The Brain (1988)

Director: Ed Hunt

Starring: Tom Bresnahan, Cynthia Preston, David Gale

With the help of an alien organism, a man brainwashes audiences through television; a troubled high school student is determined to stop them.

‘The Brain’ is an action-packed fantasy horror that surprised me by how entertaining it was.

Prankster Jim (Tom Bresnahan) is a brilliant student with an attitude problem. In order for him not to be expelled after a prank, he is sent to see celebrity doctor Anthony Blakely (David Gale) at the Psychological Research Institute (RSI). Dr Blakely, however, uses patients for his own experiments, as he attempts to send brain waves from a giant alien brain to humans. Soon, Jim starts hallucinating. There to help him, is his girlfriend, Janet (Cynthia Preston). I enjoyed Jim and Janet as a couple, and the chemistry between them.

The origin of the brain is never explained, but I think it is safe to say it is an alien, and not an actual creation. It feeds on humans, and grows stronger in the process. The brain design was rather creepy, but unfortunately movability was limited to the eyes and mouth. Nevertheless, this creature together with Dr Blakely made for sinister antagonists. Dr Blakely intends brainwashing everyone through his TV program, and once Jim realizes this, does everything he can to stop him.

David Gale is probably best known for his role as Dr Carl Hill in ‘Re-Animator’. There’s a scene in ‘The Brain’ that looks like it comes right out of ‘Re-Animator’. Fans will immediately spot the resemblance!

Many scenes reminded me of the ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ films, playing like a nightmare the victims can’t escape from. The visual effects are pretty darn good! With car chases, interesting villains, great effects, and good acting, ‘The Brain’ is quite a wild ride. This was so much better than expected. This was a hell of a lot of fun!

Would I watch it again? Yes.