Stometer Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Tedfoldol everything you have heard about this movie is true.

Crwthod A lot more amusing than I thought it would be.

Maidexpl Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

jefuab Brain Damage 1988 Frank Henenlotter9/10"Hi," "Brain Damage" is widely regarded as Henenlotter's best film. Whilst I believe rating films in best to worst order is too transitory to be my focus I must say that this film's reputation is deserved. As this film seems to be considered too low-brow to be art I want to wax lyrical about this superlative piece of late 80's horror and argue that it is in fact high-art. "Brain Damage" is a well-executed allegory of drug addiction (and, more broadly, desire and control) as well as other social issues. Hosting this journey into depravity are Brian and Aylmer, an average handsome young lad with a normal life and a charming, well-spoken worm-like creature with a biology for drug-dealing and an insatiable appetite for human brains. Henenlotter's film depicts the tenderness, the violence, the fun and the heartache of their exploitative relationship. Henenlotter's script weaves us through the chaotic time Brian and Aylmer spend together and their onscreen relationship is deepened by their interactions with characters such as Morris & Martha, Barbara, and Mike. Aylmer's injections are a great distraction from reality but they come at an enormous price; a fact Morris & Martha are testament to: anyone who Aylmer befriends needs him in their life or a hysterical frenzy ensues. The depth Henenlotter reaches to in his imagery is astounding. A room feels like a room, a corridor like a corridor, and a street feels like a street. The colours zing, the waters are deep, the lights thicken and sharpen the air; cracks cobweb throughout the dank settings and thick red blood is sprayed over it all with gay abandon. The absorbing kaleidoscopic trips Brian is medicated with are made of neon rainbows pulsing in a broken city whilst a euphonious score of lush synthesiser drifts in and out with gentle ease. As the electric high peaks Brian's humanity is washed away by these transcendent experiences. The lights and sounds inevitably extinguish as Aylmer's juice burns out and the addicted youngster's prancing slows to a trudge back into the dissonant city. It isn't good enough for Brian but, now that he's hooked, he must do his new master's bidding. Aylmer has a deliberately honeyed voice to give it the sophisticated charm of a conman. No matter what it does one cannot simply dislike it. And that's the point. It demonstrates how easily someone can wriggle their way out of blame and trouble with simple mannerisms; even if, in this case, that someone is a murderer and a manipulator. I will not describe the ending however I do feel that the film draws to a triumphant close after exploring in great detail the stages of addiction. The loss of sense, the loss of others and the loss of the self, the willing deconstruction of the mind, body and soul of an individual. A devastating loss it is for all societies suffering from the decay that drugs can bring. You should also watch "Basket Case" (1982) and "Frankenhooker" (1990). Together with "Brain Damage" they make an inspired trilogy by Frank Henenlotter.

Vivekmaru45 Only a genius mind like Frank Henenlotter's: The Basket Case Trilogy (1982-1990-1992), Frankenhooker (1990), Bad Biology (2008) can come up with this. I have seen all of his films. There is not a director to touch him in his style of horror. The only problem is why he hasn't made any films during 1993-2007. THAT'S 14 YEARS !!! He has really denied us and let us down for this.If he had needed money for his films, I would have given him from my own piggy bank!!! Please if there is a GOD in this world give me 1000 films of Henenlotter's to watch before I die. I would really appreciate it.This is very, very sad not for him but for horror addicts like me wasting away. The best moments of my life were the horror films I enjoyed as a child during the late middle 80's and 90's. The horror film industry went to SH*T after '95.The directors now are an absolute joke with no imagination whatsoever. It was really good to watch Bad Biology (2008) after 15 years !!!Plot of film: a parasite named Aylmer (of ancient origin - probably deep in Africa) escapes from his elderly captors and finds a new host - a young man called Brian (Rick Hearst). It injects him with a secretion that its body produces via a proboscis pushed through the back of the neck and into the brain, while he was sleeping.He experiences strange hallucinations due to the secretion and cannot explain why. Later he discovers the talking parasite in the bathroom. Aylmer is very friendly towards Brian and they soon become the best of friends.... till Brian discovers the source of Aylmer's food. Don't want to tell you any more - it might spoil it for you, if you haven't seen the film yet.Special effects within the budget are brilliant. This film is of a CULT STATUS so special-effects wise this film is legendary. Gabriel Bartalos is responsible for the excellent creature Aylmer. John Zacherle plays Aylmer's remarkable voice which is superbly done. This guy has gifted voice - no doubt about that!Henenlotter's direction is superb throughout the horrifying climax of the film. The scene at the very end of the film will send you running from your room screaming!!!So Mr. Hennenlotter if you need a protégé or someone to carry on your work your legacy I AM THAT MAN. Email me at [email protected]. Can't wait to make Brain Damage 2 - Aylmer's BACK!!!Expecting to hear from you sir.

