The Brain (1988) User Reviews

The Brain: Silly but fun creature feature

[Platypuschow · 6/10 · 1 December 2018]

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

Cheesy and confused but interesting metaphor for a conformist society.

[kclipper · 6/10 · 7 June 2011]

Mind Control is the topic and basic premise of this low-grade sociological study/campy horror film from director, Ed Hunt (Bloody Birthday). A thought provoking but muddled metaphor for the brainwashing effects of Scientology, T.V. marketing propaganda and other pseudo-scientific religious hogwash is at times unintentionally laughable for its cheesy portrayal of a giant brain with teeth that murders people after subjecting them to a series of hallucinations brought on by a mad doctor played by the straight-faced, hammy, David Gale. (He was the hilarious talking severed head from 'Re-Animator'). Fans will enjoy seeing Gale as the maniacal genius who hosts a television show that tricks people into thinking that they are "independent" and "individuals" all the while they are just experimental guinea pigs and food for "The Brain" creature. This is obviously a statement on a conformist society, but it falls short due to erratic direction and some pretentious overacting. Although, Tom Bresnahan makes for a good character. He's paranoid but intelligent, and he seems to be the only one that is on to the crooked intentions of Dr. Blake which makes for an interesting battle of wits. The brain creature is typically ridiculous 80s cheese as it swallows up hopeless idiot victims in its wake. Non-conformist horror fans will get some enjoyment out of this mess, and Gale's Re-Animator tribute scene is a real hoot, and the sodium washroom brain-exploding sequence is just too funny for words. Its not-so-bad if you're in the mood.

Enjoyable Because Its Bad

[AngelHonesty · 5/10 · 16 January 2020]

The film is a low budget horror movie that has poor filming, a poor storyline that drags on and poor acting. But even with all that said, it's still an enjoyable film to watch, the brain itself is fun to laugh at, with its corny looks and the killing scenes are interesting if not gross. Don't watch with high expectations.

Caution: sodium in use

[sebpopcorn · 6 October 2008]

The Brain is the story of an evil alien brain that tries to take control of the world through a threadbare looking self-help show. When it fails to take control of a rebellious teenager it sets him up as a murderer which as it turns out is pretty easy. If you shout "he killed them" to the cops they will believe you, even if you are holding an axe and there is a headless cop at your feet.

The effects for this movie range between shoddy and outright hilarious. The brain itself is obviously the comedy highlight but also memorable is the explosion where two very obvious fireworks can be seen. The story itself isn't that bad and there is some good acting, the thing is though you'll just be laughing at the effects too much to notice much else. I'm not saying it's well written though, the ending is spelt out in mile high letters within 20 minutes which is a bit of a shame.

People are always saying that bad movies are "so bad they're good" but this is one film that's genuinely deserving of that accolade. I really enjoyed it, if you feel like some cheap laughs and a watchable story you'll find them with this movie.

Mild cheese

[Tikkin · 5/10 · 21 October 2006]

I found this really cheap on DVD recently and just HAD to snap it up - it's one of those horror flicks I kept seeing on ebay but didn't want to pay too much for it.

It turns out that it's not a bad cheesy monster flick, but nothing special either. I would describe it as average. The brain itself is funny to watch, especially when it attacks. The scene at the end where it explodes in a shower of sparks is hilarious. The plot is silly and loosely ties all the events together. There's some boring moments and some fun moments.

Overall I would rate it as average. There's loads of better films out there, if you're a fan of The Brain then you may want to check out The Suckling (a film about an aborted killer foetus) or The Deadly Spawn. Both have similarities to The Brain and are much more entertaining.

A no brainer?

[kosmasp · 7/10 · 8 January 2021]

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 ...

open your mind

[trashgang · 4/10 · 23 April 2009]

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...

amusing alien horror, if you can overlook the monster's silliness

[FieCrier · 7/10 · 6 December 2004]

I was reminded of 1981's Strange Behavior, with a mad scientist who is supposed to be helping troubled high schoolers actually using his techniques to take over their minds. I'm a bit surprised to see that there are more people who've rated this movie on IMDb than that one, since Strange Behavior is on DVD and this one isn't, and I would guess is out of print on VHS.

