starman action, villains, and gimmicks. After the stock footage opening all the Starman movies, a chase scene involving Balazar's brain being carried in a suitcase provides a relatively exciting opening. Balazar and his minions are better villains than not. Still, it's material reproduced down from mediocre.** Evil Brain from Outer Space (1964) Teruo Ishii ~ Ken Utsui, Junko Ikeuchi, Minoru Takada

A bird! Its a ... Wait a minute! Its a Japanese super hero! Yes, its Starman! The Japanese equivalent of Superman, Starman has gone through various incarnations over the decades. Ken Utusi was the original. Think of this movie this way ... Godzilla meets Buck Rogers. Kind of. This is, if you're the type of person that enjoys the old Godzilla movies and stuff like Gene Autry's Radio Ranch, camp. Given when this movie was made it is good, clean sci-fi fun. And the aliens and their costumes? Hilarious. Special effects? Not found wanting here. There is that old stand by, the one I never could figure out and that always fascinated me as a child ... Words go one way, mouths go another. How did they DO that?