Brain Damage (1988)    Palisades Entertainment/Comedy-Horror    RT: 86 minutes (uncut version)     No MPAA rating (extreme graphic violence, nudity, sexual content, language, drug content)    Director: Frank Henenlotter    Screenplay: Frank Henenlotter    Music: Clutch Reiser and Gus Russo    Cinematography: Bruce Torbet    Release date: April 22, 1988 (US)    Cast: Rick Hearst (as “Rick Herbst”), Gordon MacDonald, Jennifer Lowry, John Zacherle (voice, uncredited), Theo Barnes, Lucille Saint-Peter, Vicki Darnell, Joseph Gonzalez (as “Joe Gonzalez”), Bradlee Rhodes, Michael Bishop, Beverly Bonner, Ari Roussimoff, Michael Rubenstein, Angel Figueroa, John Reichert, Don Henenlotter, Kevin Van Hentenryck.    Box Office: N/A

Rating: ****

 How did I let this one get by me for so long? That’s the question I keep asking myself about Brain Damage, a seriously twisted comedy-horror from Frank Henenlotter, the writer-director also responsible for the cult horror film Basket Case (a personal favorite). Although it’s been in existence since ’88, I didn’t actually watch it until 2011. I LOVED IT! Ten years later, I still do. It’s easily one of the weirdest, wildest movies I’ve ever seen. I’m not sure if I’ll ever stop kicking myself for passing it over at the video stores I frequented in the late 80s/early 90s.

 So it would seem that Belial isn’t the only non-human creature residing among the urban decay of 80s-era New York City. Meet Aylmer, a talking leech-like parasite with tendrils and sharp teeth that forms a symbiotic relationship with his hosts. He secretes a highly addictive, hallucinogenic blue fluid into the brain. It brings on a sense of euphoria unlike any drug on the street. In return, he expects his host to feed him. Not a big deal, you say? Did I mention that Aylmer eats only human brains? Not only that, he doesn’t even wait for the owners to be finished with them. He just digs his way into their heads and eats up. You didn’t think it would be as simple as taking him out for a burger, did you?

 Aylmer finds his way to Brian (Hearst, General Hospital) after escaping from the apartment of his previous hosts, an older couple (Barnes and Saint-Peter) living in the same building. They freak out when they realize he’s gone. He attaches himself to the back of Brian’s neck and gets him hooked on the blue juice right away. Brian immediately becomes a different person. He starts keeping to himself, hiding in his bedroom and disappearing for periods of time. The sudden change in his behavior naturally causes his girlfriend Barbara (Lowry) and brother Mike (MacDonald, The Brave One) to become worried for him.

 Brian has no conscious memories of what happens when he hits the streets with Aylmer. When he finally finds out they’re killing people, he checks into a seedy motel to try and kick his addiction. He fails, of course. Aylmer sits in the sink and taunts him until he can’t take it anymore. They resume their usual bloody activities. Meanwhile, the male half of the older couple confronts Brian and demands Aylmer’s return.

Brain Damage is FREAKING INSANE! Henenlotter doesn’t skimp on the blood and icky effects. This one features plenty of splatter. The centerpiece is the scene in a nightclub where a punk rock girl meets a nasty end while performing fellatio on Brian/not-Brian. Don’t know what I mean? How shall I put it? Aylmer’s phallic appearance is intentional. Get it now? Good. Another cool scene has Aylmer attacking a guy on the toilet. This kill is especially messy. Brain Damage may be low budget, but the effects are really good. I especially like the animatronics, combined with the voice talent of TV horror host John Zacherle, used to bring Aylmer to life. It goes to show what can be done with a little money and a lot of imagination. To me, the FX in Brain Damage look more realistic than any you might see in mega-budget, effects-driven spectacles.

 Brain Damage is what I like to call a “midnight movie”. It’s the kind of flick I envision watching at a small, independent theater at the designated time. Due to its graphic nature and warped sensibility, it’s not going to have mass appeal. Henenlotter is good for that sort of movie; he also made Frankenhooker (another favorite) which was shown exclusively on the midnight circuit in summer ’90. Brain Damage is a nutty blend of horror and comedy. It’s often quite funny. Aylmer easily steals the show from his human co-stars with his witty dialogue although it’s not hard to upstage bad actors. Oh yes, the acting is truly bad, but in a humorous way. It’s almost like they’re doing it on purpose. HOWEVER, the funniest bit is a surprise cameo by Kevin Van Hentenryck as a man that boards a subway carrying a familiar, padlocked basket. Look also for a brief appearance by Basket Case co-star Beverly Bonner.

One of the things I like most about Brain Damage is how it wallows in 80s urban sleaze with the seedy hotels, underground clubs, grimy back alleys and cigarette ads in subway stations. It’s a nostalgic trip through pre-Giuliani NYC when it was a dirty, dangerous place populated by weirdos, perverts and other strange forms of human life. Back then, the city had character. Now it’s pasteurized, homogenized and gentrified beyond recognition. Thanks a lot, Rudy!

 Here’s the deal, if you like crazy horror-comedy flicks featuring buckets of blood and tons of yucky effects, then Brain Damage is the movie for you. Where else will you find a parasitic monster telling his host to wait until he’s finished eating to flee a murder scene? I’m not exaggerating, this movie is absolutely, unequivocally BONKERS! I absolutely, unequivocally LOVE it to death!