Bad Meaning Good case study #14: 'Brain Damage'

Wednesday, March 10 2010

In April of 2009, myself and DJ Intel launched the 'Bad Meaning Good' monthly movie event at The Burlington in Chicago (which takes place on the first Monday of every month). The idea behind the night is to screen cult classics, exploit movies, unintentional comedies and every other kind of film we collectively decide is so bad that it's actually good. In the ongoing search for the perfect 'Bad Meaning Good' film I've decided to take on a weekly (or AT LEAST once-per-week) blog entry in which I'll review, summarize and rate bad movies of every variety imaginable. The goal is to reach somewhere in the range of 75-100 posts within a year, at which point I'll look for a place to publish a first volume of 'Bad Meaning Good' reviews in book form. Stay tuned...

Bad Meaning Good case study #14:
'Brain Damage' (dir. Frank Henenlotter)

Summary:
'Brain Damage' is the second film from famed cult director Frank Henenlotter and the 1988 follow-up to his much-beloved 'Basket Case'. While 'Basket Case' has endured a larger and more renown cult status over the years (I, for one, have made my case - no pun intended - for the film before on this very website), I was shocked to find that 'Brain Damage' might somehow be the better of the two and that Henenlotter's bag of tricks is indeed full to the brim with inspired grotesqueries of surreal proportions.

In brief summary, both films deal with innocent and seemingly uncorrupted young men who become subservient to the fiendish and murderous needs of biologically perverse monsters... And the similarities don't stop there. Additionally, in each of the films, the protagonists find themselves retreating into the depths of 1980's NYC's sleazy underbelly and shacking up in fleabag motels in order to mask their newly-acquired homicidal tendencies on society's fringes.

This film though is a kind of sci-fi/exploit crossbreed that shares thematic connections with stuff like Stuart Gordon's Lovecraft adaptation 'From Beyond' and borrows a good deal of inspiration from some of David Cronenberg's very grossest biological horror moments. Make no mistakes about it though, 'Brain Damage' deals with terrors of an entirely different breed and the specific terror at play in this film is a heinously repulsive creature named 'Aylmer'; a tadpole-like, phallus-monster from antiquity with the power to transform ostensibly normal folk into drug-addled degenerates acquiescent to his needs. And what exactly are his needs, you ask? Human brains. The character latches onto people in parasitic fashion and injects a blue fluid through the back of their necks and onto their brain, causing them to hallucinate and experience something akin to an opiate-induced euphoria. In return, he expects them to provide him, or at least lead him to the human fodder from whom he sucks the brains out, allowing him to carry on his vicious cycle.

In short our hero, a young man named Brian, is unwittingly enslaved by Aylmer's "juice" and plunges into a downward spiral of death and depravity. Will he escape the creature's grasp or become just another among the many whom Aylmer has ruthlessly subjugated throughout the ages? This is the dilemma at hand.

How 'Bad Meaning Good' was it?:
Henenlotter's got a real gift for hilarious sleaze and in that regard, this one is a real hoot. Additionally, the Aylmer character is such a nauseatingly charming little fucker that despite his unquenchable bloodthirst, you'll begin to root for him and anxiously await his next killing. His first screen appearance is such a laugh-out-loud, rewind-inducing, WTF! sort of moment that alone, it justifies the viewing of the entire film. Aylmer also serenades Brian in a motel room and generally provides more delirious laughs and whimsical magnetism than I had previously thought possible from an obviously fake, rubber monster of his ilk.

In one particularly memorable sequence, Aylmer prompts Brian into an underground punk club called 'Hell' (the kind that probably only existed in 1980's Manhattan) where Brian, high on the juice, catches the eye of a trampy, young lady on the dancefloor. Little does she know, as she drags him out to the alleyway for an unsolicited beej on the low, that Aylmer is eagerly awaiting her arrival from the inside of Brian's pants. What follows is perhaps cinema history's very most obnoxiously tasteless and repulsive blowjob death sequence... The kind that once viewed, will sear itself onto your brain for the remainder of your lifetime. Whether or not this is a good thing is perhaps a matter of opinion but um, yeah... I laughed. A lot.

There's also a truly disgusting spaghetti and meatballs (er, rather "brainballs") dinner scene, a super gnarly ear-removal hallucination, a number of brain sucking deaths on the behalf of Aylmer, a hilarious impromptu diatribe on the history of the creature, and enough brain-eating to satisfy the needs of a half dozen zombie flicks combined.

For fans of exploit, sleaze, gross-out horror and gritty 1980's NYC trash, this one is a must. For fans of 'Basket Case', it's nothing short of an absolute imperative. For the rest of you, I'd urge you to approach with caution... This one does not go down easy.

'Bad Meaning Good'-O-Meter:
8.5/10

Tags: Bad Meaning Good, Bad Meaning Good Case Studies, Frank Henenlotter

Comments

Li around the right side from the shuttle is going to be available to spread out the cabin drill in i

Posted By: Pandora Charms And Bracel

I love everything about using Pandora Charms And Bracelets in my handmade jewelry  Thomas Sabo Charms Australia Pandora is affordable, easy to work wit

Posted By: mbtshoeslovejj

Especially in an era of online gaming MBT Sale dahongdazi. In Jinshan ten years, he was the first powerword product manager, pushed 95% MBT Shoes Sale powerword instal

Posted By: edhardywowgg

These young people are preparing a masterpiece of fate Ed Hardy Shirts is about to change the blue line in Hong Kong, the only mercenary, who had been preparing for this for Ed

Posted By: anny

Admittedly, studio beats there are different headphon the way thates that have the same classiness but the problem is that those headphon the way thates are excessively exorbitone of t

Posted By: Mandywang

Ugg Boots is the popular leading role in this reason. Let uggs outlet introduce fot you. The great warmth,breathability and moisture resistance of the wool are very good for patients who has art

Posted By: zara

Welcome to our Coach Outlet Stores. Here is a good service and superior quality Coach Outlet Online. http://www.coachbagsoutlet4u.

Posted By: Anonymous

OJuly adidas f50 football boots started with me and Grandpa putting up a new stretch of fence. usa soccer shoes Dami

Posted By: Oakley Goggles

Cheap Oakley Sunglasses Discount Oakley Sunglasses http://

Posted By: fiona

Wholesale Gucci Handbags

Wholesale Chanel Han

Posted By: Anonymous

mulberry factory shop mulberry bags mulberry handbags mulberry http://www.kakastyle.co