| The Brain | |
|---|---|
 VHS cover | |
| Directed by | Edward Hunt |
| Story by | Barry Pearson |
| Produced by | Don Haig |
| Starring | Tom Bresnahan Cynthia Preston David Gale |
| Cinematography | Gilles Corbeil |
| Music by | Paul Zaza |
Production companies | Brightstar Films Shapiro-Glickenhaus Entertainment |
| Distributed by | Brightstar Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 91 minutes |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
The Brain is a 1988 Canadian science fiction horror film depicting a giant brain-like alien that mentally enslaves a town's residents.
Dr. Blake runs Independent Thinking, a television show promoting a self-help, quasi-religious program resembling Scientology. But Blake 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. The only thing that stands between them and world domination is a brilliant but troubled high school student, named Jim Majelewski, with a penchant for pranks.
After being caught flushing sodium down a school toilet, Jim is punished and given a warning that he will be suspended and will not graduate if keeps doing pranks; reluctantly, Jim agrees to enlist in Blake's program as an alternative. He is then subjected to Blake's experiments, but he is immune due to his active imagination. He begins to have visions of The Brain as well as other hallucinations. Jim is aided by his girlfriend Janet and best friend Willie when Blake's assistant Verna attempts to take him back to the lab. Willie is killed by The Brain while Jim and Janet do their best to help free the residents of their town from Blake and The Brain's influence. The Brain and Verna brainwash the populace into believing Jim is a murderer on a rampage; Janet and Jim's parents fall victim to the brainwashing and turn against Jim. Jim returns to Blake's headquarters as the latter plans to broadcast his Independent Thinking to a nationwide audience.
Jim beheads Blake in front of a live audience, revealing that he was not human. Jim and Janet are then chased by Verna. The Brain breaks loose and kills Verna before going after Jim and Janet. Cornered, Jim finds a canister of sodium and throws it into The Brain's mouth, blowing it up. Jim resumes a normal life with his parents as he and Janet drive off to school together.
A contemporary review for Variety called the film a "cliche-ridden effort, with little comic or ironic relief to put a spin on its sci-fi banalities", adding that its "ambition to comment on the power of TV and gullibility of its viewers vanishes quickly." [2]
Empire of the Sun is a 1987 American epic coming-of-age war film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Tom Stoppard, based on J. G. Ballard's semi-autobiographical 1984 novel of the same name. The film tells the story of Jamie "Jim" Graham, a young boy who goes from living with his wealthy British family in Shanghai to becoming a prisoner of war in an internment camp operated by the Japanese during World War II.
ALF is an American television sitcom that aired on NBC from September 22, 1986, to March 24, 1990.
Brian Henson is an American puppeteer, director, producer, voice actor and the chairman of The Jim Henson Company. He is the son of puppeteers Jim and Jane Henson.
Earth vs. the Flying Saucers is a 1956 American science fiction film from Columbia Pictures. It was produced by Charles H. Schneer, directed by Fred F. Sears, and stars Hugh Marlowe and Joan Taylor. The stop-motion animation special effects were created by Ray Harryhausen. The storyline was suggested by the bestselling 1953 non-fiction book Flying Saucers from Outer Space by Maj. Donald Keyhoe. The film was released as a double feature with The Werewolf.
TerrorVision is a 1986 American science fiction horror comedy film directed by Ted Nicolaou, produced and written by Albert and Charles Band and composed by Richard Band, all of whom would go on to found and work with Full Moon Features in 1989. TerrorVision was made by Empire International Pictures, the production company owned by Charles Band prior to Full Moon, and was released in February 1986.
Society is a 1989 body horror comedy film directed by Brian Yuzna and starring Billy Warlock, Devin DeVasquez, Evan Richards, and Ben Meyerson. Its plot follows a Beverly Hills teenager who begins to suspect that his wealthy parents are part of a gruesome cult for the social elite.
Invaders from Mars is a 1953 American independent science fiction film directed by William Cameron Menzies and starring Jimmy Hunt, Helena Carter, Arthur Franz, Morris Ankrum, Leif Erickson, and Hillary Brooke. It was produced by Edward L. Alperson Jr. and released by 20th Century-Fox in SuperCinecolor. The film follows David MacLean, a young boy who witnesses a flying saucer behind his home one night. When his father investigates, he returns a changed man; soon David's mother, his neighbors, and others begin to act in the same way. David's panicked story is heard by Dr. Pat Blake, who takes him to astronomer Dr. Stuart Kelston. David soon convinces Kelston, who comes to believe that this is an invading vanguard from Mars.
