The first 10 minutes of Brain Damage are awful and hard to watch, as an elderly couple are trashing their apartment looking for Alymer and then we get an overlong hallucination from our main character Brian. Then we are introduced to the Zacherle voiced parasitic Alymer, with a show stopping "hi" and the film just goes bonkers and never stops. There's nothing quite like Brain Damage, a tale of a young man who gets addicted to the intoxicant that a parasitic creature injects into his brain and while running about hallucinating, Alymer feeds on unsuspecting victims brains. It's hilariously gory and thanks to the uncut version finally on the market, the brain removing fellatio sequence is intact in its full ridiculous glory. Henenlotter was firing on all cylinders while making this classic B masterpiece.
81 Reviews
Elmer the Aylmer
macabro3571 September 2003
From the director of BASKET CASE comes his second feature, and this one's his best. And we also get a Collector's Edition DVD from Synapse with a couple of extra goodies.
There's a parasite loose in an apartment building named 'Elmer' who infects a guy named Brian (Rick Herbst) and addicts him to his blue 'juice'. In order to get more juice, Brian has to bring Elmer some more brains to eat. Elmer even smiles and sings in the bathroom sink. What a cute little turd. (laughs) He's so detestably obnoxious that I can't help but like the little b***ard.
It's kinda neat that when Brian brings Elmer out, he attacks people by latching onto their foreheads and burrowing into his victims skulls and eating out their brains with what looks like a long straw. Most of the jerks Elmer does this to, deserve it anyway.
This collector's edition DVD restores the long censored fellatio scene where Elmer pops out of Brian's pants and goes down the prostitute's mouth. And when Elmer's done eating, big hunks of gray matter come popping out of the hooker's mouth. It's a riot!
And there's also the scene where Brian hallucinates during his withdrawal from Elmer's blue 'juice' and imagines pulling a string of tissue out his ear until his ear pops out and the side of his head gushes blood. Cool gore scene.
The Synapse DVD uses an excellent wide-screen print with a great 80s synth soundtrack that includes the song, "Corruption" by The Swimming Pool Qs. Not at all like the crummy, muddy-looking censored VHS tape from a few years back. The only drawback is that there aren't many extras beyond a very interesting separate audio track commentary by director Henenlotter, and a movie trailer for the film.
It's an all out classic in my book. Watch it! Get it!
8 out of 10
There's a parasite loose in an apartment building named 'Elmer' who infects a guy named Brian (Rick Herbst) and addicts him to his blue 'juice'. In order to get more juice, Brian has to bring Elmer some more brains to eat. Elmer even smiles and sings in the bathroom sink. What a cute little turd. (laughs) He's so detestably obnoxious that I can't help but like the little b***ard.
It's kinda neat that when Brian brings Elmer out, he attacks people by latching onto their foreheads and burrowing into his victims skulls and eating out their brains with what looks like a long straw. Most of the jerks Elmer does this to, deserve it anyway.
This collector's edition DVD restores the long censored fellatio scene where Elmer pops out of Brian's pants and goes down the prostitute's mouth. And when Elmer's done eating, big hunks of gray matter come popping out of the hooker's mouth. It's a riot!
And there's also the scene where Brian hallucinates during his withdrawal from Elmer's blue 'juice' and imagines pulling a string of tissue out his ear until his ear pops out and the side of his head gushes blood. Cool gore scene.
The Synapse DVD uses an excellent wide-screen print with a great 80s synth soundtrack that includes the song, "Corruption" by The Swimming Pool Qs. Not at all like the crummy, muddy-looking censored VHS tape from a few years back. The only drawback is that there aren't many extras beyond a very interesting separate audio track commentary by director Henenlotter, and a movie trailer for the film.
It's an all out classic in my book. Watch it! Get it!
8 out of 10
Bloody, gory, sick, FUN!
preppy-37 January 2002
Brian (Rick Herbst) a young, handsome 22 year old is "possessed" by a talking, independent parasite (named Aylmer--NOT Elmer) which lives in his clothes and injects him with a mind-inducing drugs in exchange for brains! Brian tries to get rid of it, but realizes he's hooked on the drugs. What will he do?
Very strange, very gory horror film with obvious drug overtones (although writer/director Frank Henelotter says Aylmer represents a penis). In terms of dialogue and characterization, this is amateur night (you know next to nothing about the characters), but the film does work.
Herbst (now Herst) is very good-looking and pretty good as Brian. Also Gordon MacDonald as his brother/roommate is also very handsome and gives a very good, sympathetic performance. Also, each has scenes with their clothes off--not that I'm complaining! However, Jennifer Lowry as Brian's girlfriend is pretty lame.
This was heavily cut for an R rating back in 1987--the complete version is available on DVD. It looks great, sounds great and some incredibly sick scenes are in it--all played for laughs. It's a great low-budget horror film. Worth catching.
Very strange, very gory horror film with obvious drug overtones (although writer/director Frank Henelotter says Aylmer represents a penis). In terms of dialogue and characterization, this is amateur night (you know next to nothing about the characters), but the film does work.
Herbst (now Herst) is very good-looking and pretty good as Brian. Also Gordon MacDonald as his brother/roommate is also very handsome and gives a very good, sympathetic performance. Also, each has scenes with their clothes off--not that I'm complaining! However, Jennifer Lowry as Brian's girlfriend is pretty lame.
This was heavily cut for an R rating back in 1987--the complete version is available on DVD. It looks great, sounds great and some incredibly sick scenes are in it--all played for laughs. It's a great low-budget horror film. Worth catching.
Juice me up! Henenlotter's most entertaining work
doktor d19 February 2003
Frank Henenlotter's 'Brain Damage' (1987) is easily the director's best film, esp. when considering the solid performances, technical proficiency and fascinating storyline. Aylmer, a rather large, penis-shaped parasite, gives unsuspecting Brian brain damage by getting him hooked on an hallucinogenic, blue fluid that Aylmer himself produces. Oh, the colors! But the thousand-year-old worm-like parasite demands something in return for the buzz - human brains! Aylmer and his actions seem to be a metaphor for drug use and addiction and convey very graphically how substances foreign to our bodies can alter our own thoughts and actions.
