Circle of Power

Mostly known by the a more dramatic title CIRCLE OF POWER, which probably made the video rental more of a shelf-grabber, this early-80's cult curio titled BRAINWASH is based on the previous decade's self-help Erhard Seminars Training aka EST, where a group of participants are stuck inside a room, sometimes for days, without even a bathroom, under intense scrutiny by a charismatic leader for individual inner-self discovery, or something...

But in the Reagan-era, Hollywood saw fit to make Yvette Mimieux's gorgeous forty-something Bianca Ray a corporate tycoon (owner of a gigantic advertising firm) rather than hippie-guru, programming a handful of married couples not into personal-fulfillment but to become high-paid executives, and, halfway through... in a televised interview the group watches during a much needed break... she mentions how the current American leader wants her in his cabinet...

Her program separating husbands and wives into mostly vacant rooms except chairs in a semi-circle where the empty space in-between's calledThe Pit: first working on an extremely overweight Walter Olkewicz, who goes through more of a mental and physical ringer (fully nude and thrown into a cage) than anyone else... then intensely bonding with Yvette while some of the other men's conversions occur in a rushed montage...

Curbed by our central heroes in married-couple Christopher Allport -- who Mimieux partially seduces in a standout sequence after questioning why his mousy-cute, put-upon yet surprisingly and surreptitiously assertive wife Cindy Pickett was abused in her own group (by swarthy co-leader John Considine)...

Meanwhile his male cohorts, including Tony Plana, Leo Rossi and Carmen Argenziano... bullied not only by Yvette but muscular henchman Denny Miller (and Terence Knox)... eventually become rabid followers, ferociously set against the doubtful Allport in a suspenseful exploitation that ultimately seems like half a movie, and, with a group of black employees providing passive roman chorus outside, the compound isn't as ominous (or claustrophobic) to make this edgy psychological drama an all-out uncompromising thriller...

So other than some nudity and swearing, BRAINWASH feels more like an no-holds made-for-television movie than a toned-down theatrical feature and yet, either way, Yvette Mimieux hasn't looked this fantastic since the 1960's, trading in a horrendously plain BLACK HOLE perm-haircut with her (signature) flowing blonde mane... while her performance could have warranted an Oscar nomination -- and Walter Olkewicz as well.

'Brainwash', purported to be factual, is a fascinating look at a group of white collar co-workers who sign up for a retreat that is supposed to involve an executive training course run by their boss Yvette Mimieux ('The Time Machine'). What it turns out to be is group humiliation, abuse and torture. The workers, who include overweight Buddy (Walter Olkewicz - 'Fire Walk With Me') and the pushy Chris (b-grade legend Leo Rossi), react in various ways to the forced psychodramas. The only real rebels are the cagey Jack (Christopher Allport - 'To Live And Die in L.A.') and his incredulous wife Lyn (Cindy Pickett - Ferris Bueller's mother). Caught between the seemingly insane methods of their captors, and the mounting peer pressure of their "enlightened" friends, they become increasingly desperate to escape.

This is a compelling and involving look at the more extreme aspects of the corporate and motivational mentality. While I really don't know how much of the movie is actually true, it wouldn't surprise me to learn that it is 100% accurate. 'Brainwash' may be obscure and close to forgotten now, but I recommend it to anyone that can find a copy. A very interesting movie this!

I give this movie a high rating simply because it is good exploitation. I caught this on cable TV late at night in the 80s and I was shocked by it's demented story of abuse as group psychotherapy. I haven't been able to locate it ever since. It doesn't seem to be available anywhere. Yvette Mimeaux was also in another hard to find film made for TV and derived from "Jackson County Jail" called "Outside Chance". It's another trash exploitation film my mother and I caught on TV and couldn't stop laughing in disbelief. It is another hard to find movie and burned in my memory. "Outside Chance" is just a trashier and campier version of "Jackson County Jail". Yvette must be a B movie queen of the late 70s early 80s.

Yvette Mimieux could easily give Dyanne Thorne's "Ilsa" character a run for the money as the steeley-eyed, procrustean head of a "progressive" corporate empire, who encourages a group of ambitious desk-jockeys to participate in a voluntary job enhancement program. With spouses in tow, they're shuttled-off to a desolate and heavily-staffed purlieu where they endure various emotional, physical, sexual, and psychological torments. This sadistic Pavlovian technique initially seems to have surprisingly positive results, until some in the group realize this as the result of shattered spirits.

CIRCLE OF POWER is a sadly neglected gem, especially intriguing for its allegedly true accounts. Savage, unique...and surely in wait for a cult audience.

7/10....exceptional, and not easily forgotten.

The movie is indeed based on true events as depicted in the book, "Brainwash", by Gene Church. Church actually attended one of these "employee motivational weekends" in the late 60's. While some of the details were changed (the group leaders were of the same gender as the groups, rather than opposite, as in the film), the movie is pretty much right on.

The film is now dated -- such "motivation" is based on flawed psychological theory and would be regarded as abuse today -- but still a fascinating view , very well done on an obviously low budget. The cast performs quite well, particularly Yvette Mimieux and Leo Rossi as the ice cold "motivators" and especially Walter Olkewicsz in the challenging role of the fat guy with low self-esteem.

It's not for the weak of heart and can still shock, even now, but fans of psychological thrillers will definitely enjoy it. Never released on DVD, it'll be a challenge to dig up an old VHS tape.