However, The Brain has an alien in it. Or that's presumably what it is: at first, a giant disembodied brain in a vat, though it is able to open its two hemispheres to engulf and devour a person, after which a face emerges from the brain, which looks a little horrific, and a little silly.

The Brain is able to control people's thoughts to some degree, with the help of a TV program called "Independent Thinking" put out by the Psychological Research Institute, where the brain is kept by the program's host. It either causes people to hallucinate and kill other people and sometimes themselves, or else when people's mind reject the attempt at control their mind causes hallucinations and the deaths. The hallucinations are pretty good. The one that opens the movie has a girl in her room seeing a teddy bear come to life and bleed from its eyes, a demon hand breaking out of a TV set, the room's walls pressing inwards and so on.

An intelligent but problem teenager is sent to the PRI to straighten him out, but he is able to resist the programming, and the attempts to have him kill himself. He gets away and then must figure out how to save his friends and the town and destroy the brain.

There are some funny lines in the movie. I liked the exchange between the high schooler and a school official: "We learned in civics class that people are innocent until proved guilty!" "You think you're in America? You're in high school!"

The ending of the movie is a bit odd. Two of the characters drive off uneventfully, and there is a peculiar triangular-shaped wipe effect that had been seen earlier in the movie showing the face of the enemy. Personally, I was expecting a new similar TV show to come on the air.

Not a Bad Little Film

[gavin6942 · 5/10 · 9 May 2013]

Dr. Blake (David Gale) runs a TV show called "Independent Thinkers", which is sort of a Scientology-like self-help/religion program. But he is not making his audience think any more independently; with the help of an alien organism he calls the Brain, he is using brainwashing and mind control.

It is always wonderful to see David Gale, who had far too few movie roles and we shall miss him. His role here is not one that requires a large amount of screen time, but he is a crucial part of the story.

There are some cool monster effects here. Monster arms, jaws, a brain... definitely better than average and I hope the effects crew has gone on to do something notable.

"I want action!"

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 3 May 2019]

The surreal and the utterly cheesy blend in this off the wall shocker, one of the weirder low budget ones to emerge from Canada in the 1980s. It has some interesting ideas, lightly touched upon, in this tale of a self-help guru / motivational speaker (David Gale of "Re-Animator" fame) who works hand in hand with a living, breathing brain to gain control of human minds. Likeable Tom Bresnahan ("The Kingdom") is an incorrigible high school student sent to to the gurus' base of operations who gets an eyeful of some very strange shenanigans.

If you're a fan of Gale, be forewarned that his role is really not that substantial, and that he doesn't get that much to do to cement his role as the story's villain. Fortunately, Bresnahan carries the movie reasonably well, and director Ed Hunt ("Bloody Birthday") keeps the whole thing rather amusing and fairly fast-paced.

Plenty of outre creature effects from the late Mark Williams ("Aliens", "The Fly" '86) help to make for a good show, as a couple of characters have close encounters with this alien brain, a very entertaining concoction from Williams with a face that only a mother could love. Add to that some partial nudity from Christine Kossak, who plays an assistant to our merry antagonist, and you have ingredients for a horror film certain to appeal to fans of 80s genre cinema.

Cynthia Preston ("Pin") is adorable as Bresnahan's leading lady, while George Buza ("Diary of the Dead") scowls and threatens adequately as Gales' thuggish associate.

As was said, if you're a lover of 80s horror, you'll likely regard "The Brain" as quite the hoot. As you can see from the poster art, it's pretty much impossible to take it very seriously.

Seven out of 10.

Low Budget, Cheesy fun from Canada. 5/10

[jbar19 · 5/10 · 10 February 2022]

The Brain is a slightly silly, sci fil horror story about 2 aliens trying to brainwash Earthlings through a Television show and the two high school students who fight to expose the aliens.

I get the feeling that they started to make a serious movie and then in the middle of the production, they just started throwing in some silly elements (Topless girl, SODIUM signs, etc)

The Brain comes off more as a made for TV movie than a feature. It's not very scary and it's not very funny, but it has a certain 1980s nostalgic, goofy charm.