Henenlotter adds context and meaning to the proceedings by creating a history for Aylmer. The parasite was sold and stolen over the centuries, until it finally ended up in the possession of Brian's neighbors. But the neighbors deprived Aylmer of his needs in order to keep him weak, and that's where the story begins. Henenlotter's films are never without heavy doses of sick humor, and the perverse highlight here is a sequence depicting a disco-whore getting her brains screwed out - literally - through her mouth. If that's not enough, the special effects in the restaurant scene, complete with spaghetti and brainballs, are particularly polished and satisfying. Ultimately, the director outplays his hand and is left with nowhere to go. Despite this weak ending, 'Brain Damage' is an odd, effective story and film, a major step up from the director's debut, 'Basket Case', but every bit as twisted. >
Henenlotter adds context and meaning to the proceedings by creating a history for Aylmer. The parasite was sold and stolen over the centuries, until it finally ended up in the possession of Brian's neighbors. But the neighbors deprived Aylmer of his needs in order to keep him weak, and that's where the story begins. Henenlotter's films are never without heavy doses of sick humor, and the perverse highlight here is a sequence depicting a disco-whore getting her brains screwed out - literally - through her mouth. If that's not enough, the special effects in the restaurant scene, complete with spaghetti and brainballs, are particularly polished and satisfying. Ultimately, the director outplays his hand and is left with nowhere to go. Despite this weak ending, 'Brain Damage' is an odd, effective story and film, a major step up from the director's debut, 'Basket Case', but every bit as twisted. >
Man, I miss Frank Henenlotter !!!
Coventry21 December 2003
Warning: Spoilers
In the overall mainstream horror business of the 80's, the few movies directed by Frank Henenlotter were an absolute relief and a breath of fresh air. His movies are weird tales that take place in dark and depressive surroundings. The budget he spends on his productions are kept very limited but that really gets compensated by a lot of creativity, inspiration and humor. Brain Damage actually has a lot in common with that other quickie of his, Basket Case. Except that this movie is a lot more light-headed and Frank inserts a lot more comedy aspects here. But not your ordinary kind of comedy. Twisted and perverse humor is a better term to describe it.
SPOILERS AHEAD ***** Brain Damage handles about a young man, named Brian, who gets taken over by some sort of reptile creature. It feeds on brains and he uses Brian to find victims. In exchange for that, he provides Brian by visions and good feelings that are caused by a juicy liquid. The creature - Aylmer - takes complete control of Brian and makes him start a killing spree in his neighborhood. **** END SPOILERS. Brain Damage is a lot less atmospheric than Basket Case and that's all due to the portrayal of the creatures in both movies. Basket Case's Belial is a terrifying monster while Aylmer is a funny looking puppet. His eyes make him almost look cute and his voice is too stylish. But, don't let that spoil the fun because Brain Damage really is a must for low budget cult freaks and admirers of exceptional horror movies. Gorehounds will like it for the huge amount of blood that is shed and the bit more critical fan will appreciate it for its originality. Recommended.
SPOILERS AHEAD ***** Brain Damage handles about a young man, named Brian, who gets taken over by some sort of reptile creature. It feeds on brains and he uses Brian to find victims. In exchange for that, he provides Brian by visions and good feelings that are caused by a juicy liquid. The creature - Aylmer - takes complete control of Brian and makes him start a killing spree in his neighborhood. **** END SPOILERS. Brain Damage is a lot less atmospheric than Basket Case and that's all due to the portrayal of the creatures in both movies. Basket Case's Belial is a terrifying monster while Aylmer is a funny looking puppet. His eyes make him almost look cute and his voice is too stylish. But, don't let that spoil the fun because Brain Damage really is a must for low budget cult freaks and admirers of exceptional horror movies. Gorehounds will like it for the huge amount of blood that is shed and the bit more critical fan will appreciate it for its originality. Recommended.
Feed your head.
PredragReviews10 May 2016
Are you tired of the sameness of Hollywood's over-priced commercialized dross? Check out Mr. Henenlotter's work today. This is a weird film, but in a good way. Elmer is a parasite who will get you high in exchange for brains. The problem was the old people was feeding him animals brain, so Elmer decide to find a new host. The young man was getting so high that he didn't know what Elmer was up to. Elmer didn't care just as he was getting human brains.
The film is also a moral warning about the effects of drugs - they make you feel great at first but before long you're addicted to them, you've screwed your life up and you'll do literally anything to get the fluids you're now dependent on. A very black form of comedy with a serious edge to it, and the inner-city locations provide an excellent atmosphere. Very original, with good writing, and neat visuals for such a low budget.
Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
The film is also a moral warning about the effects of drugs - they make you feel great at first but before long you're addicted to them, you've screwed your life up and you'll do literally anything to get the fluids you're now dependent on. A very black form of comedy with a serious edge to it, and the inner-city locations provide an excellent atmosphere. Very original, with good writing, and neat visuals for such a low budget.
Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
campy original horror at its best.
paintedwallpaper11 June 2005
you know, i just went to see House of Wax the other day, and ten years after scream came out why are the same boring plots with the same boring characters doing the same stupid mistakes our only option for horror these days.
i suggest going back 20 years to the 70's and 80's if you want to find some great horror. horror then was low budget but imaginative. the movies had interesting story lines and were not shy about blood and gore. a good stepping stone for this sub-genre is one of my current favorites, Brain Damage. It starts off on a very surreal note, but mixes its strangeness with an accurate portrayal of a young man hopelessly addicted to the mother of all drugs. his dealer is perhaps the most unique little monster in all of horror, Aylmer (pronounced "elmer").
Aylmer is a purple cucumber shaped alien with a tiny smiling face and a soft warm voice. he finds a host, and injects his host with a blue liquid that comes out of one of Aylmer's fangs. this "brain juice" jacks up its host into a hullucionary state. while the host is in la-la land, Aylmer makes a victim of whoever the host comes in contact with, eating the victims brains.
as vile as all that sounds, it is hard to see Aylmer as evil. he is just such a nice little guy. plus he is unique in his appearance, personality, and attacks, which all go a long way with me in a modern world of horror villains pushed off an assembly line.
this movie is not winning an Oscar. it is strange and campy and violent. but if that is what you desire in a film, this hidden gem may become one of your favorites!
i suggest going back 20 years to the 70's and 80's if you want to find some great horror. horror then was low budget but imaginative. the movies had interesting story lines and were not shy about blood and gore. a good stepping stone for this sub-genre is one of my current favorites, Brain Damage. It starts off on a very surreal note, but mixes its strangeness with an accurate portrayal of a young man hopelessly addicted to the mother of all drugs. his dealer is perhaps the most unique little monster in all of horror, Aylmer (pronounced "elmer").
Aylmer is a purple cucumber shaped alien with a tiny smiling face and a soft warm voice. he finds a host, and injects his host with a blue liquid that comes out of one of Aylmer's fangs. this "brain juice" jacks up its host into a hullucionary state. while the host is in la-la land, Aylmer makes a victim of whoever the host comes in contact with, eating the victims brains.
as vile as all that sounds, it is hard to see Aylmer as evil. he is just such a nice little guy. plus he is unique in his appearance, personality, and attacks, which all go a long way with me in a modern world of horror villains pushed off an assembly line.
this movie is not winning an Oscar. it is strange and campy and violent. but if that is what you desire in a film, this hidden gem may become one of your favorites!
