Most people will not have a clue who I am talking about when
I mention the name Frank Henenlotter. Yes, fans will know and horror geeks in
particular. But the average movie viewer would be hard placed to name a single
film he made. And yet he’s made some of the most interesting and originally
creative films in his career, one of which I’m sure you’ve heard of but maybe
never seen. It was a low budget flick called BASKETCASE. See? I told you you’d
known something he made.
With only 12 films listing him as director (two of those
shorts) on imdb.com you will always find his films to be something different
and interesting. If you don’t believe me look what they are and then watch one.
Which brings us to this film, released in 1988 six years after BASKETCASE.
BRAIN DAMAGE tells the story of a creature that does indeed
damage but offers something in return. The film opens with an elderly couple
frantically searching their house for what appears to be someone named Elmer.
Unable to find him they collapse and we are left to worry about what happened
to them.
The film moves to nearby neighbors Brian and Mike. Two young
brothers getting by in New York, Brian has a girlfriend named Barbara who needs
more attention which Mike would like to provide. The same night as the old
couple were running around their apartment Mike gets sick and has Mike take
Barbara where they had plans to go. It turns out Brian has is more ill than he
realizes.
What we thought was Elmer actually turns out to be Aylmer, a
parasitic creature that has attached itself to Brian. What’s been described as
looking like a cross between a penis and a piece of fecal matter shaded blue is
actually in intelligent creature that talks to Brian. Yes, this is not your
standard sci-fi film. Aylmer tells Brian that he can provide something unique
for him, an opening of the mind. To display this he inserts a needle like
appendage from his body into the back of Brian’s neck, injecting his brain with
a fluid that enhances his senses like nothing anyone ever thought possible.
On the downside is the fact that Aylmer must feed. Worse yet
is that he feeds on human brains. So Brian is suddenly enlisted to aid Aylmer
in finding the brains the he needs to survive. This presents us with the chance
to witness gore filled carnage in several scenes. It also offers a problematic
issue with Brian as his craving for the fluid Aylmer provides has him battling
with his conscience as he is killing people to feed him. The odds of Aylmer
eventually wanting Barbara or Mike is bound to happen.
Henenlotter has said that this film was based on Faustian
themes, the concept of someone selling their soul to the devil in return for
something they desire with an outcome that they could not predict would happen.
There is that but at the same time the obvious concept of drug addiction in
today’s world is there as well with Brian’s constant need for the blue fluid
injected into his brain and his willingness to do anything to get it. The two
themes work hand in hand here and offer a story that most low budget horror
films are lacking.
Some have called the effects terrible but I found them to be
fantastic. Most can’t recall a time when CGI creatures were not used in films
and practical effects ruled the day. To have someone, in this case Gabriel
Bartalos and his crew, come up not just with a new creature but to animate it
and give it a personality on top of everything is wonderful. The rest of the
effects are great as well, even more so when you consider this film came out in
1988.
Having developed a cult following since its initial poor
release (due mainly because the company behind the film was sold and the new
owners just wanted to get it out there), the movie has seen the light of day on
home screens, first on VHS and then on DVD. But the new Arrow Video version is
perhaps the best offering of this film we’ve ever had access to. As is always
the case, Arrow has brought us the cleanest and most precise visually arresting
version of the film ever offered, a digital transfer from original film
elements. Extras here are also top notch and include a new audio commentary
track with writer/director Henenlotter, new interviews with cast and crew, a
Q&A with Henelotter at the 2016 Offscreen Film Festival, the original trailer,
newly commissioned artwork for the sleeve, a collector’s booklet with writing
on the film by Michael Gingold and more. As with all of their releases Arrow is
offering the most bang for your buck.
My son has met Henenlotter and found him to be an interesting
man and friendly to fans who have supported his visions for years. It’s nice to
see his movies getting their long deserved due. The two sequels to BASKETCASE
were just released last year on blu-ray from Synapse, both of which I wrote
about. To see this added to the available list is something worth cheering.
Fans will want this on their shelves and horror/sci-fi fans will want to give
it a watch. Expect something different like you would with all films
Henenlotter. One last tidbit, something fans howl over, is the brief cameo of
the two brothers from the BASKETCASE film seen here, an added treat.
Click here to order.
No comments:
Post a Comment