Director & writer Frank Henenlotter takes his unique brand and punches out a weird trip about a talking bug-like creature as a metaphor for drug addiction in 'Brain Damage'. I wasn't the right audience for his 'Basket Case' series, but I looked forward to this flick. While it has some wacky moments, it's more "mainstream". Grounded in being a straightforward tale sans grotesque shock value.
Brian (Rick Hearst) gets his world turned upside down when a creature escapes from his apartment building neighbors and attaches itself to him. It begins supplying him with psychedelic drugs shot directly into his brain. It's a high unlike any other. All the creature asks for in return is to a chance to feed on other humans brains. This slowly renders Brian to a subservient role. The former owners of Almer - the creature - also want him back.
On the surface, it's easy to identify the anti drug message. Henenlotter downplayed the symbolism, but I think it's pretty obvious. The fact that he went through cocaine addiction speaks to this notion. Drug addicts do what it takes to get their next fix even as they know it's wrong. Losing willpower. Withdrawing from friends. Slowly losing grip, withdrawals, sickness. A half hearted attempt to stop in vain.
To a lessor extent, sexuality plays a part. There's some homoerotic tones and very obvious hetro ones. Not to mention the obvious visual phallic looking creature. There is some decent special / makeup effects put to use during the flick, but taking Almer seriously is a task. Speaking in perfect English with a tiny pair of eyes the thing looks more silly than menacing.
'Brain Damage' is a unique idea in execution if not in plot. An obvious bit of low budget filmmaking and with a cast of unknowns, it doesn't go anywhere crazy. A particular death sequence (unrated edition) is crude, but it's telegraphed from a mile away to really be considered in poor taste today. I don't know what to make of that ending either, but this was a decent one-time curiosity view from the b-movie realm.
Brian (Rick Hearst) gets his world turned upside down when a creature escapes from his apartment building neighbors and attaches itself to him. It begins supplying him with psychedelic drugs shot directly into his brain. It's a high unlike any other. All the creature asks for in return is to a chance to feed on other humans brains. This slowly renders Brian to a subservient role. The former owners of Almer - the creature - also want him back.
On the surface, it's easy to identify the anti drug message. Henenlotter downplayed the symbolism, but I think it's pretty obvious. The fact that he went through cocaine addiction speaks to this notion. Drug addicts do what it takes to get their next fix even as they know it's wrong. Losing willpower. Withdrawing from friends. Slowly losing grip, withdrawals, sickness. A half hearted attempt to stop in vain.
To a lessor extent, sexuality plays a part. There's some homoerotic tones and very obvious hetro ones. Not to mention the obvious visual phallic looking creature. There is some decent special / makeup effects put to use during the flick, but taking Almer seriously is a task. Speaking in perfect English with a tiny pair of eyes the thing looks more silly than menacing.
'Brain Damage' is a unique idea in execution if not in plot. An obvious bit of low budget filmmaking and with a cast of unknowns, it doesn't go anywhere crazy. A particular death sequence (unrated edition) is crude, but it's telegraphed from a mile away to really be considered in poor taste today. I don't know what to make of that ending either, but this was a decent one-time curiosity view from the b-movie realm.