Written and directed by Frank Henenlotter
Starring Rick Hearst, Jennifer Lowry and Gordon MacDonald
USA, 1988
Low budget director Frank Henenlotter returns to Horrorfest with yet another horror comedy, BRAIN DAMAGE. In previous years I’ve had the pleasure of checking out his other classics, BASKET CASE and FRANKENHOOKER, so I went into this one pretty sure I knew what I was getting into, and pretty sure I’d like it.
Turns out I was right. This time around the patented hapless Henenlotter lead (Rick Hearst) becomes host to a parasitic creature that attaches itself to the base of his neck. In exchange for giving his host a euphoric, psychadelic and addictive high, the parasite, inexplicably named Aylmer, gains full control of the host’s body so he can go out, murder people and eat their brains.
It seems like a lot but it’s really pretty simple. Aylmer, the parasite, voice by John Zacherle, is a seemingly polite and well-spoken creature, but of course he has dark intentions for his host. The host, in the mean time, tries to keep his relationship with his girlfriend (Jennifer Lowry) and his brother (Gordon MacDonald) together while also attempting to figure out what’s going on and avoid his neighbors (Lucille Saint Peter and Theo Barnes), the previous hosts who want Aylmer back.
This movie’s gross, cheap and more than a little exploitative in a couple ill-advised murder scenes but it’s also funny, inventive and has a strange sort of innocence about it, embodied by the least likely horror monster you’ll ever meet, Aylmer. From the moment he’s introduced, he’ll steal your heart.
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