Mente mortal

Library archivist Warren (Joe McDonald) discovers the notes of a mad scientist and starts putting his mind bending work to use. Naturally, the milquetoast guy is immediately no longer taking smack from his boss and talking up the object of his affection. These mind techniques are great! Too bad about the hair loss and oozing sores that come as a result of using them. Shot in Denver, CO., this might be best know for a few gooey creations by Vincent Guastini and Ted Bohus (masters of that field circa 1987). That is only in the last 15 minutes though and nothing else much is going on here. The most interesting thing is co-star Wade Kelly (as nerd Larry) looking like the spittin' image of Jerry Lewis. The sad news? I've watched this film twice (once in 1990 and again this year). And, yes, I realize I've watched a 90 minute film called MIND KILLER twice and that point has dawned on me.

I liked the premise, but the movie is really very bad.

The movie starts off with a woman approaching a door with some sort of monster or mutated human being behind it. Who that might be and how this scene relates to what follows doesn't become apparent for some time.

A librarian who has no luck with women is devoted to self-help books and videos, though they do him no good. He discovers a manuscript by a deceased local author that gives him psychic powers after he finishes reading it in one go. He becomes manipulative, and he starts losing his hair.

The movie is pretty uneventful until towards the end when the effects of the manuscript have really taken hold. It's not worth watching.

I was excited when I found a VHS copy of this recently as the cover art is quite cool. But as usual with 80's horror flicks, a cool cover is usually to disguise a crap film. Mind Killer is no exception, but is even more boring than some of the worst 80's horror flicks! The opening looks interesting but after this it all gets dull and tedious. I nearly fell asleep, so I turned it off and watched the ending the next day. There's a little bit of cheesy action at the end, where the brain breaks free from the mans body. However it's far too late to save this mess. It reminded me of the ending to Slime City actually. The acting is bad and the whole film has a cheap feel, but not in a good way.

Avoid this unless you like cool VHS covers.

Nerdy library clerk Warren (Joe McDonald) works in the archive department where he stumbles upon a document that shows him how to develop psychic powers. With his newfound mental abilities, Warren seduces women against their will, including his library colleague Sandy (Shirley Ross). Eventually Warren's brain ups and leaves his body and latches onto Sandy, using her to attack his womanising room-mate Brad, of whom he has long been jealous.

The first half of Mindkiller is kinda dull, with Warren and his equally dorky pal Larry (Wade Kelley doing his best Julius Kelp impression) trawling bars and clubs hoping to find a member of the opposite sex willing to go home with them. I assume that their lame attempts at picking up women are supposed to be funny, but they aren't. Once Warren starts to learn the document's secrets, his batting average improves considerably by using mind control (cheaper than Rohypnol, I guess); this too is fairly forgettable, with only a spot of brief T&A to prevent total boredom: Ross strips to her undies during a dream sequence (nice bod, shame about the face), and a blonde with bad hair flashes her tits.

The second half of the movie sees Warren gradually losing control as his brain causes him to mutate, but it's not until the 20 minutes that the film delivers the goods in terms of gloopiness, Warren's enlarged cranium pulsating before splitting open to ooze blood and mucous over a hysterical Sandy, and, in the film's funniest scene, the brain growing eyes, fangs and legs to attack Larry. Fans of trashy practical effects will appreciate the effort, even if the results aren't that great.

"Mind Killer" is one of those crazy & cheesy late 80's horror movies that I vividly remember renting at the video store solely because the VHS cover looked so appealingly nasty! The cover image of this particular gem I always remembered because it boosted an illustration of a heavily mutated human brain with one evil eye and a set of sharp teeth. By now, nearly twenty years later, movies such as this one are not much more than forgotten guilty pleasures of the video store generation. They really don't make 'em like this anymore, but the nowadays generation of horror fans probably sees that as a blessing, because they honestly wouldn't be interested in a horror flick about a psychic killer-nerd, complete with tacky make-up effects and an insufferable pop-music soundtrack. I swear; if "Mind Killer" had been any more eighties, my haircut would have spontaneously taken the shape of a Duran Duran or Flock of Seagulls video clip! The story introduces library clerk Warren, a social outcast who feels severely frustrated because he can't find a girlfriend in spite of his video course material and the continuous advice of his hunky roommate Brad. When Warren discovers a manuscript about the art of mind controlling, his luck seems to be turning. He abuses the newly gained psychic powers for all sorts of silly pranks and even manages to conquer the will of his muse and co- worker Sally. But Warren becomes dangerously obsessed with expanding his mind powers and his brain gradually mutates into a self-operating monster.

Okay, it's probably due to childhood memories, but I really like "Mind Killer". Admittedly the first hour resembles more of a romantic soap opera and the wannabe comical interludes are pretty pathetic, but the cheese 'n charm factor is truly irresistible. The crazy plot is never boring and actually becomes more suspenseful along the way. Joe McDonald, the guy playing Warren yet never starred in anything else, is a reasonably creepy guy with a perverted stare and throbbing eyes. The last ten to fifteen minutes are outrageously campy, with virulently attacking brains and tremendous overacting. There's also a supportive character that doesn't cease to howl like a coyote wolf, for some reason, and a bit of gratuitous nudity when Warren picks up a girl in a bar who's about twice his size and looks like an even manlier version of Brigitte Nielsen. Recommended, but only if you were born between 1970 and 1982 and spent your teenage years scrutinizing video stores for hidden horror treasures.