The two main actors take their roles very seriously and you could tell they both would go on to bigger and better things.

The alien monster looks like an greasy muppet and is not at all scary. There are several distracting production errors and mistakes that are fairly noticeable.

The two groups of people who would get the most enjoyment from this movie are 11 year olds (because it isnt very scary) and people who grew up in the 1980s (for nostalgia)

I can't say that you should go out of your way to see this movie, but if it comes on TV you might want to give it a watch.

Great schlock! A for effort!

[barrylynch · 8/10 · 19 September 2002]

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!

Good time sci-fi schlocker, trashy fun

[Bloodwank · 7/10 · 30 January 2011]

There's a strange cinematic netherworld where idiocy meets fun and the two duke it out for our hearts and minds, and The Brain sits there rather comfortably. Eschewing chances of suspense or paranoid frights by way of an ill advised early reveal of the central creature and soon after a reveal of its nefarious plans, The Brain seeks to run on crazed gumption alone and the pleasantly surprising thing is, it actually works. The story has young and smart delinquent Jim Majelewski signed up for treatment at the mysterious Psychological Research Institute, where he comes across an evil giant brain with an eye on world domination. The rest of the film sees him dodging the brainwashed populace while seeking to save everyone from the alien ministrations of the brain, its a chase film and it happily zips along, sleekly crafted cheese to please. Director Ed Hunt is something of a B movie veteran and so knows not to take this sort of thing too seriously, while going full tilt at scenes that require the schlocky goods, thus while the film is never gory there are a few scenes that really shine, particularly a freaky opening gambit and a spot of wild cafeteria behaviour. He also avoids emphasizing the lesser effects apart from times when they'll be clearly entertaining, so goofs are at a relative minimum and at times the effects work really does. Performances are game throughout though few are especially good, Tom Bresnahan starts slow but builds a good head of steam as Jim, Cindy Preston is effortlessly pleasing as his girlfriend and George Buza makes for a solidly menacing villainous hired goon, while the heavy lifting acting wise is carried in style by David Gale. Riffing on his Re-Animator villainy he opts for a quieter course but still amusingly deranged, its a fun turn and he lights the screen whenever he appears. The titular brain is an important star as well, a wonderfully ludicrous creation that gets to move around, make the odd expression and even eat some people, as completely crackers monster go its a good 'un. Sadly the film gets dull at times despite the driving pace and thudding score, it also needed more acting zap and gore to make it really work, but its easy watching and well freighted with chuckles. Heck, there's even a bit of nudity (from a rather lovely lady) so I can't criticise the film too much, its cheesy trash, it know its cheesy trash and it does its best to deliver as such. I happen to love cheesy trash and this one broadly worked for me, so 7/10, but it won't be to all tastes.

Cheesy late 1980s horror movie...

[paul_haakonsen · 4/10 · 3 February 2022]

I stumbled upon the 1988 horror movie "The Brain" from writer Barry Pearson and director Ed Hunt here in 2022 by random chance. And with it being a late 1980s horror movie that I had never seen or even heard about, of course I opted to sit down and watch it.

Initially when I sat David Gale on the screen, I have to admit that I was actually thrilled and had some hopes for the movie.

But the hopes were rather quickly shot down as "The Brain" wasn't a particularly impressive horror movie. Even for a late 1980s horror movie "The Brain" just didn't stand out. Sure, it was watchable, but it was rather generic and mundane actually.

The storyline told in "The Brain" is archetypical late 1980s horror cheese. So if that is your cup of tea then "The Brain" should be entertaining for you.

The cast ensemble in "The Brain" was good, just a shame that the actors and actresses didn't have that much to work with in terms of script and storyline.

Visually then "The Brain" was mediocre. The special effects in the movie just felt cheap and amateurish. And it was something that took away part of the enjoyment of the movie.

My rating of "The Brain" lands on a four out of ten stars.

"Jim, Dr. Blake Wouldn't Be On TV If He Wasn't Good!"...

[azathothpwiggins · 23 July 2019]

In THE BRAIN, something is going on at the Psychological Research Institute, involving a humongous, be-tentacled brain.

Meanwhile, Dr. Blake (David Gale- RE-ANIMATOR) preaches the gospel of "independent thinking" on his hit TV program, transmitted from the institute. It's not long before people start having terrifying hallucinations, resulting in grisly deaths.

Enter brilliant high school student, Jim Majelewski (Tom Breznahan), who is also the school prankster. When Jim's "jokes" get him in trouble, he's sent to Dr. Blake for help. Will Jim figure out what's happening, before he and his whole neighborhood are annihilated?

Absolutely ludicrous, this movie has TWO THINGS GOING FOR IT: #1- The big ugly brain, which is sort of a mixture of the alien brain from THE BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS and the creatures from FIEND WITHOUT A FACE. #2- David Gale, who is a human dynamo of histrionic behavior!

The plot covers social conformity, mind control, and cultism in the most crackpot way imaginable! Still, it is loads of fun to watch!

Co-stars George Buza as the diabolical Nurse Verna.

BEST SCENES IN THE MOVIE: #1- Verna's encounter with the local police! #2- The backyard deck slaughter sequence!...

The Brain Drain

[Tweetienator · 4/10 · 7 March 2024]

Well, The Brain does not play in the top league of that kind of cheesy horror movies rooted deeply in the 80s: we get some blood, some nudity, hypnosis via TV, and, of course, some young kids (you could easily add them to the Footloose cast) fighting an evil scientist and the magnificent Brain: a big, well, brain with some sharp teeth and some solid appetite for human flesh and bones. While I wasn't too disappointed, for my taste the cheese is not strong enough in this one and neither are the elements of horror. Also, the movie takes itself a little too seriously - a good shot more of humor would have done just nicely for this one. Verdict: too tame for a serious horror movie, not enough funny stuff for a real cheesy one, and the story too predictable, at least in my opinion. Anyway, if you are on the hunt (for whatever delicate reasons) for something fresh in the style of movies like The Deadly Spawn, Nightbeast, The Kindred, or Night of the Creeps, The Brain may be worth a try, it's not too bad.

Dr. Phil has nothing on this movie...

[SusieSalmonLikeTheFish · 7/10 · 23 August 2014]

High school student James has excellent grades and a beautiful girlfriend, but he is always playing weird practical jokes. This makes his teachers and parents sign a consent form to have him sent off to a revolutionary new TV doctor, Dr. Blake. Dr. Blake often talks about the increase in teen suicides and sure enough, just near James' house, a fellow student has just stabbed her mother and jumped out a window... but was there more to it? Did she really jump, or did something else kill her mother and push her? James finds the mental hospital where is is sent to be pointless and annoying, so he leaves the building. Unknown to him the hospital nurse who he hallucinated as being topless, is on his side; she knows about the strange hallucinogenic brain experiments on people in the building and threatens to tell. Before she gets the chance, a giant brain-like creature eats her. Blake sends an overweight bearded med assistant to hunt down James and bring him back.

James hides out in his girlfriend Janet's diner after his car crashes and blows up. She tries to hide him but a cop shows up, as does the fat med assistant, and Janet can only watch as he is dragged away again, this time kicking at some invisible monster no one else can see. He escapes the hospital a second time with her help, and the help of his best friend, but his best friend is eaten by the brain monster. Murders start popping up all over town and on the TV sets of all the viewers tuned in, Blake tells them it was James who killed them, and that James has trouble distinguishing reality from fantasy. A brainwashing message is also said, convincing several housewives to kill their husbands if their husbands refuse to watch the Dr. Blake show. Now Janet and James are runaway fugitives, hiding out in the local high school as the entire town of brainwashed adults search for them.

This wasn't the best movie but you've gotta admit, it's entertaining at least. The soundtrack is pretty good, the acting was okay and for the budget they had, the brain monster was pretty good, though highly unbelievable. This movie might make you think twice about tuning in every day to D. Phil, Ellen and Oprah.

The Brain

[HorrorFan1984 · 5/10 · 16 August 2020]

A television personality uses a giant alien organism that resembles a brain to control the minds of young adults and eventually kills them.