Hilarious movie
metallislayer228 December 2012
Warning: Spoilers
What a hilarious film this is. There are basically 2 main characters in the film. One is Aylmer, a 12 inch worm who needs to feed on brains (preferably human) to survive. The other is Brian, a young man who becomes addicted to a drug that Aylmer injects into his brain. During this drugged state, Aylmer uses Brian as a host to find victims so that he can consume their brains.
The special effects are decent, especially during the kill scenes. Unfortunately, most of the death scenes are very repetitive. They consist of Aylmer leaping from some hidden location and attaching himself to a victim's forehead, where he munches through their skull into their brain whilst they flop about in agony. There is one notable exception however:
In the film's best sequence, Brian has just been drugged by Aylmer. He stumbles into a club suitably named "Hell". There he meets a pretty but incautious hooker. They dance for a while. Brian, stoned out of his mind, is lured by the girl into the club's basement. Brian begins to pass out and the hooker leans him up against a wall. She grabs Brian's crotch and remarks "feels like you got a real monster in there" not knowing of course that the "monster" is in fact Aylmer hiding in Brian's crotch area. Excited, the girl decides to perform oral sex on Brian. She soon gets more than she bargains for. She gets down on her knees, unzips Brian's pants, and just as she opens her mouth, Aylmer burst from the pants and into the girl's mouth. Aylmer forces himself down the girl's throat, and she basically chokes to death as Aylmer burrows through the back of her throat into her skull.
After that the rest of the film is a bit of a let down (how could it not be?) but there are still some good sequences, including one scene where Brian pulls his own brains out through one of his ears (very gory). The acting throughout the film is quite campy, and the music is actually very good.
The ending is rather down beat as virtually every character in the film dies, with the exception of Brian's room mate brother. There are also very few like-able characters in the film. Vicki Darnell, who plays the hooker, is one of the few sympathetic (!) characters in the film. Props to her for putting up with this perverted director's crap, as I've heard shooting the scene mentioned above was a nightmare for the actors involved.
Overall it is an enjoyable, although at times unpleasant, little movie. I prefer it over Basket Case, and it is miles ahead of anything Frank H. has done lately.
The special effects are decent, especially during the kill scenes. Unfortunately, most of the death scenes are very repetitive. They consist of Aylmer leaping from some hidden location and attaching himself to a victim's forehead, where he munches through their skull into their brain whilst they flop about in agony. There is one notable exception however:
In the film's best sequence, Brian has just been drugged by Aylmer. He stumbles into a club suitably named "Hell". There he meets a pretty but incautious hooker. They dance for a while. Brian, stoned out of his mind, is lured by the girl into the club's basement. Brian begins to pass out and the hooker leans him up against a wall. She grabs Brian's crotch and remarks "feels like you got a real monster in there" not knowing of course that the "monster" is in fact Aylmer hiding in Brian's crotch area. Excited, the girl decides to perform oral sex on Brian. She soon gets more than she bargains for. She gets down on her knees, unzips Brian's pants, and just as she opens her mouth, Aylmer burst from the pants and into the girl's mouth. Aylmer forces himself down the girl's throat, and she basically chokes to death as Aylmer burrows through the back of her throat into her skull.
After that the rest of the film is a bit of a let down (how could it not be?) but there are still some good sequences, including one scene where Brian pulls his own brains out through one of his ears (very gory). The acting throughout the film is quite campy, and the music is actually very good.
The ending is rather down beat as virtually every character in the film dies, with the exception of Brian's room mate brother. There are also very few like-able characters in the film. Vicki Darnell, who plays the hooker, is one of the few sympathetic (!) characters in the film. Props to her for putting up with this perverted director's crap, as I've heard shooting the scene mentioned above was a nightmare for the actors involved.
Overall it is an enjoyable, although at times unpleasant, little movie. I prefer it over Basket Case, and it is miles ahead of anything Frank H. has done lately.
"It's A Headache From Hell! "
Backlash00725 September 2001
Brain Damage is the greatest anti-drug horror/comedy. Well, probably the only one. This is Frank Henenlotter's crowning achievement. If you like his Basketcase trilogy, who cares? This is way better than those movies. This movie actually has a message: Don't trust little phallic-like aliens named Aylmer. Just kidding. The anti-drug theme is played heavily throughout the movie. If you're a genre buff or if your sense of humor is as perverted as mine, then do not miss this film. It should be a considered a classic low budget horror movie but it seems that it's rather unheard of. And that is a sad thing. Frank Henenlotter...where are you?
Note for genre buffs: Look out for the man with the wicker basket on the subway. That's Kevin Van Hentenryck from the Basket Case films.
Note for genre buffs: Look out for the man with the wicker basket on the subway. That's Kevin Van Hentenryck from the Basket Case films.
Well put together 80's horror with a message.
poolandrews21 March 2009
Warning: Spoilers
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.
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.
Non scary n gross film with awful effects.
Fella_shibby21 December 2020
I first saw this in the late 80s on a vhs. Revisited it recently. Since it is from the same director, Frank Henenlotter, who gave us Basket Case, this movie also looks like an aped version or deja vu feel.
While Basket Case was scary n creepy at times, this one is boring.
The effects r poor, there is absolutely no scare factor n the ending is one of the worst.
In the train sequence we get to see Kevin Van Hentenryck as Man with basket from Basket Case.
In the train sequence we get to see Kevin Van Hentenryck as Man with basket from Basket Case.
One of my alltime favs!
siektwo26 October 2004
This is one of my alltime favorites of the horror genre! A great movie to watch.
What i like about this movie is the underlying drug related messages throughout. It's like watching requiem for a dream almost in that drug-related sense.
I don't need to tell much about the plot, since i'm sure many have already explained it.
I am a hardcore horror fan through and through, and i will just say that this movie rocks. It's got a great and interesting story, some awesome gore scenes and some hilarious comedy as well. It's not scary, but it is a gory, funny, bizarre, and original movie that isn't even close to being like anything else out there...you gotta see it to believe it.
10 out of 10 (based on a horror fan's review)
What i like about this movie is the underlying drug related messages throughout. It's like watching requiem for a dream almost in that drug-related sense.
I don't need to tell much about the plot, since i'm sure many have already explained it.
I am a hardcore horror fan through and through, and i will just say that this movie rocks. It's got a great and interesting story, some awesome gore scenes and some hilarious comedy as well. It's not scary, but it is a gory, funny, bizarre, and original movie that isn't even close to being like anything else out there...you gotta see it to believe it.
10 out of 10 (based on a horror fan's review)
Trademark Henenlotter with an anti-drug theme
tomgillespie20025 March 2017
Largely ignored on its original release but subsequently gathering a loyal cult following over the years, Brain Damage will no doubt appease fans of director Frank Henenlotter's other darkly humorous and outrageously gory works Basket Case (1982) and Frankenhooker (1990). Bringing his trademark sense of humour and mixing it up with lashings of tongue-in-cheek blood-letting, Brain Damage also strives to deliver a message, and is admirable for the anti-drug theme running throughout. With America in the midst of an AIDS and crack panic at the time, Henenlotter paints a very bleak picture of a New York City in crisis, as a parasitic killer searches for unwitting victims.
