Brain Damage

Writer/director Frank Henenlotter followed up his cult classic debut Basket Case with a film that's just as out there, 1988's Brain Damage.  A parasitic worm named Aylmer escapes his elderly "owners" and makes the acquaintance of a young man named Brian (Rick Hearst).  Aylmer comes equipped with some blue juice which he injects into his host's brains, making Brian see lots of pretty colors.  Brian is immediately addicted to the juice, and he's so wrapped up in his psychedelic hallucinations that he doesn't even realize that Aylmer is sucking people's brains.  And once he finds out, kicking the habit won't be that easy.

"This is the start of your new life, Brian.  A life without worry or pain or loneliness, a life filled instead with colors and music and euphoria."
- Aylmer

When Aylmer first appears, grinning broadly and chirping, "Hi!" in a ridiculously chipper voice, it is utterly delightful.  John Zacherle voices Aylmer like a kindly grandfather or a Disney announcer, and his pleasant-sounding voice conflicts nicely with the fact that he's a parasitic phallic-looking brain-devouring slug.  Aylmer knows that he is the one in control in this relationship, and the scene in which he and Brian engage in a battle of wills to see who can go without whom the longest is executed extremely well.  Aylmer taunts Brian, laughing at him, mocking him, and even singing a show tune as Brian writhes in agony.  It's hilarious in a demented way, but also surprisingly harrowing.  The story is obviously a metaphor for drug addiction, and Henenlotter pulls it off without it feeling heavy-handed.

The violence is gruesome and over-the-top, with at least two outrageously unforgettable sequences: in one, a whole mess of brain matter is pulled out of an ear; in another, a woman finds an unexpected surprise when she goes down on Brian.  Smaller effects, such as a plate of meatballs turning into tiny, pulsating brains, are also well done.

With the exception of Hearst, who manages to make Brian a sympathetic, believable character, the acting is pretty poor.  Jennifer Lowry is bland as Brian's girlfriend (who deals with his junkie-like behavior by hopping into bed with his sleazy brother), while Theo Barnes and Lucille Saint-Peter grossly overact as Aylmer's former owners who want him back.  Additionally, there are some really awkward scenes, including Brian's hallucination of a threesome with his girlfriend and his brother, which the film could have done without.

However, these are minor issues, as Brain Damage is a truly twisted, batshit insane, gorily inventive gem that's unlike anything else out there.