Manipulations

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.

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

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 ...

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

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.