Average Joe Brian (Rick Hearst) wakes up one morning feeling disorientated, finding his bed sheets soaked through with blood. He doesn't seem to be cut, but when he looks in the mirror he finds a strange parasitic creature on his person. Looking like a turd with eyes and big teeth, it also has a name, Aylmer, and speaks in a dignified foreign accent (voiced by John Zacherle). Injecting Brian through the back of the neck with a blue liquid that gives the unsuspecting goofball a drug-like sense of euphoria, Brian gets hooked on the stuff, and Aylmer exploits his addiction for food. Only Aylmer has a taste for human brains, and so Brian must spend his sober hours searching for human victims. Alienating himself from his girlfriend Barbara (Jennifer Lowry), Brian also faces the threat of the symbiote's former owners, who have been going cold turkey ever since it fled.
Cut to pieces on its original home video release but later restored, it isn't difficult to see why the ratings board demanded the removal of certain scenes. A wonderfully wince-inducing scene in which Brian pulls his own brain out of his ear for what seems like an eternity found itself on the cutting-room floor, as did the uncomfortable scene where a woman is eaten alive while appearing to be performing fellatio in an unnecessarily sexualised moment of pure exploitation that left me genuinely horrified, and not in a good way. The story and characters are engaging enough to keep the film interesting, while the obvious lack of budget means that the acting is sub-par and the special effects are often laughable, if not charming. The main strength is Brain Damage's depiction of a drug addict going to increasingly desperate measures in order to procure his fix, and Hearst is surprisingly good in the role. Fans of Henenlotter should keep their eyes peeled for the appearance of a certain man with a basket.
Average Joe Brian (Rick Hearst) wakes up one morning feeling disorientated, finding his bed sheets soaked through with blood. He doesn't seem to be cut, but when he looks in the mirror he finds a strange parasitic creature on his person. Looking like a turd with eyes and big teeth, it also has a name, Aylmer, and speaks in a dignified foreign accent (voiced by John Zacherle). Injecting Brian through the back of the neck with a blue liquid that gives the unsuspecting goofball a drug-like sense of euphoria, Brian gets hooked on the stuff, and Aylmer exploits his addiction for food. Only Aylmer has a taste for human brains, and so Brian must spend his sober hours searching for human victims. Alienating himself from his girlfriend Barbara (Jennifer Lowry), Brian also faces the threat of the symbiote's former owners, who have been going cold turkey ever since it fled.
Cut to pieces on its original home video release but later restored, it isn't difficult to see why the ratings board demanded the removal of certain scenes. A wonderfully wince-inducing scene in which Brian pulls his own brain out of his ear for what seems like an eternity found itself on the cutting-room floor, as did the uncomfortable scene where a woman is eaten alive while appearing to be performing fellatio in an unnecessarily sexualised moment of pure exploitation that left me genuinely horrified, and not in a good way. The story and characters are engaging enough to keep the film interesting, while the obvious lack of budget means that the acting is sub-par and the special effects are often laughable, if not charming. The main strength is Brain Damage's depiction of a drug addict going to increasingly desperate measures in order to procure his fix, and Hearst is surprisingly good in the role. Fans of Henenlotter should keep their eyes peeled for the appearance of a certain man with a basket.
Turd on the rampage!
davelynch1610 August 2002
A Movie that is so mind bogglingly bad it's actually good. Get this, a small slug like creature witch resembles a purple turd, I kid you not, controls a young man by secreting a blue juice into him. This has the effects of almost every drug, euphoria hallucinations and downright dependency. Aylmer (The turds name) then accompanies the man on his walkabouts while under the influence, and uses him to eat people's brains. This movie is almost on a par with any of Ed Woods's masterpieces of rubbish. Brain Damage suffers from very poor visuals, naff script and bad acting (wait till you get a load of the German guy). The version I saw was cut, so that didn't help. But you cant help liking this movie for its sheer badness, its actually a lot of fun, and does have a moral, The Drugs don't work.
Effective cult horror
lor_27 April 2023
My review was written in April 1988 after a screening at Cine 42 on Manhattan's 42nd St.
"Brain Damage" is an overly ambitious but nonetheless rewarding low-budget horror film using the monster genre as a timely metaphor for drug addiction and its ills.
Unfortunately, pic has been poorly promoted and instead of a careful launch it preemed at the sleziest theater on 42nd Street in Manhattan.
Filmmaker Frank Henenlotter showed promise with his 1982 pic (shot in 16 mm) "Basket Case", with many of his collaborators encoroing on this 35mm followup, which includes a funny camro (with basket) byh the first pic's lead Kevin Van Hentenryck.
Rick Herbst stars as Brian, a youngster who's bitten by Elmer the Parasite (film's working title), a centuries-old eel-like monstr being kept alive on animal brains by goofball neighbors Theo Barnes and Lucille Saint-Peter. As Brian quickly learns, Elmer gives his host a periodic jolt of "juice", blue fluid injectged into the brain which provides a psychedelic high.
Brian becomes addicted to this pleasure and carrying Elmer around under his shirt gives the monster access to human victims, whose brains Elmer dines upon. Pic climaxes when Elve4r goes after the heroine, Brian's pal Barbara (Jennifer Lowry).
At every step, Henenlotter makes clear the analogy between Brian's plight and drug addiction, including going cold turkey and radical behavior changes as a tipoff to family (Brian's brother Mike, played by Gordon MacDonald) and friends, etc. Horror format is useful in this regard, heavily leavened by outbreaks of black humor.
Elmer, created by Gabe Bartalos and David Kindlon, is an admirable achievementg, a mobile puppet-like monstr that pays homage to films ranging from "Fiend Withoutg a Face" to "The TIngle". With a wisecracking voice (uncredited, but sounding like tv horror movie host Zacherly) and cute eytes, Elmer is funny as well as scary in context.
Acting is over-the-top and film could have benefited from the casting of name talent in order to cross over to mainstream audiences with its timely thematics. As it is, Henenlotter, cinematograher Bruce Torbe and their team have maintained a harsh, cheap, underground look that fis the picture's cult ambitions. Overuse of blue filters is one drawback, however. Keyboards musical score by Gus Russo and Clutch Reiser is extremely effective.
"Brain Damage" is an overly ambitious but nonetheless rewarding low-budget horror film using the monster genre as a timely metaphor for drug addiction and its ills.
Unfortunately, pic has been poorly promoted and instead of a careful launch it preemed at the sleziest theater on 42nd Street in Manhattan.
Filmmaker Frank Henenlotter showed promise with his 1982 pic (shot in 16 mm) "Basket Case", with many of his collaborators encoroing on this 35mm followup, which includes a funny camro (with basket) byh the first pic's lead Kevin Van Hentenryck.
Rick Herbst stars as Brian, a youngster who's bitten by Elmer the Parasite (film's working title), a centuries-old eel-like monstr being kept alive on animal brains by goofball neighbors Theo Barnes and Lucille Saint-Peter. As Brian quickly learns, Elmer gives his host a periodic jolt of "juice", blue fluid injectged into the brain which provides a psychedelic high.
Brian becomes addicted to this pleasure and carrying Elmer around under his shirt gives the monster access to human victims, whose brains Elmer dines upon. Pic climaxes when Elve4r goes after the heroine, Brian's pal Barbara (Jennifer Lowry).
At every step, Henenlotter makes clear the analogy between Brian's plight and drug addiction, including going cold turkey and radical behavior changes as a tipoff to family (Brian's brother Mike, played by Gordon MacDonald) and friends, etc. Horror format is useful in this regard, heavily leavened by outbreaks of black humor.
Elmer, created by Gabe Bartalos and David Kindlon, is an admirable achievementg, a mobile puppet-like monstr that pays homage to films ranging from "Fiend Withoutg a Face" to "The TIngle". With a wisecracking voice (uncredited, but sounding like tv horror movie host Zacherly) and cute eytes, Elmer is funny as well as scary in context.
Acting is over-the-top and film could have benefited from the casting of name talent in order to cross over to mainstream audiences with its timely thematics. As it is, Henenlotter, cinematograher Bruce Torbe and their team have maintained a harsh, cheap, underground look that fis the picture's cult ambitions. Overuse of blue filters is one drawback, however. Keyboards musical score by Gus Russo and Clutch Reiser is extremely effective.
Henenlotter's Third Best Film
gavin694210 March 2013
One morning a young man (Rick Hearst) wakes to find a small, disgusting creature has attached itself to the base of his brain stem. The creature gives him a euphoric state of happiness but in return demands human victims.
After "Basket Case", Frank Henenlotter wanted to do a project called "Insect City", but that fell through due to funding and other issues... so he instead went for a twist on 1950s science fiction. He posited the idea: what if someone had a parasite, but one they actually wanted? This is an interesting concept, and was fleshed out to the idea of an "aylmer", this creature that was passed down from great ruler to great ruler for centuries. The story was so well-written that you feel it must have been at least partially based on some legend. Nope, just Henenlotter's genius.
The film is now widely seen as a metaphor for drug addiction, or addiction in general. But interestingly, this seems to be an afterthought. Henenlotter said the idea came to him like this: first, he thought of a creature attached to someone who needs to kill. But then, going with the concept of a "welcome" parasite, he wondered why the host would allow this, so he came up with the drug aspect. So rather than this being a story about the side effects of drugs, it is actually quite the other way around...
And, of course, as a selling point we have Henenlotter gore. While this film ranks beneath "Basket Case" and "Frankenhooker" as far as overall quality, it has some of the best gore... with scenes that had to be cut (for both the MPAA and the distributor!) but have since resurfaced. For those who love extreme films, the alley scene can only be enjoyed uncut.
As a bonus for horror fans, we even have the voice of Zacherle. Interestingly, Zacherle worked uncredited because he was in SAG and could not be in a non-union film at the risk of getting fined or tossed out of the union. His voice being so recognizable, some saw his lack of credit as an insult, but just the opposite was true: to give him credit would have opened him up to great punishment!
The legacy of "Brain Damage" cannot be ignored. Like all other Henenlotter films, it has acquired a cult following. Not as much as "Basket Case", but more so than "Bad Biology". And lead actor Rick Hearst has done well for himself, going from this independent production to becoming the king of daytime television, becoming a regular on no fewer than five soap operas! Quite the change of pace from low budget gore.
But most interesting is probably editor James Kwei, whom most people have never heard of. Kewi had been in horror for a while with "Christmas Evil", "Maximum Overdrive" and others. But after this, he increasingly became associated with the films of Martin Scorsese, including "Goodfellas". While he had already been with Scorsese since "After Hours" (1985), it was at this point (1988) where he really switched gears.
The Arrow Video Blu-ray is crammed fuller than Mr. Creosote. There is a brand new audio commentary by Frank Henenlotter and several featurettes. We have "Listen to the Light: The Making of Brain Damage", a brand new documentary featuring interviews with actor Rick Herbst, producer Edgar Ievins, editor James Kwei, first assistant director Gregory Lamberson, visual effects supervisor Al Magliochetti and makeup artist Dan Frye. There is "The Effects of Brain Damage" with FX artist Gabe Bartalos, and "A Look Back" with assistant editor Karen Ogle.
And still more... "Elmer's Turf: The NYC Locations of Brain Damage", sort of a supplement to the tour Henenlotter gives on the "Basket Case" Blu-ray. The interesting "Tasty Memories: A Brain Damage Obsession" interview with superfan Adam Skinner. A "Brain Damage" Q&A with Henenlotter recorded at the 2016 Offscreen Film Festival. And certainly not least of all, "Bygone Behemoth" (2010), an animated short by Harry Chaskin, featuring a brief appearance by John Zacherle in his final on screen credit.
After "Basket Case", Frank Henenlotter wanted to do a project called "Insect City", but that fell through due to funding and other issues... so he instead went for a twist on 1950s science fiction. He posited the idea: what if someone had a parasite, but one they actually wanted? This is an interesting concept, and was fleshed out to the idea of an "aylmer", this creature that was passed down from great ruler to great ruler for centuries. The story was so well-written that you feel it must have been at least partially based on some legend. Nope, just Henenlotter's genius.
The film is now widely seen as a metaphor for drug addiction, or addiction in general. But interestingly, this seems to be an afterthought. Henenlotter said the idea came to him like this: first, he thought of a creature attached to someone who needs to kill. But then, going with the concept of a "welcome" parasite, he wondered why the host would allow this, so he came up with the drug aspect. So rather than this being a story about the side effects of drugs, it is actually quite the other way around...
And, of course, as a selling point we have Henenlotter gore. While this film ranks beneath "Basket Case" and "Frankenhooker" as far as overall quality, it has some of the best gore... with scenes that had to be cut (for both the MPAA and the distributor!) but have since resurfaced. For those who love extreme films, the alley scene can only be enjoyed uncut.
As a bonus for horror fans, we even have the voice of Zacherle. Interestingly, Zacherle worked uncredited because he was in SAG and could not be in a non-union film at the risk of getting fined or tossed out of the union. His voice being so recognizable, some saw his lack of credit as an insult, but just the opposite was true: to give him credit would have opened him up to great punishment!
The legacy of "Brain Damage" cannot be ignored. Like all other Henenlotter films, it has acquired a cult following. Not as much as "Basket Case", but more so than "Bad Biology". And lead actor Rick Hearst has done well for himself, going from this independent production to becoming the king of daytime television, becoming a regular on no fewer than five soap operas! Quite the change of pace from low budget gore.
