User reviews

Granted, there wasn't actually a screaming brain.

We (myself, the wife, a good friend, and my sister in law) just saw this in a local showing in conjunction with a book signing of his new book, "Make Love The Bruce Campbell Way." And, keeping in mind I'm rather a big fan of the esteemed Mr. Campbell, and have been for years, I must, unfortunately, only give it a 6 of 10 score. And that partially due to Mr. Campbell's apologies in advance.

The movie was a happy melange of slapstick and ideas happily lifted from a variety of other old horror films. Given that I was tipped by the title that this wouldn't probably be on this year's Oscar list, I didn't go in expecting too much.

I was right. What I saw was an amusing little film (and I did find many of the jokes funny, by the way) which was a pleasant way to waste a couple of hours, along with a confirmation of long held ideas about Bulgarian motor sports which have plagued me for years. In addition, it does give an interesting view of Mr. Campbell's own world view.

Don't walk into the movie expecting much and you won't be disappointed. Expect a masterpiece and you will be.

(Now to avenge myself on Mr. Campbell for introducing my wife to an excitingly ethnic and film geek approved way to criticize my driving.)

Okay, so I love silly movies. If you enjoy silly sci-fi movies, over the top movies, or if you are a fan of Mr. Bruce Campbell, i would go see this movie. This movie is all that i wanted it to be. Being a fan of over the top movies, this fit the bill. Every time i thought to myself "this movie would be the sillest, best movie ever if *blank* would happen...." then just as i thought it, *blank* would happen. It's a wonderful silly 'b'-movie. If you are a fan of Campbell i'd say 'see it', bring your friends, laugh at it. It's fun. It's not classic, or anything, but if it's on TV some night, watch it. It has become, for me, a movie i would file under "indulgent movies". Movies that may not be good, but after a hard day of work, i could come home and watch, (this list also includes 'harold and kumar go to white castle', 'army of darkness', and ' Intolerable Cruelty' )

If you feel like a over the top, wonderfully slightly bad movie, watch this. if not, go rent "Bubba Ho-tep"

Or if you've seen the "Evil Dead" trilogy and/or "Bubba Ho-Tep", then you should know that his movies are total farces. With "Man with the Screaming Brain", he goes all out again. In this case, he plays smarmy American businessman William Cole visiting Bulgaria - when do we ever get to see that country? - when a woman kills him. So, strange scientist Ivan Ivanov (Stacy Keach) replaces half of Cole's brain with the brain of a former KGB agent, leaving him acting sort of like Steve Martin in "All of Me".

Yes, the whole movie is pretty much an excuse for pure nonsense. Much of the real humor comes from "Evil Dead" director Sam Raimi's brother Ted as Ivanov's nearly brain-dead assistant Pavel. The two men have a relationship more like Laurel and Hardy or Gilligan and the Skipper.

So just understand that this is a totally silly movie, and you won't be a bit disappointed. I liked it, anyway.

this was hands down the worst movie i've seen all year. i completely understand why it isn't in wide theatrical release and going to the sci-fi channel. it really felt like i was watching a piece of crap sci-fi channel movie. i guess that's because i was.

i like bruce campbell from what i've previously seen. bubba ho-tep, jack of all trades, brisco county, and of course the evil dead movies. i've seen him at a book reading before and found he's pretty funny. none of this showed at all in this movie.

i thought that since he was writing, directing, and starring, it had a chance of being alright. i cannot remember a time that i was this wrong.

i wouldn't recommend wasting your time even if you get to see this for free. definitely not worth paying to see, unless bruce is there himself on a promotional tour (as he was when i saw it, he was funny, the movie still was not). in which case, pay to listen to him, ask him a question or something, then leave when the film is about to start. it may sound dumb, but trust me. you'd make better use of your time if you were doing anything else.

i reiterate: awful, awful, awful, awful, awful, awful, awful, awful, awful, awful, awful, awful piece of cinema.

