The Brain

On the advice of the fabulous Rue Morgue magazine, Video Sewer pulls another rarity from the heyday of VHS horror off the shelves of the local video merchant. We're talking about the out-of-print insanity known as The Brain.

Canadian cows must have been milking overtime to produce this slice of cheese - a bit of social commentary involving a pre-Dr. Phil TV psychologist who employs a giant evil brain to hypnotize his viewers.

Why? Donno. How? Huh? Even simple niceties like where-the-brain-came from are swept aside to roll the plot forward. A plot which is essentially 90 minutes of chase scenes as a ne'er-do-well teenager tries to clear his semi-good name and expose the Doc for what he is: the lick-spittle for a huge Mad-Ball.

That said, The Brain is an entertaining actioner, which breezes briskly along with the help of far-better-than-they-should-be performances - particularly David Gale as the creepy Doc - and a rudimentary character arc. That is, we end up sympathizing with the kid even though he's a chump.

And if you get bored there's a huge rubbery brain with an angry slobbering face that flies around eating people on occasion. But heed my advice, Rue Morgue readers: There is not the 'ample nudity and bloodshed' that the magazine promised. Except for two brief topless scenes featuring the same actress's lovely knockers, The Brain could air today on network TV unedited. Somehow, even a protracted chainsaw evisceration and axe decapitation are both rendered bloodless and mild.

While The Brain comes off a Saturday afternoon imitation of Videodrome, it will still bring a smile to the faces of '80s horror aficionados - right down to the pointless, illogical, triangle-wipe employing 'shock ending.'