Brain Damage
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Movie Reviews of Brain Damage
Movie Review: WORTH THE $$!!
Summary: 5 Stars
This movie did not disapoint, at all. Its one of those films that if you see the trailer first your like(to yourself) They probably just showed all the good parts. But no. they leave a lot more n it 2 keep you saying 2 yourself. WTF?Movie Review: Poor Elmer, He Shouldn't Have Died, But Still, This Is Great
Summary: 5 Stars
Brain Damage Was Excellently Funny & Gruesome. One Of The Funniest Movie I Ever Seen. Sadly, Elmer Bit The Dust At The End, He Was Great.Movie Review: A Head Game from Hell
Summary: 4 Stars
1988's BRAIN DAMAGE is the second film from low-budget Grand Guignol writer/director Frank Henenlotter, his first being the grisly over-the-top cult favorite BASKET CASE (1982), and both films established him as the master auteur of bad-taste horror cinema in the 1980s. But despite the excessive gore and crude sexual elements, Henenlotter's films are a cut above the average trash pics because his well-written scripts are weaved around a daedal subtext that offers wry comments and observations on certain elements or aspects of modern society. With the visceral horror comedy BRAIN DAMAGE, Henenlotter is satirizing the Western propensity for addiction.
BRAIN DAMAGE relates the "mind-blowing" tale of the Faustian bargain made between a young man named Brian and an enigmatic, snake-like parasite named Aylmer (pronounced like the name ELMER). Aylmer dispenses an addictive pleasure-inducing drug directly into Brian's brain, but as payment for each "fix," Brian must transport Aylmer around the city so the parasitic pusher can obtain his favorite food--human brains. Though Brian is generally a nice young man who wouldn't hurt a flea, he finds it impossible to resist the demands of the deceptively cute parasite because of his need and desire for the psychedelic "juice," and he ultimately becomes Aylmer's accomplice in murder.
With a meager budget of circa $600,000, Henenlotter and crew have nonetheless succeeded in crafting BRAIN DAMAGE as a polished, professional-looking film. Yes, the violence is graphic, sophomorically comic, and often over the top, and yes, the film has a crude, puerile sexual element (snake-like Aylmer is obviously a phallic symbol). But these elements actually enhance the film's earnest anti-addiction subtext, as they vociferously underscore the negative effect that addiction has on an addict's personality, his personal life, and the lives of others with whom he has contact.
The acting in the film is rather a mixed bag. As Brian, future soap-opera regular Rick Hearst--then billed under his birth surname of Herbst--does a great job of portraying a boy-next-door type whose life is spiraling out of control due to his addiction. And in an uncredited role, actor John Zacherle--better known to some horror fans as Zacherley, the Cool Ghoul host of New York TV's SHOCK! THEATER--does an outstanding job voicing the smarmy Aylmer. Gordon MacDonald plays Brain's brother, Mike, and Jennifer Lowry his girlfriend, Barbara, and both do an adequate job. Most of the other performances are a bit wooden, but they don't detract too much from the film's overall production quality.
Being a Juvenalian satire of sorts, the often biting humor in BRAIN DAMAGE is dark, off-color & often bawdy, and outrageously offbeat. Much of little Aylmer's dialogue is sarcastically witty, and in one eerie but funny scene, Brian lies writhing on the floor hurting for a "fix" while Elmer sits by and jovially belts out the Glenn Miller standard "Elmer's Tune." Also, in a hilarious homage to Henenlotter's previous film, BASKET CASE, the star of that film, Kevin VanHentenryck, gets on the subway with a familiar wicker basket in hand and takes the seat opposite Brian.
The Special Edition "Limited Availability" DVD from Synapse presents a high-definition transfer of BRAIN DAMAGE in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio, and the transfer appears vibrant, clean, and relatively free of digital artifacts. This is the unrated restored version, so all of the gore and innuendo that was cut for the U.S. theatrical release has been put back where it belongs. There are also some cool extras, including a very witty feature commentary featuring writer/director Henenlotter, former FANGORIA editor Robert Martin, and filmmaker Scooter McCrae (who has worked with Henenlotter). Also included is the theatrical trailer (in 1.85:1 aspect ratio), a "hidden" trailer for BASKET CASE, and an isolated-musical-score audio option.
To sum up, BRAIN DAMAGE is a movie with a somber subtext, but writer/director Frank Henenlotter doesn't let that get in the way of all the cheesy fun. Sure, the anti-addiction allegory can't be missed, but Henenlotter also knows that the monkey on his antihero's back is an ideal springboard for lots of offbeat and bawdy gallows humor, and he milks it for all it's worth. Admittedly, BRAIN DAMAGE will not appeal to every viewer's tastes, but those seeking a Family Film or a Chick Flick probably shouldn't be perusing the listings for the horror DVDs anyway.
Movie Review: Brain Damage is a real trip!
Summary: 4 Stars
Frank Henenlotter really offers up a wild one with Brain Damage. In the same vein of strangeness as the previous Basketcase, Brain Damage is a campy gorefest that has raked in a sizable cult following among fans of movies such as Evil Dead 2.
Brian's life takes a turn for the bizarre when he awakes one night with an intense headache and unexplained bleeding. The cuprit behind this soon reveals himself to be a purple, worm-like parasite named Aylmer who has an interesting proposition for Brian. That is Aylmer will inject Brian with a hallucinogenic drug in exchange for feeding him brains (preferably of the human variety). As Brian quickly becomes physically dependent on the stuff, he and Aylmer become inseparable while relationships with his concerned brother and girlfriend rapidly vanish. Upon realizing that he's become an accomplice to murder during his high, Brian tries to sever his ties with Alymer, but finds that he may already be too reliant on the drug to escape.
Brain Damage is a very imaginative, but not so subtle take on drug addiction, and it pulls it off magnificently. The scene during which Brian shacks himself up in a hotel room determined to leave Aylmer behind, only to become deathly ill and beg Aylmer for a fix is very effective. It's quite disturbing to see Brian helplessly deteriorate out of his need for the drug while Aylmer mocks him and laughs at him, perfectly aware that he now has complete control. Although the conclusion is a tad nonsensical, albeit entertaining, the outcome suggests that drug addiction is a dead end path for anyone who decides to venture down it.
Of course as this is a Henenlotter movie, it's low budget, packed with dark humor, and loaded with over the top gore scenes that will satisfy even the most demanding horror fanatic. We even get a cameo appearance from the main character of Basketcase, carrying his basket on a subway train. Overall Brain Damage is must see material for horror fans, highly recommended.
Movie Review: LSD has nothing on Elmer!!
Summary: 4 Stars
Holy cow where do I begin? Not to rehash what others have said here I can pretty much agree with all the positive reviewers and just add my two cents. The first time I saw this I believe was on HBO where I had taped it. I was immediately blown away, confused and like "What the?" - SO I invited some friends over to watch this one night. This was back in the 80s when we all smoked and drank -anyway a bunch of us were sitting around my TV watching this, laughing ourselves sick when another person I knew stopped by. He came in on the middle of it and couldn't understand why this room full of people were laughinig so much at this movie. I guess you had to be there, but it was a lot of fun. Brain Damage is one of those movies you just have to enjoy and not think too much about.