A giant alien brain is attached to a TV antenna in small town Meadowvale which controls the minds of viewers who tune into a show called "Independent Thinking". The show plays off like a scientology/cult type program which tells viewers things like "young people are so troubled in this day and age thanks to drugs, sex, and rock and roll". Our main teenage character Jim is rebellious at school and with his parents, so when it is recommended that he visits the doctor of "Independent Thinking" that is when he sees how diabolical the whole operation is. It'll be up to him and his girlfriend to stop the whole town from being mind manipulated by aliens!

I found The Brain to be a very fun (and very cheesy) B-Horror flick. It was stock full of angsty late 80's teen drama and rebellion against adults and authority. The whole idea behind the Independent Thinking TV show was that teenagers are problematic and need to be controlled, something that no teen wants to ever hear. I thought The Brain tried to bring some classic "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" feel to the movie. Jim is all alone and not brainwashed while the rest of the town is and is trying to seek him out. That isolated feeling was very apparent.

The acting was very questionable but oh so perfect for a movie from 1988 called The Brain. Cynthia Preston was really good, I've been a fan of her work since Pin and Prom Night III (plus her soap opera stuff on General Hospital. She always delivers. Tom Bresnahan was super likeable in the lead male role next to Preston. And David Gale was deliciously diabolical as the evil doctor who isn't all that he seemed at first.

I 'd give The Brain a watch if you're into bad B-Horror/Sci-fi flicks. I thought it had enough entertainment value to keep me entertained throughout, but definitely fell apart in the second half. Dragged a bit too much at the end for me, but overall worth a viewing!

5/10

A no-brain film about a killer brain!

[The_Void · 6/10 · 9 July 2007]

Although there was a lot of crap released in the eighties, one thing you can always count on from these films is a hilarious good time! The subject of this film (mind control) has been used many times before, but it's not usually explored with the aid of a mad doctor and a daft looking rubber brain! This plot is explored from the perspective of a young high school student who, in true eighties fashion, has a penchant for silly pranks and general tomfoolery. He uncovers the plot, lead by Dr. Anthony Blakely (David Gale, who played a similar role Re-Animator'), the host of a TV show called "Independent Thinkers". The show is supposed to help viewers, but it's actually a tool for the doctor to have the viewers of the show brainwashed. The silly plot "thickens" when the school lad is sent to the see the doctor by his school and ends up suffering hallucinations, before stumbling in on the doctor and his two assistants. Oh, and the monstrous brain creature that enjoys eating people and controlling minds...

Naturally, this film isn't exactly high quality. The acting is terrible and the production values are low quality, but of course that isn't important in a film like this. Director Ed Hunt (who also made the surprisingly decent eighties crapfest Bloody Birthday) always ensures that the film is fun, light-hearted viewing and that ensures that The Brain just about does its job. It's true that the film could have been better. The director never really makes good use of the rubber brain, which is a shame. It does feature in two big scenes, but its left languishing in its little tank too often. The only real star of the film is David Gale, who will be remembered by cult fans for his key role in Stuart Gordon's classic Re-Animator. His acting here isn't brilliant but he provides enough interest as the mad doctor; although his exit is extremely disappointing. Overall, I can't really recommend tracking this film down as it's not great or anything like a classic; but if you're into eighties tat, then you could certainly do a lot worse than it.

At 94 minutes, this is insulting

[kentstev · 4/10 · 4 August 2005]

My friends and I rented this for "Bad Movie Night" with high hopes, but The Brain was something of a letdown. The Brain itself is gloriously goofy-looking, but it mostly just sits on its little platform. Who thought that it would be cool that the Brain only gets to munch on three people throughout 94 drawn-out minutes? This movie has a number of things going for it at first, including an Estevez-knockoff lead playing a rebellious genius (we're told that his enormous intellect is misdirected into his elaborate pranks and school stunts, which include putting krazy glue on someone's chair). It also has some great lines, a hilariously out-of-shape and out-of-breath henchman who just barely manages to be everywhere, and, yeah, some chick gets naked. However, the director desperately needs some schooling in the art of pacing. During the last half things just start to drag on and on, with at least 3 or 4 pointless, boring chase scenes making up the middle third of the plot. The scenes inside the PRI complex are especially bad. At least 15 minutes of this movie are people running up and down the same stairwell. I could've fixed the screenplay to this thing in half an hour- more cheese, more gore, more nudity, more Brain action. If you're going to make a bad horror movie, at least give me something cool to look at while my superego shuts down. Maybe the director was trying to really bring the audience into his movie- I started feeling like one of the zombified townsfolk by the end of this crapfest.

