Man with the Screaming Brain

I went to see this movie at a book signing in Lexington, Ky last night. After a wonderful night that consisted of a few brief words with Mr. Bruce Campbell (you have to say it all, not just Bruce or Mr. Campbell ;D), friends while the books were being signed, and a QnA session with our favorite deadite killer the lights dimmed.

So as not to spoil anything, I wont go into detail...but I loved the movie! Mr. Bruce Campbell did a wonderful job keeping the classic b-movie feel. The characters were classic 'b' characters, the place was refreshing (what movies do *you* know of that are based in Bulgaria?) and the setting was both near-original and fun! On top of that the humor that is portioned throughout the movie that kept the audience laughing through much of the movie.

While this movie dosen't have as great of a general appeal to people as some, it is a beacon of fun and laughter in a season of (as Mr. Bruce Campbell put it) 'b-movies' that are listed as 'a-movies' (Bewitched, Dukes of Hazard, Charlie and the Chocolate factory? Come on guys!).

Ah, classic comedy. At the point in the movie where brains get messed together, a two minute scene with Bruce Campbell beating himself up partially, reminds me of how simplistic movies and ideas can grab you and wrap you into a whole movie.

For years and years, Bruce Campbell knows what kind of movies we want out of him. We want to see weird movies like Bubba Ho Tep. We want to see cameo roles in Sam Raimi movies, and we want to see 'Man with the Screaming Brain'. With the title alone, one knows that it's going to border that completely silly type of movie, like Army of Darkness, only with more silly and less monsters.

The idea of the movie is simple. Bruce sees doctor. Doctor has new idea. Bruce gets bad things happen to him on way to see doctor. Coincidentally, it's the thing the doctor wanted to show him that saves him. Hilarity ensues.

With the addition of Ted Raimi as a weird Russian guy, and journeyman Stacy Keach as Dr. Ivan Ivanovich Ivanov, it's funny, that does this movie. Complete funny. Never a point of scary.

If you like the silly Bruce Campbell, you'll like this. Then again, why would you be watching this if you didn't like Bruce Campbell?

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.)

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.

These are the kinds of movies I loved, and still love growing up. Unlike big budget movies that crate huge plot holes and never acknowledge them. This movie takes in all in stride and just makes something you can sit back and enjoy.

There was some film student earlier that complained it wasn't A list material. But that is not the point. The point of this movie is that no everyone likes huge CGI Cliché' filled movies. There are a lot of people who like movies that are meant to just entertain you, and not get as much money as they can.

Besides, its also nice to know that good ol' Bruce isn't dead yet.