But most interesting is probably editor James Kwei, whom most people have never heard of. Kewi had been in horror for a while with "Christmas Evil", "Maximum Overdrive" and others. But after this, he increasingly became associated with the films of Martin Scorsese, including "Goodfellas". While he had already been with Scorsese since "After Hours" (1985), it was at this point (1988) where he really switched gears.
The Arrow Video Blu-ray is crammed fuller than Mr. Creosote. There is a brand new audio commentary by Frank Henenlotter and several featurettes. We have "Listen to the Light: The Making of Brain Damage", a brand new documentary featuring interviews with actor Rick Herbst, producer Edgar Ievins, editor James Kwei, first assistant director Gregory Lamberson, visual effects supervisor Al Magliochetti and makeup artist Dan Frye. There is "The Effects of Brain Damage" with FX artist Gabe Bartalos, and "A Look Back" with assistant editor Karen Ogle.
And still more... "Elmer's Turf: The NYC Locations of Brain Damage", sort of a supplement to the tour Henenlotter gives on the "Basket Case" Blu-ray. The interesting "Tasty Memories: A Brain Damage Obsession" interview with superfan Adam Skinner. A "Brain Damage" Q&A with Henenlotter recorded at the 2016 Offscreen Film Festival. And certainly not least of all, "Bygone Behemoth" (2010), an animated short by Harry Chaskin, featuring a brief appearance by John Zacherle in his final on screen credit.
Disembodied brain
smellthecult-com-17 November 2009
Warning: Spoilers
This starts off well enough, with the rather intriguing idea of a parasitical creature that drugs its victims in order to procure the brains of those around it, but it never really gets going anywhere, and I quickly hoped for a bit more action. Similarly to that other Henenlotter classic Basket Case, this makes use of stop motion animation to render the creature on screen, and it is hit and miss in terms of the success. At times it seems quite realistic, at others like a piece of plasticine.
A nice idea all round, it's just a shame it couldn't have had a bit more energy and, if checking out Henenlotter for the first time, I'd go with Basket Case every time.
A nice idea all round, it's just a shame it couldn't have had a bit more energy and, if checking out Henenlotter for the first time, I'd go with Basket Case every time.
Low budget gore nonsense....this is great stuff!
The_Void24 October 2005
While the special effects look dated in this computer dominant age of cinema that we live in, Frank Henenlotter's imaginative and unsettling Brain Damage has lost of it's fun after all these years, and that element is more important than any amount of special effects. Working from the same fundamental plot basic as the director's hit trash-film "Basket Case", Brain Damage portrays a relationship between a young man and a hideous creature unfolding. The stories are very different, but it's obvious that this idea interests the director and links between the two films are more than obvious (the ham-fisted tribute towards the earlier film being far too much so!). The plot sees a young man named Brian waking up in a pool of blood. It isn't long before he's tripping and before he knows it, he's hooked on the brain fluid that a mysterious thing known as 'Aylmer' has pumped into his head. Like all parasites, Aylmer doesn't give Brian the brain fluid because he's a nice guy - he wants something in return, namely the brains of Brian's fellow citizens. Cue lots of bloodletting as Brian and his 'friend' tear their way through the city!
The fact that budget was a big constraint to this film is always evident, but it hardly matters because the underrated director has taken his ideas and just made the best of them with what he's got, and the result is far better than any of these big budget but no idea films that people are often impressed by. A bit like that one with the 'great' twist where Bruce Willis plays a psychologist to a boy who can see dead people. My only real complaint with Henenlotter's handling is that he has a tendency to drag things out a little bit. We see Aylmer open up his mouth, stick the thing in Brian's neck and then the fluid going over the brain EVERY time, when once would have sufficed. Many things about the story aren't very well explained, or completely ignored; but there are little hints towards the history of Aylmer, and this gives Brain Damage a good dose of intrigue. Leaving it open is good, but maybe just a little more on how Aylmer came about wouldn't have gone amiss. There's plenty of blood on display, and despite the rather playful effects on the monster itself, Brain Damage still manages to be oddly frightening. And besides, you've got to love John Zacherle's voicing! In case you haven't guessed - this is highly recommended viewing!
The fact that budget was a big constraint to this film is always evident, but it hardly matters because the underrated director has taken his ideas and just made the best of them with what he's got, and the result is far better than any of these big budget but no idea films that people are often impressed by. A bit like that one with the 'great' twist where Bruce Willis plays a psychologist to a boy who can see dead people. My only real complaint with Henenlotter's handling is that he has a tendency to drag things out a little bit. We see Aylmer open up his mouth, stick the thing in Brian's neck and then the fluid going over the brain EVERY time, when once would have sufficed. Many things about the story aren't very well explained, or completely ignored; but there are little hints towards the history of Aylmer, and this gives Brain Damage a good dose of intrigue. Leaving it open is good, but maybe just a little more on how Aylmer came about wouldn't have gone amiss. There's plenty of blood on display, and despite the rather playful effects on the monster itself, Brain Damage still manages to be oddly frightening. And besides, you've got to love John Zacherle's voicing! In case you haven't guessed - this is highly recommended viewing!
Well done, Frank!
solitaryman24 February 2000
I think this movie is really interesting and deserves its space in horror history. Okay, it's not a Cronenberg's film but it works anyway. And Rick Herbst's performance shows more closely than in other movies what is addiction. The plot is right, though the characters are not perfectly molded, but anyway it's a good job, considering the budget.
BUY THIS DVD! BUY THIS DVD! BUY THIS DVD!
dogcow3 August 2000
This is probably one of the best horror movies ive ever seen and on dvd its got a clear, crisp picture. Including theatrical trailer, commentary track, and soundtrack-only audio track. (it also includes a hidden trailer for Basket Case). Everything about it is just wonderful, a must buy! As for the movie its probably henenlotters best, truly tasteless with better effects than basket case and a more interesting story.
Decent schlocky 1980's horror/comedy, and with a few brief moments of male eroticism
joepm2810 September 2023
I caught Brain Damage on ScreamTV and was pleasantly surprised, yet not wowed enough to give this 1980's low budget horror/comedy more than a 6.
Brian (Rick Hearst) wakes up one day feeling awful. His girlfriend, Barbara (Jennifer Lowry) comes over to see where he's at. Well, he's too sick to go out so his roommate/brother Mike (Gordon MacDonald) fills in. Comes to pass, some worm-like alien life form that looks like a blue turd has escaped from the neighbors' apartment and has now taken Brian on as its host. The creature, Aylmer (pronounced Elmer), is able to gives Brian a hallucinogenic rush into his spinal cord. In return, it demands to be hooked up to living human brains. What ensues is Brian spiraling out of control under Aylmer's influence as he becomes a complete drug addict and unleashes Aylmer's killing spree in some creative ways. The film, while very gory, is also kind of funny, yet sort of in the middling range of this genre.
