While the special effects look dated in this computer dominant age of cinema that we live in, Frank Henenlotter’s imaginative and unsettling Brain Damage has lost of it’s fun after all these years, and that element is more important than any amount of special effects. Working from the same fundamental plot basic as the director’s hit trash-film “Basket Case”, Brain Damage portrays a relationship between a young man and a hideous creature unfolding. The stories are very different, but it’s obvious that this idea interests the director and links between the two films are more than obvious (the ham-fisted tribute towards the earlier film being far too much so!). The plot sees a young man named Brian waking up in a pool of blood. It isn’t long before he’s tripping and before he knows it, he’s hooked on the brain fluid that a mysterious thing known as ‘Aylmer’ has pumped into his head. Like all parasites, Aylmer doesn’t give Brian the brain fluid because he’s a nice guy – he wants something in return, namely the brains of Brian’s fellow citizens. Cue lots of bloodletting as Brian and his ‘friend’ tear their way through the city!

The fact that budget was a big constraint to this film is always evident, but it hardly matters because the underrated director has taken his ideas and just made the best of them with what he’s got, and the result is far better than any of these big budget but no idea films that people are often impressed by. A bit like that one with the ‘great’ twist where Bruce Willis plays a psychologist to a boy who can see dead people. My only real complaint with Henenlotter’s handling is that he has a tendency to drag things out a little bit. We see Aylmer open up his mouth, stick the thing in Brian’s neck and then the fluid going over the brain EVERY time, when once would have sufficed. Many things about the story aren’t very well explained, or completely ignored; but there are little hints towards the history of Aylmer, and this gives Brain Damage a good dose of intrigue. Leaving it open is good, but maybe just a little more on how Aylmer came about wouldn’t have gone amiss. There’s plenty of blood on display, and despite the rather playful effects on the monster itself, Brain Damage still manages to be oddly frightening. And besides, you’ve got to love John Zacherle’s voicing! In case you haven’t guessed – this is highly recommended viewing!