Delirious is a 1991 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Tom Mankiewicz, written by Lawrence J. Cohen and Fred Freeman, and starring John Candy, Mariel Hemingway, Emma Samms, Raymond Burr, David Rasche, Dylan Baker, and Charles Rocket. It tells the story of the lead soap opera writer who hits his head, finds himself in the setting of the soap opera he works on, and anything he types on his typewriter happens. The film used Prince's 1982 song as its title theme.
I Saw What You Did is a 1965 American thriller film released by Universal Pictures and starring Joan Crawford and John Ireland. The plot follows two teenage girls who find themselves in serious danger after making a prank phone call to a man who just murdered his wife. The screenplay by William P. McGivern was based upon the 1964 novel Out of the Dark by Ursula Curtiss. The film was produced and directed by William Castle.
Private School is a 1983 American teen sex comedy film, directed by Noel Black. Starring Phoebe Cates, Betsy Russell, and Matthew Modine, it follows a teenaged couple attempting to have sex for the first time, while their friends engage in sexually minded practical jokes.
Who's Minding the Mint? is a 1967 American crime comedy film directed by Howard Morris and starring Jim Hutton, Dorothy Provine, Walter Brennan and Milton Berle. The screenplay, concerning a group of individuals who break into a United States Treasury building to print currency, was written by R. S. Allen and Harvey Bullock. The movie was produced by Norman Maurer for Columbia Pictures and is Morris’ directorial debut. The supporting cast features Joey Bishop and Bob Denver.
I Accuse My Parents is a 1944 American exploitation film dealing with juvenile delinquency. Produced by PRC, the film was used to teach morals, specifically that parents should take an interest in their children's lives, as well as the consequences of child neglect. It premiered on November 4, 1944 and was released generally on October 27, 1945.
Invaders from Mars is a 1986 American science fiction horror film, directed by Tobe Hooper from a screenplay by Dan O'Bannon and Don Jakoby. It is a remake of the 1953 film of the same name, and is a reworking of that film's screenplay by Richard Blake from an original story by John Tucker Battle. Its production was instigated by Wade Williams, millionaire exhibitor, science fiction film fan and sometime writer-producer-director, who had reissued the original film in 1978 after purchasing the copyright to the property. Elaborate creature and visual effects were supplied by Stan Winston and John Dykstra.
Mind control has proven a popular subject in fiction, featuring in books and films such as The Manchurian Candidate and The IPCRESS File, both stories advancing the premise that controllers could hypnotize a person into murdering on command while retaining no memory of the killing. As a narrative device, mind control serves as a convenient means of introducing changes in the behavior of characters, and is used as a device for raising tension and audience uncertainty in the contexts of the Cold War and terrorism. Mind control has often been an important theme in science fiction and fantasy stories. Terry O'Brien comments: "Mind control is such a powerful image that if hypnotism did not exist, then something similar would have to have been invented: the plot device is too useful for any writer to ignore. The fear of mind control is equally as powerful an image."
And When Did You Last See Your Father? is a 2007 British drama film directed by Anand Tucker. The screenplay by David Nicholls is based on the 1993 memoir of the same title by Blake Morrison.
The Uncanny is a 1977 British-Canadian anthology horror film directed by Denis Héroux, written by Michel Parry, and starring Peter Cushing, Donald Pleasence, Ray Milland, Joan Greenwood, Donald Pilon, Samantha Eggar, and John Vernon.
Dumb and Dumber To is a 2014 American buddy comedy film co-written and directed by the Farrelly brothers. It is the third film in the Dumb and Dumber franchise and a sequel to the 1994 film Dumb and Dumber. The film stars Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels reprising their roles 20 years after the events of the first film, and also features Rob Riggle, Laurie Holden, Rachel Melvin, and Kathleen Turner. The film tells the story of Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne, two dimwitted adults who set out on a cross-country road trip to locate Harry's daughter, who has been adopted.
The Fearmakers is a 1958 American film noir crime film directed by Jacques Tourneur and starring Dana Andrews. The screenplay is based on the 1945 novel of the same name by Darwin Teilhet. The film centers on seemingly nonpartisan political messages that are shaped by a public-relations firm secretly controlled by communists determined to undermine the American government.
The Man Who Lived Twice is a 1936 American crime film directed by Harry Lachman and starring Ralph Bellamy, Marian Marsh and Thurston Hall. It was remade as Man in the Dark in 1953.
 | This article about a science-fiction horror film is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