As an aside, I will say there are some awesome male twink shots just about halfway through, one of MacDonald in his tights whiteys and one of Hearst showing his bare butt.
Brian (Rick Hearst) wakes up one day feeling awful. His girlfriend, Barbara (Jennifer Lowry) comes over to see where he's at. Well, he's too sick to go out so his roommate/brother Mike (Gordon MacDonald) fills in. Comes to pass, some worm-like alien life form that looks like a blue turd has escaped from the neighbors' apartment and has now taken Brian on as its host. The creature, Aylmer (pronounced Elmer), is able to gives Brian a hallucinogenic rush into his spinal cord. In return, it demands to be hooked up to living human brains. What ensues is Brian spiraling out of control under Aylmer's influence as he becomes a complete drug addict and unleashes Aylmer's killing spree in some creative ways. The film, while very gory, is also kind of funny, yet sort of in the middling range of this genre.
As an aside, I will say there are some awesome male twink shots just about halfway through, one of MacDonald in his tights whiteys and one of Hearst showing his bare butt.
No, just no!
paulclaassen14 July 2020
Okay, so how would one describe this film? Weird definitely comes to mind. And brain damage. Yup, this film killed my brain cells!!
'Brain Damage' might be good for a laugh (at how bad it is). It probably also will appeal to anyone using drugs, smoking weed, or has done any substance that elevate their state of mind and being. As someone who has never used drugs - or even smoke - I can't relate to this load of crap.
So, this thing that attached itself to Brian (Rick Hearst) stimulate the host's brain like a drug, and then eats other people's brains. Note that I call it a thing and not a parasite or a creature, as it literally is just a thing. Very little thought went into the design of this thing. 'Brain Damage' is a cheaply made film and offers everything you'd expect from a cheap B-film: bad acting, bad script, idiotic characters, bad effects.... Let's just call it a very bad super low budget B-film... The only scene I found funny, was the scene mimicking a blow job. Okay, that seriously was funny!
'Brain Damage' might have worked as a short instead of a feature. This is one of the most annoying films I've had the displeasure of watching. Oh, please let me forget this! I want to forget! Eylmer...pfff!!!
Would I watch it again? No.
'Brain Damage' might be good for a laugh (at how bad it is). It probably also will appeal to anyone using drugs, smoking weed, or has done any substance that elevate their state of mind and being. As someone who has never used drugs - or even smoke - I can't relate to this load of crap.
So, this thing that attached itself to Brian (Rick Hearst) stimulate the host's brain like a drug, and then eats other people's brains. Note that I call it a thing and not a parasite or a creature, as it literally is just a thing. Very little thought went into the design of this thing. 'Brain Damage' is a cheaply made film and offers everything you'd expect from a cheap B-film: bad acting, bad script, idiotic characters, bad effects.... Let's just call it a very bad super low budget B-film... The only scene I found funny, was the scene mimicking a blow job. Okay, that seriously was funny!
'Brain Damage' might have worked as a short instead of a feature. This is one of the most annoying films I've had the displeasure of watching. Oh, please let me forget this! I want to forget! Eylmer...pfff!!!
Would I watch it again? No.
Aylmer-icious!
SuperKino27 January 2014
Warning: Spoilers
I found the DVD of "Brain Damage" in a cheap-DVD-chest in a tech store and of course i've immediately bought it, at the time the only title in mind by Frank Henenlotter was "Basket case".
Well, i must admit that was a great surprise, the story, the cheap props, the psychedelic lights, the '80 visual effects (the first "lsd-trip" of Brian with the room filled with water is great), everything works well in a funny and splatter context. There are also some genial scenes like the intro part with the elderly couple, the one with the blonde girl in the Hell club, the scene with Duane Bradley cameo and, of course, the ending scene. In conclusion, a must-see milestone in the '80 splatter/horror comedy genre!
Well, i must admit that was a great surprise, the story, the cheap props, the psychedelic lights, the '80 visual effects (the first "lsd-trip" of Brian with the room filled with water is great), everything works well in a funny and splatter context. There are also some genial scenes like the intro part with the elderly couple, the one with the blonde girl in the Hell club, the scene with Duane Bradley cameo and, of course, the ending scene. In conclusion, a must-see milestone in the '80 splatter/horror comedy genre!
Another great low-budget movie from an excellent director.
chrisward4616 February 2009
Warning: Spoilers
I can't believe I missed this one first time around. Having been introduced to Frank Henenlotter via 'Basket Case' in the late eighties, and then being compelled to watch 'Basket Case 2' and the excellent 'Frankenhooker', I must have fallen into a coma at some point because I don't recall having seen or heard of 'Brain Damage' at all.
The one thing that is slightly annoying about writing about movies like this is that when you write down what the movie is about, it looks complete nonsense. If I was to tell you that this is about a small monster that looks like a burnt penis, but can speak perfect English, and that it attatches itself to the back of your neck, injects a drug into your brain that gets you high as a kite while the monster sucks people's brains out, then...well, it doesn't sound like a BAFTA winner, does it? But that is what the movie is about. The monster, or Aylmer as it is known, attatches itself to Brian, a normal young man who has a girlfriend and lives with his brother in the same apartment block as Aylmer's previous owners, and soon gets Brian under his control by injecting him through the back of his neck and into his brain with a blue substance that sends Brian into a psychedelic haze as he staggers around finding victims for Aylmer to feed on. Sounds crazy? Well, it is - and wonderfully so. Anyone familiar with Frank Henenlotter's other works will know what to expect, and anyone not familiar will be in for a shock.
Had I seen this in 1988 when it came out, I probably could have given it an extra mark - for nostalgia's sake. But as I'm watching it with 2009 eyes, it does look very dated. The effects are pretty good for such a low-budget movie, and if it was made now it would all be CGI so I guess we should be thankful for that. The acting is poor, but then I think that adds to the charm of the movie. It is a very entertaining movie, as all of Henenlotter's are, but unless you are a genre fan, and not just a casual window shopper, it may not appeal as much.
The one thing that is slightly annoying about writing about movies like this is that when you write down what the movie is about, it looks complete nonsense. If I was to tell you that this is about a small monster that looks like a burnt penis, but can speak perfect English, and that it attatches itself to the back of your neck, injects a drug into your brain that gets you high as a kite while the monster sucks people's brains out, then...well, it doesn't sound like a BAFTA winner, does it? But that is what the movie is about. The monster, or Aylmer as it is known, attatches itself to Brian, a normal young man who has a girlfriend and lives with his brother in the same apartment block as Aylmer's previous owners, and soon gets Brian under his control by injecting him through the back of his neck and into his brain with a blue substance that sends Brian into a psychedelic haze as he staggers around finding victims for Aylmer to feed on. Sounds crazy? Well, it is - and wonderfully so. Anyone familiar with Frank Henenlotter's other works will know what to expect, and anyone not familiar will be in for a shock.