lost-in-limbo I love filmmaker Frank Henenlotter's work, as with his very low-budgeted productions he can make something out of nothing instilling the right amount of spirit and imagination, which would put a lot filmmakers to shame. From the small amount of films his done; this guy's got the touch… although I haven't got around to his latest production "Bad Biology". Anyhow his second feature "Brain Damage" is up there with his splendid grindhouse debut "Basket Case" (1982). Reverting more to a flipped out, deranged horror comedy (as it might feel as if you're on a crazy LSD trip), the trashy story for "Brain Damage" can be seen as an metaphor for drug addiction and the growing state of the overwhelming affects it not only has on the user, but those around him with tragic results. It's rather heavy-handed and in bad-taste, but the script is smartly witty in portraying it, it's quickly paced and the raw imagery can get all-out nasty (it's feeding time!) and quite unusually psychedelic. Namely that of the glum colour filtering, but more so the polite talking parasite creation Aylmer. The campy make-up FX is crude with some stop-motion animation in use. Just like "Basket Case", authentic location work only enhances the wishy-washy atmosphere and so do the enthusiastic performances with Rick Hearst leading the way. Also there's quite an amusing cameo of Kevin Van Hentenryck reprising his role of Duane Bradley from "Basket Case" in a visual gag on the subway train. Budget restraints don't hold it back, as this weirdly low-brow offering has heart and gruel.

Paul Andrews Brain Damage is set in New York City where Brian (Rick Hearst) lives in an apartment with his brother Mike (Gordon MacDonald), one night Brian wakes up & feels somewhat lightheaded & ill. Brian decides to to go back to sleep but when he awakes he finds blood on his pillow & a strange talking slug like brain eating parasitic creature called Aylmer who has injected some blue liquid into the back of Brian's neck & into his brain which makes him high, at first Brian enjoys the euphoric high but Alymer uses Brian in his drugged out high state to find him human victims whose brains it can eat. Brian becomes addicted to the high Alymer gives him but at the same time realises the terrible side-effects that threaten to destroy his life & kill those who Brain are closest to including Barbara (Jennifer Lowry) his girlfriend unless he can somehow regain control of his life & mind...Co-edited, written & directed by Frank Henenlotter this was his belated second directorial feature film after the cult hit success of the memorable low budget gory horror film Basket Case (1982) & it's clear to see that Henenlotter set out to make a low budget exploitation horror film with a strong central message about the perils of drug abuse & addiction. The entire film is more or less a warning against drugs, the film is filled with parallels & metaphors like the initial high before the uncontrollable craving for the next hit when it wears off, the user whose life falls apart around themselves because of their addiction, the people around the user who also suffer because of it & the determination to get another fix no matter what that becomes paramount to the exclusion of just about everything else. You might think that sounds rather heavy handed & a bit too deep but Brain Damage works surprisingly well on a number of levels, from a gross out splatter film with some good gore scenes to anti drug film as the script is set-up so we end up sympathising with Brian & the attempts to mirror the obviously fantastical goings-on in the film with real life drug abuse & addiction comes off rather well. The pace is good, the character's & dialogue are as well although the ending is rather sudden & abrupt. An off-beat, unusual 80's horror film with a strong social message, who'd have thought it?Director Henenlotter throw's in a cheeky little reference to his previous film Basket Case as while on a subway train Brian sees a man carry a wicker basket with a lock on it, obviously the lead character Duane from Basket Case & to give it a bit more authenticity the original actor Kevin Van Hentenryck reprises the role in a small cameo. Aymer the parasite looks like a large slug with a face & funny posh sounding voice, despite this the image actually works in a bizarrely funny sort of way. The special effects are alright, there's some stop-motion animation & simple puppet shots which are probably still better than any modern low budget CGI computer effect. There are some neat sequences here including the infamous scene in which a woman goes down on Brian to give him a blow-job only to open his flies & have Aylmer shoot out & eat her brains through her mouth so the side-on view looks like she is give Brian a blow-job who has a horrible slimy mutant deformed penis, a nice if somewhat crude little visual gag & one of the films most memorable moments. There's some decent gore here too, there are some brain eating scenes, some blood splatter, there's pulsating brains & foreheads & a dream sequence in which someone pulls some stringy bloody stuff out of their ear before it falls off & a spray of blood spurts out. There's a sex scene & a bit of nudity as well but nothing that graphic.The production values are pretty good & the film is well made, it's certainly a lot more professional & polished than Basket Case ever was. The acting is pretty good from a fairly unknown cast, TV horror host John Zacherle provided the voice of Aylmer uncredited.Brain Damage is an unusual & somewhat oddball little late 80's exploitation horror film that works surprisingly well although probably isn't for everyone. Well worth a look if your a fan of the genre or are after something that bit different.