I was fortunate enough to catch a midnight screening of this movie tonight. I must say, I was expecting a horribly cheap movie with bad acting and a mediocre plot. I was completely mistaken. This movie was not only incredibly entertaining, but everything about it I simply loved. Bruce Campbell was as amazing as ever. The biggest surprise was none other than Ted Raimi, you know, Sam's little brother. He played the mad doctor's henchman to the greatest extent. Somewhere between physical comedy and clever dialogue, he did nothing but shine. But i really cannot ignore the magic that is Bruce Campbell. Though I did think that Ted Raimi stole the show, Bruce did what he does best on the big screen. Somewhere between the sketchy nasty American business man and the tragic victim, he displayed the same energy that he has always shown to be incredibly attractive to audiences. The movie itself was often interrupted by applause from the viewers. The crowd was definitely excited with each little turn that the movie took.

This movie may not be Oscar material, but my goodness, it was amazing. I would highly recommend this to any Bruce Campbell fan. Also, anybody that likes campy sci-fi movies, do yourself a favor and watch this. Can't wait till this makes it out to DVD.

Take it as you want to....

• the fed

This was a funny movie. Just having seeing the Evil Dead trilogy not a week ago (and left wanting for more), I got as many Bruce Campbell movies as I could, including really bad ones. This one is funny, without being exceptional, but as sure as hell original.

I mean you've got mad scientists, superhuman cyborgs, half brain freaks, gypsies, ex KGB cab drivers, jealousy, murders of passion, love, romance, sex, action and what more, all with the same 6 actors :)

You really have to see it and enjoy it, I can't explain it in a text box. I guess it is not so much a cult movie as Evil Dead was, but it certainly has that Bruce Campbell touch I love. Ted Raimi lends a hand, Tamara Gorski looks both beautiful and interesting (she has gone a long way from the hooker in Friday the 13th) and Vladimir Kolev also shows a lot of promise as an actor, although he will probably be cast as secondary character in Hollywood movies his entire career.

Bottom line: funny movie. If you liked Evil Dead you'll like this, too.

I saw this movie at a special screening in Dallas with Bruce himself doing a Q&A. I was so excited to see this movie and even more excited due to the fact that Bruce would be there. All he did was bash Hollywood and how the movies suck, I do agree him for the most part. But this movie was supposed to be his rebellion against Hollywood. Let me tell you, he needs to go back to acting and quit making movies. This movie was awful, its no surprise he tried to pitch this idea for the last 20 years. This movie was poorly acted, shot and written. The only thing I remember is wanting this movie to end and I finally realized why he did the Q&A before the movie instead of after due to the fact that a lot of people would want their $14 back we paid to see this thing.

My brain was screaming "why do you keep watching! Turn it off and go to bed!" But couch potatoness won out, and I watched until the predictable ending. I guess when it's Bruce Campbell I need to give it a chance.

I find it hard to complain about a low budget movie purely because of the low budget... time and time again we see low budget movies proving that a good story, good writing and good acting are enough to make a good movie. Ted and Bruce got their start on just such a movie, but they didn't seem to learn from Sam that it takes a bit more than slapping it on film to make a movie.

It's sad, too, because Bruce has always been a favorite. After the 70's and 80's, I just can't believe movies this bad are still being made. Bruce, I'm really disappointed.

B movie icon Bruce Campbell co-wrote this, and made his directorial debut with this sly, knowing slapstick comedy that owes a notable debt to Steve Martins "All of Me". He plays William Cole, an arrogant American industrialist come to Bulgaria (with his wife (Antoinette Byron, 'Home and Away') in tow) to look into business opportunities. Unfortunately, he crosses paths with Tatoya (Tamara Gorski), a crazed gypsy maid, who soon murders him. But his life is saved by another crazed individual, Dr. Ivanov, a scientist played by Stacy Keach. Ivanov has off-the-beaten-path ideas about melding brain matter "like they were those interlocking toys", and Cole now has another mans' mind taking up space in his body. And this man can control some of his actions; only Cole can hear what he says. Together, the two of them set out to get revenge on Tatoya.

"Man with the Screaming Brain" is apt material for ever-engaging Campbell, who once again really gets an opportunity to show off his comedy chops. He's quite funny, and receives fine support from the other actors. Ted Raimi is a standout as Pavel, the doctors' dim-witted henchman who thinks of himself as a very hip guy. (Raimi even does a closing credits rap number!) Some of the highlights include Cole & his new unseen cohort trying to order food & drink at a restaurant, and the misadventures of the wife, who ends up in her own ridiculous situation. Winnipeg-born Gorski ('Hercules: The Legendary Journeys') is so good as the lovely but lethal antagonist that viewers will be anxiously awaiting her demise. Vladimir Kolev ("The Fourth Kind") is fun to watch as easygoing Russian cabbie Yegor.

Some viewers may deride this for being too cheap, or too cheesy, but seeing that it IS supposed to be humorous in nature, aspects like this aren't all that important. Campbell gives the story pace and energy, and some laugh out loud moments, as he carries on in the tradition of all of those B level mad scientist movies of the past.

Seven out of 10.

When you're an avid fan of horror and cult cinema, you're inevitably also an avid fan of Bruce Campbell. That almost goes without saying. He's one of the few actors for which the name alone is enough reason to see a film, regardless of how bad or derivative it may be or regardless of how small his part is. Suffice to say many fans, myself included, very much anticipated "Man with the Screaming Brain" because, not only does Bruce play the lead part in this, it also marks his debut as a director! Sadly though, it isn't a very good film and not something I'd immediately recommend to non-Campbell fans. It still definitely has its moments of ingeniousness and originality, but the overall accomplishment is far below any expectations. Maybe it was wrong to expect a typical B-movie homage to cheesy horror cinema, as the emphasis here clearly lies on comedy. But even as a comedy, "Man with the Screaming Brain" is too derivative and too random to ever become a cult favorite. The first half of the film is still very okay, because you wonder where Campbell is going exactly with all the bizarre and eccentric characters he introduced in such an unusual setting, but once the plot has fully unfolded, you'll be shocked at how simplistic and dull it actually is. Bruce stars as a sly and scumbag US businessman, visiting Bulgaria for one of his fraudulent practices, along with his spoiled and terribly bored wife Jackie. They become involved with a local taxi-driver, but they all get killed by a beautiful gypsy woman who's clearly frustrated no man will marry her. No worries, because the brilliant scientist Dr. Ivan Ivanovich Ivanov discovered a method to successfully separate brain-functions from the nerve system and even to transplant two brains into one head. It was Ivanov's biggest wish to show his breakthrough to the American, so he might as well use him as a guinea pig. Once half of the brains of an ex-Russian communistic rebel is forced to co-exist with half the brain of a typically vain and cocky American, the film quickly turns into a series of clichéd situations, predictable gags and exaggerated jokes about cultural differences. The title isn't even accurate, as the brain doesn't scream, but continuously argues with … itself. A much better title would have been "The Man with Two Brains", but that already exists in the form of a Steve Martin 80's comedy. The film relies too much on familiar faces (Campbell, as well as Ted Raimi playing the clumsy assistant to Ivanov) and far too little on witty dialogs and good action sequences.

I consider myself a fan of Bruce Campbell. Hell, the man was good enough to send me his autograph years back, I have his autobiography, and love his early work in the EVIL DEAD films and the like. Sadly, though, the last fifteen years of his career has been marred by his insistence on churning out these cheap, only mildly amusing B-movies to satisfy his fans.

MY NAME IS BRUCE was one such movie, but MAN WITH THE SCREAMING BRAIN is even worse. It's a real cheapie, shot in Bulgaria and co-starring fan favourites like Stacy Keach and Ted Raimi, but even so it isn't very funny. Campbell - who we must apportion blame to, given that he also wrote and directed the thing - plays a rich businessman who has the brain of a Russian cab driver implanted into his own.