Had I seen this in 1988 when it came out, I probably could have given it an extra mark - for nostalgia's sake. But as I'm watching it with 2009 eyes, it does look very dated. The effects are pretty good for such a low-budget movie, and if it was made now it would all be CGI so I guess we should be thankful for that. The acting is poor, but then I think that adds to the charm of the movie. It is a very entertaining movie, as all of Henenlotter's are, but unless you are a genre fan, and not just a casual window shopper, it may not appeal as much.
You get what you paid for, but no high-end production...
welshnew5019 July 2017
I can still remember being disturbed by brain damage in my early teens, it's simultaneous spinal-column / parts of the brain co-functioning creeping-out effect of its co-star the parasite, being approximately the same size/shape as the upper end of the spinal column, which when some perceive, and attempt to internally identify, have... end-of-one's-signals , kinds of mis-perceptions and sensory mis-labelling ... in other words , mis-conceptualize whether or not nerve signals 'end' , at the top, which they do not, or when then attempting to sense that 'end' , then mis-identify, the believed-in, 'end'.
The behaviors inamongst the screenplay / progression of the plot, in some ways don't really matter, in terms of the presentation and direct-shock value, that this movie had despite its obviously very limited budget , as is at times amusingly obvious such as the bottle of sauce squirting out the top of the toilet-cubicle, with yet another colored light, to make it look more blood red than tomato...etc For those who LIKE, those kinds of productions, then with no further ado, shock your sense of good taste, and perhaps parts of your brain you haven't't used in a while...
But for those who want more from their horror movies, no, the limited plot and motivations, are purposed, ones.
But in terms of deeply shocking people who are inamongst us horror movie watchers, who NEED to be stimulated deeply, to perhaps regain some sense of things that contribute to their choices... when never knowing just how much, parasites do, to us in terms of out behavior...
then yes - it retains value as a example of WHAT to do, in terms of visual back and forth between the main character and his parasite ; 1 in terms of perspective, 2 at times camera-work (although sometimes its a little too character-focused) 3 needed visual-demonstration sequences (unlike what there are not, in 'agency' films, where rapid dialogue, which in a book with heaps of it beforehand, makes a lot of sense, but in a movie, just seems like professionalists jabbering) 4 and of course relatively well chosen / matched casting and props, for a minimalism of SCOPE, of the main character - is not MEANT, to be someone with a lot of capacity for travel, or communication, or a sense of trust ... the stage-like limited number of scenes were it ever a play, is recognizable in terms of what was and was NOT written into the script.
4-2 in that sense, it actually does reasonably well, with very little, and the perhaps too-much human characters of-differences interacting with the main character+parasite, are then well focused upon, in terms of drawing one's attention to the real reasons for the behavior - unmistakably, the parasite.
4-3 if this is NOT, done, if focus is not maintained, in terms of a PERSONIFIED , character ... often parasite HAVE, no sense of person/thought...
then movies which although having much better special effects and expensive productions, actually FAIL, where Brain damage succeeds, at MAINTAINING , focus, on the one-theme dynamic between the two.
That makes it limited of course, but hey... *shrugs* ... what do you expect from a movie like this? go watch some masterpiece if that's what you're after! For what you pay for, Brain Damage delivers, though crudely and almost, Eraserhead-ingly, no-room-to-breathe-ingly, crammed kind of way.
That adds to the sensory impact though, so its a shame it had such a low budget - with not necessarily much more, it could've been a lot more memorable, in terms of recognizable style.
That, it does NOT have - the ordinary looking scope of transitions, the whole film is in, and the over-use of color, is both compatible with common color use (such as on concrete walls in cities) , AND, the blood/CSF blue , overused - the combination is a bit like gross color/contrast/dimming usage from old horror movies from times gone by, although to the less aware of film techniques, this might not be obvious - UNlike, a more more modern cheap movie like the Blair witch project, this actually HAS , effort, in its production.
The behaviors inamongst the screenplay / progression of the plot, in some ways don't really matter, in terms of the presentation and direct-shock value, that this movie had despite its obviously very limited budget , as is at times amusingly obvious such as the bottle of sauce squirting out the top of the toilet-cubicle, with yet another colored light, to make it look more blood red than tomato...etc For those who LIKE, those kinds of productions, then with no further ado, shock your sense of good taste, and perhaps parts of your brain you haven't't used in a while...
But for those who want more from their horror movies, no, the limited plot and motivations, are purposed, ones.
But in terms of deeply shocking people who are inamongst us horror movie watchers, who NEED to be stimulated deeply, to perhaps regain some sense of things that contribute to their choices... when never knowing just how much, parasites do, to us in terms of out behavior...
then yes - it retains value as a example of WHAT to do, in terms of visual back and forth between the main character and his parasite ; 1 in terms of perspective, 2 at times camera-work (although sometimes its a little too character-focused) 3 needed visual-demonstration sequences (unlike what there are not, in 'agency' films, where rapid dialogue, which in a book with heaps of it beforehand, makes a lot of sense, but in a movie, just seems like professionalists jabbering) 4 and of course relatively well chosen / matched casting and props, for a minimalism of SCOPE, of the main character - is not MEANT, to be someone with a lot of capacity for travel, or communication, or a sense of trust ... the stage-like limited number of scenes were it ever a play, is recognizable in terms of what was and was NOT written into the script.
4-2 in that sense, it actually does reasonably well, with very little, and the perhaps too-much human characters of-differences interacting with the main character+parasite, are then well focused upon, in terms of drawing one's attention to the real reasons for the behavior - unmistakably, the parasite.
4-3 if this is NOT, done, if focus is not maintained, in terms of a PERSONIFIED , character ... often parasite HAVE, no sense of person/thought...
then movies which although having much better special effects and expensive productions, actually FAIL, where Brain damage succeeds, at MAINTAINING , focus, on the one-theme dynamic between the two.
That makes it limited of course, but hey... *shrugs* ... what do you expect from a movie like this? go watch some masterpiece if that's what you're after! For what you pay for, Brain Damage delivers, though crudely and almost, Eraserhead-ingly, no-room-to-breathe-ingly, crammed kind of way.
That adds to the sensory impact though, so its a shame it had such a low budget - with not necessarily much more, it could've been a lot more memorable, in terms of recognizable style.
That, it does NOT have - the ordinary looking scope of transitions, the whole film is in, and the over-use of color, is both compatible with common color use (such as on concrete walls in cities) , AND, the blood/CSF blue , overused - the combination is a bit like gross color/contrast/dimming usage from old horror movies from times gone by, although to the less aware of film techniques, this might not be obvious - UNlike, a more more modern cheap movie like the Blair witch project, this actually HAS , effort, in its production.
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