Recall Those Films from the 50's

[claudio_carvalho · 6/10 · 12 December 2021]

The high-school student James "Jim" Majelewski (Tom Bresnahan) is a troublemaker bad boy, playing prank at school. The Principal summons his parents and explains that Jim will be suspended and will not graduate, unless he goes to the Psychological Research Institute (PRI) to be submitted to a treatment by the famous Dr. Anthony Blakely (David Gale). Their parents are forced to send Jim to the PRI and the nurse Vivian (Christine Kossack) welcomes him. Dr. Blakely connects Jim to a huge brain and he has dreadful hallucinations. He flees from the PRI and meets his girlfriend Janet (Cynthia Preston) and his best friends Willie (Bret Pearson) and Becky (Susannah Hoffmann) at the dinner where they work. However, Dr. Blakely's assistant Verna (George Buza) arrives and abducts Jim back to the institute. Soon he discovers the true intention of Dr. Blakely and his brain.

"The Brain" is a sci-fi-horror movie that recalls the films from the 50's. The plot is funny, and The Brain is very trashy. The idea is a teen version of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" with a brain dominating people through television. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "O Cérebro" ("The Brain")

This production is in desperate need of one!

[Coventry · 3/10 · 13 May 2005]

Insignificant and low-brained (haha!) 80's horror like there are thirteen in a dozen, yet it can be considered amusing if you watch it in the right state of mind. The special effects are tacky, the acting atrocious and the screenplay seems to miss a couple of essential paragraphs! "The Brain" takes place in a typical quiet-American town setting, where every adolescent works in the same diner and where the cool-kid in high school flushes cherry bombs down the toilet. It is here that a TV-guru named Dr. Blake and his adorable pet-brain begin their quest for nation-wide mind controlling. Under the label of "independent thinkers", a giant cheesy brain sends out waves through television sets and forces innocent viewers to kill! How cool is that? Now, it's up to the Meadowvale teen-rebel to save the world! The funniest thing about the plot is that it never explains where Dr. Blake and his monstrous brain actually come from. There are obvious references towards extraterrestrial life but that's about it. Meh, who needs a background in a movie like this, really? There's not that much bloodshed unfortunately and the "evil" brain looks like an over-sized sock-puppet. The only more or less interesting element for horror buffs is taking a look at the cast and crew who made this movie. Director Ed Hunt and writer Barry Pearson are the same men who made "Bloody Birthday" (guilty pleasure of mine) and "Plague". Both those are much better movies and they wisely decided to resign the film industry. The most familiar face in the cast unquestionably is the great David Gale, whom horror fans will worship forever for his role in Re-Animator. A girl named Christine Kossak provides the nudity-factor and she's obviously a great talent… She has exactly 3 movies on her repertoire of which THIS is her "masterpiece". In her debut, she was credited as 'runaway model' and in "3 men and a baby", her character is referred to as 'one of Jack's girls'. I really wonder how she feels about her career as an actress

So Bad, So Good

[CMRKeyboadist · 8/10 · 19 January 2006]

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

Fun, cheesy, '80s monster movie

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 13 December 2015]

THE BRAIN is a solid entry in the 'rubbery monster' B-movie cycle of the 1980s: many of these films were highly entertaining, and this is no exception. It may not reach the heights of genre classics like RE-ANIMATOR, FROM BEYOND, or NIGHT OF THE CREEPS, but for what it is, THE BRAIN delivers. It reminded me of a slightly higher budgeted version of films like THE DEADLY SPAWN and THE ABOMINATION.

The biggest drawback is the plot. What we see of it is fine, but half of the film is spent on repetitive chase sequences with our hero narrowly averting being captured by the cops time and again. The first few times, this stuff is fresh and exciting, but then it becomes boring and you wish they'd get on with telling the story. This is what stops THE BRAIN from being an outright camp classic.

