Brain Damage (film)

Brain Damage

Limited edition DVD cover
Directed by Frank Henenlotter
Produced by Al Eicher
Andre Blay
Edgar Ievins
Written by Frank Henenlotter
Starring Rick Hearst
Jennifer Lowry
Gordon MacDonald
Music by Matthias Donnelly
Clutch Reiser
Gus Russo
Cinematography Bruce Torbet
Edited by Frank Henenlotter
James Y. Kwei
Distributed by Palisades Entertainment
Ventura Distribution
Release dates
  • April 15, 1988
Running time
Theatrical Cut:
84 min.
Unrated Cut:
86 min.
Country United States
Language English

Brain Damage is a 1988 American comedy horror film directed by Frank Henenlotter.[1]

Plot

Brian begins an unwilling symbiotic relationship with a malevolent leech-like brain-eating parasite called "Aylmer". Aylmer secretes a highly addictive, hallucinogenic blue fluid into Brian's brain. In return for a steady supply of the fluid, Brian must seek out human victims for Aylmer, so that he can devour their brains. All the while, though, as Brian adopts a heavily secluded life in his indulgence of Aylmer's fluids, it begins to draw a rift in his relationship with his girlfriend Barbara and his brother.

Cast

Release

The film was given a limited release theatrically in the United States by Palisades Entertainment Group in 1988. It was subsequently released on VHS by Paramount Home Entertainment. Synapse Films released it on DVD in 2007.[2] This special edition release features commentary by Henenlotter and reinstates all of the excised gore footage.

Reception

In an interview with Fangoria, Henenlotter said that the film was initially ignored and disliked. When it was released on home video, it acquired a cult following, and his later films were compared to it.[3]

Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregator, reports that 70% of ten surveyed critics gave the film a positive review; the average rating is 6/10.[4] Walter Goodman of The New York Times called it a "brainless movie" with poor special effects and bad acting.[5] Leonard Klady of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "It's a veritable crazy quilt of ideas that manages to engage our attention while our heads continue to dart away from the shocking images on screen."[6]

See also

References

  1. The Staff and Friends of Scarecrow Video (2004). The Scarecrow Movie Guide. Seattle: Sasquatch Books. pp. 630723. ISBN 1-57061-415-6.
  2. "Brain Damage (DVD)". synapse-films.com. Retrieved 2011-04-18.
  3. Thompson, Tristan (2013-05-31). "The Monster Movie Memories of a Brain-Damaged Basket Case: In conversation with Frank Henenlotter". Fangoria. Retrieved 2014-09-18.
  4. "Brain Damage (1995)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2014-09-18.
  5. Goodman, Walter (1988-04-15). "Brain Damage (1988)". The New York Times. Retrieved 2014-09-18.
  6. Klady, Leonard (1988-05-24). "Movie Reviews : 'Brain Damage' a Bizarre Crazy Quilt of Ideas". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2014-09-18.

External links