No i hadn't heard of it either!! (Braindead (DVD))

Member Name: namtar

Product:	Braindead (DVD)
Date:	06/10/04 (145 review reads)
Rating:

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They say “never judge a book by its cover” (yeah I’m sure I’m not the only one that does) and as I have never heard the same said about DVD’s (or maybe I just don’t want to hear it) I pretty much picked this up for the cover; aw come on surely you’d be intrigued by a mans face nailed to a board on the front and pictures of awake people having there visible brains poked at on the back.

I actually had really high hopes for this film, as it boasts of having the same writer as the original twilight zone (which I’m too young to know first hand if this is a good thing but am assured it is). So coke in one hand and remote in the other I sat down and began to watch.

The film opens by introducing Dr. Rex Martin (Pulman) as a scientist who works on mapping brains using ones in jars. He is approached by a friend and former classmate Jim Reston (Paxton) who works for a big corporation and gives him the chance to study a real live brain of a paranoid former employee Dr. Halsey who murdered his family and blamed an unseen man (well we see him through the eyes of Halsey) called Conklin who he claims follows him.

But as with all films like this without a catch there wouldn’t be a story, and for this film it’s the fact the Halsey is a brilliant man and was previously working on something for the company, but when he became paranoid he destroyed all his research and the only way to get it back is to cure him, and the company are taking the risk as even though it could mean Halsey’s death at least no other company would get the data.

So after a bit of open brain surgery, Halsey appears to be cured and Martin is offered the chance to go commercial the only problem is Martin now sees and hears Conklin. And with flashes of his wife having an affair and then there murder you begin to question his sanity.

And when he wakes up in the sanitarian things fall apart further…


This film on the most part is highly watchable and managed to keep my interest throughout, by means of it’s many twist and turns, even if it was a little odd at times. The only problem being I was still left confused at the end.

I found it in no way scary (it claimed it was "terrifying" on the box) and although i can see where some of the brain work may make some cringe, the murders and other such graphic scenes are only shown as flashes which i guess is both to keep the film a 15 and not to dwell too much away from the point of the film.

The effects are dated (well it was made in 1990) but in no way spoil the enjoyment of the film. Although a part which was made using a green screen made me cringe at how obvious it was.

The acting is passable, with Pullman playing a believable lead, with Cort and Paxton helping to keep the story flowing with there individual performances.



The boring and yet the required:

Cast
Dr. Rex Martin – Bill Pullman
Jim Reston – Bill Paxton
Dr. Halsey – Bud Cort
Conklin – Nicholas Pryor

Runtime:
81mins

Special features
Scene Selection
Trailer

Summary: