Day 317: Brain Dead

Brain Dead

In your face!

When you've watched over 300 horror movies in a calendar year, you tend to get bored. For every good horror movie, there's about 50 that are terrible. Find me a great unique zombie movie and I'll find you 10 that are almost exactly the same and boring as shit. In order to stave off boredom, I have to resort to searching for movies with interesting story choices, different directors, or in today's case, an almost mythical combination of actors.

Brain Dead (not to be confused with Peter Jackson's Braindead/Dead Alive) is a 1990 psychological horror movie starring Bill Pullman (Independence Day, Spaceballs) as neurosurgeon Dr. Rex Martin. Martin is actively researching brain afflictions, specifically paranoia. He works in a lab literally filled with jars containing brains. He cares deeply for each brain stating they once belonged to actual people and deserve to be treated with respect. School friend Jim Reston (Bill Paxton, Apollo 13, Frailty), a successful businessman at the omni-corporation Eunice, reaches out to Martin when a work problem arises. John Halsey, a mathematician for Eunice, was working on something extremely secretive when he suffered a mental breakdown. Now in a mental institution, Halsey is extremely paranoid and unable to answer the most basic of questions. Martin performs brain surgery on Halsey, but begins to have strange hallucinations and dreams. He constantly sees a man in white, covered with blood, wherever he goes. Martin begins to feel paranoid, as if he is being followed. He soon suspects that his wife is cheating on him with Jim. The dreams and hallucinations intensify and soon Martin wakes up in the mental institution. The man covered in blood is now his doctor who informs Martin that there is no Halsey and that Martin was never a neurosurgeon. What is reality and what is fiction in Dr. Martin's world and will he ever find out the truth?

"You're right. His brains do look like my mother."

When your movie is based around the idea of the main character having no idea what is happening, the same is going to happen with the audience. Of course, that's the point as the audience is along for the ride, going through the same twists and turns as the main character. This type of story needs to carefully weave the story without leaving the audience bored and confused. Brain Dead comes very close to hitting that threshold. Some movies are able to pull off the crazy “what the hell is going on” genre, but Brain Dead never goes full out, content with just confusing the audience. I really wanted to know what really was happening with Dr. Martin, but everything is such a confused mess that I soon stopped caring. The inclusion of the man covered in blood was unsettling, but we don't get him for long as the dreams continue to change. The movie does have a little bit of gore and if you're squeamish, you may really squirm at the brain surgery scenes.

The big reason why I chose this movie is because it has both Bill Pullman and Bill Paxton. Both men are constantly confused with one another so it's fun to see them in the same movie. It's almost like seeing a unicorn ride the Loch Ness monster. Remember, Bill Pullman played the president in Independence Day and Bill Paxton is the other guy. It's fun to see them interact as they have very good chemistry with each other. Pullman pulls off the neurotic scientist role very well and Paxton was born to be a slimy late 80's businessman. Beyond that, the movie doesn't have much to offer. Other than the blood-covered man, there are no real scares and very little tension. Existential moments come off as forced or silly when they should have been deep and poignant. The ending is a little disappointing considering all the twists and turns in the story. 

Best buddy movie ever

Other than the neat quirk of having Bill Pullman and Bill Paxton in the same movie, there isn't anything special about Brain Dead. Many other movies try to confuse the audience with dreams and hallucinations with better results. Brain Dead is too confusing for it's own good and ends up reducing the audience's interest. All the plot twists become tiresome and annoying halfway through the movie, leaving the audience bored and restless. There aren't many scares, but if you have a weak stomach, you may want to skip certain surgery scenes. The one bright-side of the movie? At least you now know the name of the movie that had both Pullman and Paxton in it. Now go win trivia night at your local bar.

3/10

Day 281: Phantasm

Phantasm

Choose Your Own Drug-Induced Fever-Dream Adventure

Horror movies are all about taking risks. More than any other movie genre, horror needs to take risks in order to to grab the audience and make an impression. Action movies don't need to take risks. A few explosions here, and few car chases there, and you're all set. The same could be said for comedies. Make a few good jokes and you've got yourself a movie. Horror constantly needs to think outside the box with it's stories, it's characters, and it's effects. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. That's why it's called “risk taking”. When it does work, though, it's a thing of beauty.

Phantasm is a 1979 supernatural horror movie starring Michael Baldwin (Eight Is Enough, Phantasm II) as Mike Pearson and Angus Scrimm (I Sell The Dead, Alias) as The Tall Man. Following the death of his parents, Mike is raised by his older brother Jody (Bill Thornbury, Secrets Of Midland Heights, Phantasm III) in their small, unnamed town. During a funeral, Mike spies the owner of the funeral home, the Tall Man, easily lifting a casket by himself. Mike reaches out to an old fortune teller, relaying his fears of his older brother leaving him and of the Tall Man. The old woman tells him to place his hand in a black box which grips him tightly. Frightened, he desperately tries to get it off, but cannot. She tells him that there is nothing to fear and the box loosens. Mike begins investigating the Tall Man, sneaking into the mausoleum where he keeps dead bodies. The mausoleum is patrolled by a flying silver sphere that has razor-sharp blades protruding out of it. Mike is grabbed by a man, but dodges the sphere and escapes. It is not until Mike is attacked by the Tall Man's minions, hooded dwarves, that he is able to convince Jody that they are in real danger. The Tall Man pursues them, even attacking them in their dreams. They discover that one of the minions is, in fact, one of Jody's recently-deceased friends, only shrunk down in size. Along with their friend Reggie, the boys head to the mausoleum where they discover a white room filled with containers and a strange gateway. What is the truth behind the Tall Man and the gateway and will they be able to stop him in time?

"Oh, man. Someone else peed in my bed while I was sleeping!"

Unique is one of the best ways to describe Phantasm. I mean that in a good way, not in a “has a nice personality” sort of way. The story is very imaginative and unlike anything I have seen in the past. A super-powered undertaker from another world is turning dead people into dwarf slaves? Oh, and he has some killer flying ball with spikes coming out of it? Yeah, that's a new one. Writer/Producer/Director Don Coscarelli (Bubba Ho-Tep, The Beastmaster) crafts an exciting and strange horror movie, throwing in all sorts of cool and different ideas. Phantasm is one of those movies where you legitimately have no idea what is going to happen next. Ultimately, that's a good thing, but there are some things that just kind of happen out of nowhere. The biggest example is the flying sphere. Admittedly, it's a very cool idea that looks good on screen and also for a particularly gruesome death scene. The problem is that it is pretty random in regards to the rest of the movie. It doesn't feature as prominently as it does in the various sequels, so it's not that big of a deal, but I couldn't get over the complete randomness of this thing. Despite some of the silliness of the movie, it still manages to be entertaining.

The atmosphere is what really makes Phantasm so enjoyable. The movie is dark and creepy with flashes of action and terror. The imagery is great and stays with you long after the movie has ended. The movie has a few great lines which have actually be used as samples by a lot of metal bands, including Prophyria and Municipal Waste. When most people think of great horror music, the point to John Carpenter and the music from Halloween. I feel that the music in Phantasm is on par with the music from Halloween. Perhaps it's even better with it's mixture of synth, guitars, and drums, giving the movie a scary, yet steady feel. The movie has a quick pace with some good action and violence. The acting is good and the movie manages to avoid the usual trap of making a young character incredibly annoying or stupid. Angus Scrimm's imposing figure fits perfectly with the character of the Tall Man. One thing in about the movie that I noticed is that there really isn't a female character in the movie. Sure there are a few females in the movie, but none with a lot of screen time or important roles. I mean, there isn't even a real love interest in the movie.

"How's the weather up there, Shaq?"

Phantasm is a fun and scary horror movie that pushes the boundaries of weirdness. The story is certainly unique and a breath of fresh air before the horror genre was inundated in the early 80's with mundane slasher films. Part science-fiction, part adventure, and part action movie, Phantasm has plenty of shocks and scares with a few scenes of gore to keep the audience at the edge of their seats. The directing and acting are good and managed to make sense out of a strange story. Some may find it difficult to follow the story as it grows progressives weirder towards the end. The movie takes a lot of risks, but you should be willing to take a risk and watch it.

7.5/10

Day 255: Masters Of Horror: Imprint

Masters Of Horror: Imprint

Need copies? Come on down to Imprint.

If the United States is the pioneer of the modern horror movie than Japan is the explorer. Just when you think you've seen everything horror has to offer, Japanese horror writers and directors take you in strange, unknown directions. Just one you think you've seen everything, they take it to another level going for more shocks, more blood, more gore, and more horror. More is not always better as a good story is worth more than just gory special effects and makeup. While those things may initially scare us, true horror lies within the unsettling moments of the story and the acting. I certain phrase, a turn of events, or even a specific look by an actor can turn a mediocre movie into a truly chilling watch.

Masters Of Horror: Imprint is a story from the horror anthology directed by Takashi Miike (Audition, One Missed Call). Set in the Victorian era, an American journalist named Christopher (Billy Drago, Demon Hunter, The Lords Of Salem) is traveling through Japan looking for his lost love, a prostitute named Komomo. He arrives at an island inhabited only by prostitutes and spends the night with a quite prostitute with a facial deformity. She tells Christopher that Komomo killed herself because he did not come to rescue her in time. Distraught, Christopher seeks solace in sake and asks the girl to tell him a story. She tells him of her life, explaining that her mother was a midwife and was forced to sell her into slavery after her drunken father killed himself. She explained that as a young child, she learned that bad people go to hell and good people go to heaven. Eventually, she ended up on the island with Komomo. Komomo was the most popular girl on the island, causing a lot of jealousy among the older prostitutes. When the Madame's ring is stolen Komomo was brutally tortured by the other girls until she confessed. Overcome with shame and agony, Komomo hanged herself. Disbelieving the story, Christopher asks her to tell the truth. The girl retells the story, which is far more darker than the first. She explains that her mother performed abortions and that the monk who taught her of heaven and hell had molested her. She also reveals that her father had raped her and she beat him to death. Despite Komomo's kindness, the girl planted the stolen ring on her. After her torture, the girl killed Komomo, justifying her actions as a way to save her from hell for being associated with bad people. Unconvinced, Christopher demands for the entire truth. The girl also reveals that her parents were brother and sister, making her the product on incest. She was actually born with a parasitic twin; a hand with a face growing out of her head. It was this “sister” that commanded her to kill her father and steal the Madame's ring. The hand begins to speak in Komomo's voice, bringing Christopher to the brink of madness. What does this all mean and what will happen?

"I just remembered I have an early meeting. You're a super girl. Gotta go!"

This may be the weirdest of all the Masters Of Horror movies. Beyond some of the cultural nuances, the story itself takes so many different twists and turns that you're never really sure what you're watching. I think part of this problem is attributed to the Masters Of Horror format, forcing the story to fit into an hour-long television episode. As a full-length, Imprint would have had the appropriate amount of time to foreshadow and draw the big surprises out. Everything is rushed in an hour and the little intricacies that would have made for a complete watch were left out. The multiple-stories within a story reminded me of the Jet Li movie “Hero”. It's an interesting plot device, but I felt the execution was a bit lacking. Again, this can be attributed to the short run-time of the movie. Too much happens too quickly while only the last 15 minutes provide anything truly interesting. As I've stated before, I am not a fan of torture in movies and Imprint goes way overboard. I won't get into specifics, but if you're squeamish, you should just skip over this part altogether. It's no surprise that the man behind “Audition” directed Imprint. This episode never actually made it to television as Showtime felt it was too violent and gruesome, even for cable. It is hard to watch even for those who think they are desensitized.

The 800-pound elephant in the room is the talking hand coming out of a woman's head. It is certainly creepy, but it's just a little too weird. It's almost on par with the necrophila scene from Masters Of Horror: Haeckel's Tale. Almost. I think they would have been better off portraying it as an undeveloped Siamese twin. I know they were going for a “voices in her head” theme, but really, it's just a hand with a face growing out of a woman's head. It reminded me too much of the martial arts spoof “Kung Pow!: Enter The Fist” where the main character's tongue had a face on it. The sets look very good and Miike creates some beautiful and creative scenes. The subtext of what is really hell is always an interesting topic. It's brought up a few times throughout the movie, but not enough to truly convey any feelings or ideas. If they wanted to discuss one's personal Hell, they should have devoted more time to that than gratuitous torture. The ending was interesting and could actually be left up to one's interpretation. While some can see it simply for what it is, I believe that Christopher may have been in his own personal Hell the entire time. I could be wrong, but the movie does a good job of leaving things open for interpretation. The horror in the movie is a mixture of harsh violence, brutal abuse, and personal anguish. 

Seriously? Seriously.

Masters Of Horror: Imprint is certainly the most unique horror story in the series. It doesn't contain the humor seen in a majority of the episodes and goes off in a much darker direction. The story itself is interesting, though more time was needing to properly explain things. Because of the time constraints, pacing is also an issue as things feel rushed. More time would have allowed for foreshadowing and slower reveals. The movie contains a lot of violence, blood, and gore with a torture scene that is difficult to sit through. The inclusion of the hand sister is just a little too weird and goofy for me. I think something a little more subtle would have worked better. Miike still manages to make it creepy and unsettling, so it could have been far more ridiculous. Imprint is an interesting, if unpleasant watch. Some may like it and others may hate it. I'm somewhere in the middle as I like the themes and ideas, but could have done without the torture or the hand sister. Give Imprint a shot if you're feeling adventurous, but be prepared.

6/10

Day 230: Eraserhead

Eraserhead

Crazy is as crazy does

There's weird, there's crazy, and then there is David Lynch. As the creator of such mind-melting media as Twin Peaks and Lost Highway, Lynch has been able to forge an entire career based on being insanely weird, yet amazingly compelling. Nothing is ever quite what it seems when it comes to his work. I knew all of this prior to watching today's review and this prior knowledge did absolutely nothing for me. I was ready to stare into the abyss, but not ready to see something staring back at me.

Eraserhead is a 1977 surrealist movie, which can be interpreted as horror, starring Jack Nance (Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet) as Henry Spencer. Henry lives in an urban wasteland, currently on vacation from his job as a printer. A deformed man inside a planet pulls levers and we see something float out of Henry's mouth. Henry goes to his girlfriend Mary X's (Charlotte Stewart, Twin Peaks, Tremors) house to have dinner with her strange family. Mary's mother corners Henry and asks him if he has had sexual relations with Mary. Henry is incredibly uncomfortable especially when she tries to kiss him. She reveals that Mary has given birth extremely prematurely and that Henry must marry her. Mary and the baby, which is extremely deformed and almost lizard-like, move into Henry's tiny one-room apartment. The baby cries incessantly, causing Mary to flee, leaving Henry to care for it. The baby becomes sick and Henry begins to have strange and inexplicable experiences. He sees the “Lady In The Radiator,” a woman with an abnormally puffed-out face dancing on a stage and singing, “In Heaven, everything is fine.” He also sees the Man In The Planet and dreams that his head falls off, replaced by the head of his deformed baby. While Mary is gone, Henry has a brief affair with a woman from across the hall. Later, is crushed when he sees the woman with another man and the visions continue. What does this all mean?

I wish this hairstyle caught on instead of that swoopy, emo Zelda haircut

I did my best to explain what happens in Eraserhead, but honestly, there are some things that can't be described and do not make sense unless you see them for yourself. David Lynch has never revealed exactly what the movie is about or what certain scenes are supposed to mean. I am hesitant to interpret them, not for fear of being wrong, but there are just so many surreal scenes that it's hard to pinpoint exactly what is happening. Is Henry's story all a dream or a nightmare? Is he dead and this is some sort of limbo? Is the Man In The Planet a god or a devil? While it's not a traditional horror movie, it is scary on a cerebral level. The movie is incredibly unsettling and disturbing. Nothing ever really makes sense, making everything far more creepier than it appears.

Despite the movie being incredibly weird, Eraserhead is still an important film, showcasing David Lynch's earliest work and earning a place in the National Film Registry. The black and white aesthetic appeals to the off-the-wall nature of the movie. Sound is an important part of the movie as the audience is constantly bombarded with countless noises. Howling wind is a big constant throughout, along with the whining cry of the baby and the hissing of the radiator. While our sight is assailed with bizarre and often times baffling imagery, the noises attack our hearing, leading to a full auditory assault. All of this makes for a difficult viewing experience, forcing some people to take a break from viewing. The acting is good for what it is, although I have no idea if bad acting would actually hurt the film. 

In Heaven, everything is AAAAAAHHHH!!!!

Eraserhead is a mesmerizing and mysterious film that can shock, scare, and baffle people. I'm not totally sure if I enjoyed the movie, but I felt compelled to watch it. Eraserhead is an experience unto itself with crazy visuals, interesting sounds, and a story that goes nowhere and everywhere at the same time. You will leave with more questions than answers and unsure of what you've just seen. Film school students will enjoy this as well as fans of horror. It shows how something can be scary without having monsters or violence. Eraserhead is a unique experience worth your time, but it does take a considerable amount of effort to get through and absorb. I have no idea what I just watched, but I'm OK with that.

7/10