There's no more plot to it than that, and indeed not much of anything at all. I love Raimi's and Keach's work, but the material they're given here is very tame and weak. The silly android stuff I could have done without. There's very little in the way of action or genre tropes, but a whole lot of talk and humour which feels more than a little forced. You'd have to be in a very accepting frame of mind to enjoy this one. Watch out for Bulgarian actor Raicho Vasilev, of IN HELL and SPARTACUS: GODS OF THE ARENA fame, who appears in a cameo.

I don't have many expectations of a B movie, but this one took what seemed like forever to set up.

William Cole (Bruce Campbell) is the Ugly American businessman with the unfaithful wife Jackie (Antoinette Byron) on a trip behind the Iron Curtain. He runs into a cab driver Yegor (Vladimir Kolev) with a jealous gypsy girlfriend Tatoya (Tamara Gorski) who kills all three.

Enter mad scientist Dr. Ivanov (Stacy Keach), and his assistant Pavel (Ted Raimi), who replace the damaged part of Cole's brain with Yegor's. Now we have a competition between an uber Capitalist and a Communist playing out in his body.

If that isn't far-fetched enough, they put Jackie's brain in a robot.

This movie just kept getting crazier and crazier. Funny at times, but crazy.

I went to a screening of this movie where Bruce Campbell did a Q&A before revealing this film. After trashing A-List movies such as Batman Begins and War of the Worlds...Bruce exclaimed that there is no creativity in the realm of Hollywood Budget films. With that said, I expected an extremely well made and plotted out film. Boy, was I disappointed. I am a film student and I'm open to any kind of movie as I love them all...but watching The Man With A Screaming Brain left me in shock. I have no other way to describe it other than F-ing terrible. The events the title leads you to believe to take place don't happen until an hour into the film! The lack of exposition and a hook was staggering! I only wish Bruce had come back for some Q&A after the movie was over. Perhaps he didn't because he knew and couldn't face the audience.....

I don't know what some people were thinking when they said this movie was bad. It Was Great. Classic Bruce Campbell, yes it was low budget and the special effect showed this but that is not what you see a Bruce movie for you watch it for Bruce. Also Ted Rami was excellent. I found this movie hilarious and entertaining I still crack up when I recall Bruce on that pink moped. Now I will admit this movie is not for everyone if you don't like B movies you probably won't like this one if you crave big budget effects and actors steer clear. But if you like slap stick and off the wall sci-fi plots this movie is for you.

Hail The King Baby!

I'm an Evil Dead fan and a few years ago, I ordered this DVD from America. The first time I watched it, I thought "Yeah, it was........ good. I guess." I watched it again a couple of years later, and my love for this film decreased.

It's so boring and unfunny. It's really slow and nothing exciting or memorable happens in it. Even if you are a Bruce fan, you might not like it.

The jokes have been done before. Ted Raimi's character is not funny. He speaks in rapper talk. His scenes are just dull. We get some slapstick from Bruce that is also unfunny. He does reference Evil Dead here and now, but you'll be yawning so much, you won't care.

Because this is a TV movie, it's really cheap. The music and editing are all crap. You feel like you're watching a bad Hallmark film.

There is nothing memorable or exciting in this film. If you can call it a "film".

Is there anything good in it? Well, Stacy Keach and Antionette Byron are really good in this. Other than that, Man With The Screaming Brain is just forgettable.

Bruce fans, just watch Evil Dead or Bubba Ho-Tep instead.

I like Bruce Campbell from his Evil Dead and Army of Darkness roles so I was hoping The Man With The Screaming Brain would be better than it is. Unfortunately most of it is a bore. There is some good satire at the beginning of the film then it degenerates into a wannabe horror film.

Ted Raimi steals the show doing a Shemp Howard (Three Stooges) impersonation which is certainly over the top but it's the only funny thing in the movie. The two women in the film look great -- Antoinette Byron and especially Tamara Gorski with her fiery eyes. Vladimir Kolev as Yegor the cab driver is very good. Stacy Keach is wasted, another aging actor placed in a horror film like so many have been in the past.

You can see Bruce Campbell trying to pay homage to Sam Raimi's directorial style in a few scenes. Filmed in Bulgaria.