Still, there are plenty of pluses here too. The opening sequence, in which a teenage girl is assailed by slimy tentacles and bleeding teddy bears in her narrowing bedroom, is exceptionally done. I liked how the brain kept growing in size as the film progressed, until it reaches tremendous proportions at the climax. I also found the special effects to be superb, especially the brain itself: this is what special effects were all about, and it's obvious that plenty of time and care went into its creation. Fine by me! The casting is less impressive, as we're saddled with a particularly unsympathetic lead. Not to worry – further down the cast is the great David Gale, once again playing a rotter (in line with his appearances in the RE-ANIMATOR flicks!). Plus there's the gorgeous Christine Kossak, providing some completely gratuitous nudity, and the hulking George Buza, who runs amok with an axe for the most part; you can't really complain about that.

Despite the multitude of rubbery effects, the film is surprisingly free of gore. There's a beheading in here and some gruesome scenes of the brain chomping on victims, but that's about it. There's also an impressive car flip and a fun explosive ending. This will go down as a classic in nobody's mind, but for some fun '80s cheesiness, you've come to the right place.

Not exactly good, but not as wretched as I thought it was going to be either.

[poolandrews · 4/10 · 1 March 2005]

In the small American town of Meadowvale Dr. Anthony Blake (David Gale, the IMDb listing for this character is wrong it's definitely Dr. Blake not Dr. Blakely) is the director and founder of the famed 'Psychological Research Institute' and also host's a local T.V. programme called 'Independent Thinkers'. He uses this T.V. show to hypnotise the viewers and make them commit acts of violence. Dr. Blake has the help of a large brain with an evil face that uses it's spinal cord as a tail thingy. Usually the brain is just sitting in a tank, eats mice and the odd bad actor, each time it eats someone it gets much bigger. Meanwhile at the local high-school gifted but troublesome teenager Jim Majelewski (Tom Bresnahan) has been caught putting Sodium down the toilets. Jim is sent to Dr. Blake at the PRI for help with his attitude and behavioural problems. While there Dr. Blake hooks Jim up to, well something I'm not actually sure what. This whatever it is, is attached to the brain. At first Jim is able to resist the brain's mind control. The brain feels that Jim is a threat to itself and it's plans. Once out of the PRI Jim starts having bizarre hallucinations and crashes his car. Jim makes it to his waitress girlfriend Janet (Cynthia Preston as Cyndy Preston) but is handed back to Dr. Blake's assistant Verna (George Buza) soon after by Officer Marks (Harry Booker). The brain wants to kill Jim because he is the only one capable of withstanding it's mind control techniques, and with 'Independent Thinkers' going national the brain doesn't want anything or anyone to stop it's evil plan for world domination! Jim quickly realises that the brain is controlling the entire town and he alone must stop the brain, before it takes over the world!

Directed by Ed Hunt who calls himself Edward Hunt here, the Brain wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. Don't get me wrong as it certainly isn't great either. The script by Barry Pearson tries a stab at satire with the brain washing and mind control by T.V. storyline. It moves along at a fair pace and isn't too boring. No explanation is given for the existence of the brain at all, it's just there and that's it we have to accept it. The story is a little choppy and never fully explores one single element, there's the T.V. mind control, the brain itself, Jim being hunted by the police & his misbehaviour and various other little bits and pieces here and there including a bizarre revelation regarding Dr. Blake that isn't explained at all. Production wise this film looks cheap, and probably was cheap. The acting isn't great but I've seen worse, and what is David Gale doing in this? In fact this role is similar to Gale's role in Re-Animator (1985) even down to his character's deaths in both films. The brain itself at first sits in a tank and starts to grow whenever it eats someone and by the end it is pretty big. Each stage is just made of rubber. It doesn't look particularly good and isn't scary or creepy, just cheap. There's no blood or gore in it apart from a blink and you'll miss it decapitation. The nudity is provided by Dr. Blake's assistant Vivian (Christine Kossak as Christine Kossack) before she gets eaten. The brain had a certain entertainment value for me but I would think most people would dislike it. Maybe worth a watch if you can see it on T.V. for free.