The Brain

The 1980's were saturated with creature features and that's one of the reasons I think they were the best time for horror.

The Brain is a fine example and though silly it's a lot of fun if you can just take your brain out for a moment (Pun intended and hilarious).

It tells the story of an evil guy intent on brainwashing everyone in town through his television show using a erm......brain....creature...thing.

It's certainly one of those movies which doesn't explain a vast amount and expects you to fill in the gaps. In this case however considering the subject matter I had no problem with that at all.

With a creature that looks like a Madball (Which oddly started the year before this came out) it's not all that easy to take seriously but I really don't think you're supposed to.

At its core it's just a creature feature with a big conspiracy plot behind it with a passable cast and sfx.

Sure it's not for everyone, in fact it could be considered niche but it's watchable stuff for what it is.

The Good:

Creature is interesting

Plot is passable

The Bad:

Very little is actually explained

Still a bit silly

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

Everything you see on television is real

Police car rear doors can be opened at will from the inside

Axes are immune to bloodstains

The Brain reprises familiar cliches well known to B-movie audiences. All we need to say is an alien brain uses TV, along with self-serving humans (of course), to try to control a small town, then, hopefully the world. It's up to two teenagers, a high school delinquent and his girlfriend to stop the Brain. The effects are cheesy!, the acting is laughable!, the production quality is abhorrent!, the plot unbelievable!, but yet the whole of the movie comes off as rather endearing tongue-and-cheek stuff. Kind of a gem in a backhanded sort of way!

I can only assume I am the first one to make that pun ... not! But that aside, you have to have some love for B-Horror movies to like this. It is slimy and gross to say the least. The effects are quite decent considering the budget and when it was made.

There are flaws and holes in the story and characters will act strangely to say the least. But that is what you get with movies like these. Also the cool (and fun) practical effects this has. An 80s movies through and through ...

It was all over with the slashers around 88 so it was time for the cheesy rip offs of those older movies. The Brain is well done, the script reminded me of Videodrome but then in a more cheesy way as said before. The acting can go through with it. But it's the effects that makes you laugh, the so called Brain is really a turkey and the blood is never shown. The opening sequence is what makes this movie worth watching, the hallucinations are really nicely done and reminded me of Nightmare on Elm Street, remember the telephone coming alive.... Some how you keep watching this flick, waiting what is happening next. It's viewable for all freaks out there cause there isn't any gore in it and as said the blood isn't there neither but there is nudity for the perverts. I have seen worser movies than this one, only wished they had made it bloodier...

I can't even count how many times I have watched this movie throughout the years. I consider myself lucky to even own a copy of this movie. This is easily one of my all time favorite bad films. If you're expecting something decent just walk away because The Brain is not for you. This is simply for the true lovers of bad cinema.

The late David Gale has a show on TV that is a therapeutic type of show. Many people in this town watch the show and rather enjoy it. What they don't know is the show is being masterminded by a giant brain from outer space and it's sending brainwashing signals threw the TV. Only one teenage boy is able to fight away these signals and decides to take matters into his own hands after the brain brainwashes everyone in town making them think that the boy is murdering people.

I can't say that the acting is anything great but David Gale is always a pleasure on screen, even if the script given to him sucks. Some of the special effects are good but most of them are just silly. The brain itself is actually pretty cool looking if you can put aside how ridiculous it looks. The brain does have an interesting transformation scene from just being a regular looking brain to what looks like a giant rotting monkey head.

I have to say I really liked this movie even if most of my friends can't get through the first 30 minutes of it. But then again, I can sit through just about any garbage cinema you give me and find something enjoyable about it. 8/10 stars