This film is totally insane. It is so crazy that it is amazing. Everything is so extreme. This is like David Cronenberg on acid. Not that I've done acid but I think that I have a good idea what it is like after watching this movie. This had everything that I like in a film. It is just so over-the-top. This is made with zero-budget but that is what is so good about it - they didn't try anything that they couldn't. Perfect insane movie. Utterly nuts. It is so funny because it is so insane. Seriously entertaining.

Brain Damage 1988 Frank Henenlotter9/10"Hi," "Brain Damage" is widely regarded as Henenlotter's best film. Whilst I believe rating films in best to worst order is too transitory to be my focus I must say that this film's reputation is deserved. As this film seems to be considered too low-brow to be art I want to wax lyrical about this superlative piece of late 80's horror and argue that it is in fact high-art. "Brain Damage" is a well-executed allegory of drug addiction (and, more broadly, desire and control) as well as other social issues. Hosting this journey into depravity are Brian and Aylmer, an average handsome young lad with a normal life and a charming, well-spoken worm-like creature with a biology for drug-dealing and an insatiable appetite for human brains. Henenlotter's film depicts the tenderness, the violence, the fun and the heartache of their exploitative relationship. Henenlotter's script weaves us through the chaotic time Brian and Aylmer spend together and their onscreen relationship is deepened by their interactions with characters such as Morris & Martha, Barbara, and Mike. Aylmer's injections are a great distraction from reality but they come at an enormous price; a fact Morris & Martha are testament to: anyone who Aylmer befriends needs him in their life or a hysterical frenzy ensues. The depth Henenlotter reaches to in his imagery is astounding. A room feels like a room, a corridor like a corridor, and a street feels like a street. The colours zing, the waters are deep, the lights thicken and sharpen the air; cracks cobweb throughout the dank settings and thick red blood is sprayed over it all with gay abandon. The absorbing kaleidoscopic trips Brian is medicated with are made of neon rainbows pulsing in a broken city whilst a euphonious score of lush synthesiser drifts in and out with gentle ease. As the electric high peaks Brian's humanity is washed away by these transcendent experiences. The lights and sounds inevitably extinguish as Aylmer's juice burns out and the addicted youngster's prancing slows to a trudge back into the dissonant city. It isn't good enough for Brian but, now that he's hooked, he must do his new master's bidding. Aylmer has a deliberately honeyed voice to give it the sophisticated charm of a conman. No matter what it does one cannot simply dislike it. And that's the point. It demonstrates how easily someone can wriggle their way out of blame and trouble with simple mannerisms; even if, in this case, that someone is a murderer and a manipulator. I will not describe the ending however I do feel that the film draws to a triumphant close after exploring in great detail the stages of addiction. The loss of sense, the loss of others and the loss of the self, the willing deconstruction of the mind, body and soul of an individual. A devastating loss it is for all societies suffering from the decay that drugs can bring. You should also watch "Basket Case" (1982) and "Frankenhooker" (1990). Together with "Brain Damage" they make an inspired trilogy by Frank Henenlotter.

Brain Damage, made by the people who did Basketcase. If that doesn't tell you everything you need to know about the film then nothing will. But I'll have a go anyway.It's eighties 'trash' horror at its best. A small, but very eloquent, blue parasite strikes up a conversation with a young man, then goes about attaching itself to the back of his neck, in order to give him mind-bending, euphoric hallucinations. However, the only drawback is that, in return, the parasite wants to feed of other people's brains.If you like the sound of that, you're clearly as sick as I am. And the next question you'll probably ask is, how much gore is there? The answer is plenty! Back before computer generated effects ruled Hollywood, people had to make sick puppets out of animatronics. The parasite a well-made and amusing (in a sick kind of way) and gets up to all manner of unspeakably evil acts.Okay, so no one in this film will ever get an Oscar (although the parasite himself was clearly overlooked in the Best Supporting Actor category), but if you're into eighties horror, then you're not expecting it.What you get is a well-made gory little number with plenty of tongue-in-cheek horror.Get the popcorn in, turn the lights down (watch out for the Basketcase cameo), remove brain, give it to a cheeky little worm and enjoy.

I love filmmaker Frank Henenlotter's work, as with his very low-budgeted productions he can make something out of nothing instilling the right amount of spirit and imagination, which would put a lot filmmakers to shame. From the small amount of films his done; this guy's got the touch… although I haven't got around to his latest production "Bad Biology". Anyhow his second feature "Brain Damage" is up there with his splendid grindhouse debut "Basket Case" (1982). Reverting more to a flipped out, deranged horror comedy (as it might feel as if you're on a crazy LSD trip), the trashy story for "Brain Damage" can be seen as an metaphor for drug addiction and the growing state of the overwhelming affects it not only has on the user, but those around him with tragic results. It's rather heavy-handed and in bad-taste, but the script is smartly witty in portraying it, it's quickly paced and the raw imagery can get all-out nasty (it's feeding time!) and quite unusually psychedelic. Namely that of the glum colour filtering, but more so the polite talking parasite creation Aylmer. The campy make-up FX is crude with some stop-motion animation in use. Just like "Basket Case", authentic location work only enhances the wishy-washy atmosphere and so do the enthusiastic performances with Rick Hearst leading the way. Also there's quite an amusing cameo of Kevin Van Hentenryck reprising his role of Duane Bradley from "Basket Case" in a visual gag on the subway train. Budget restraints don't hold it back, as this weirdly low-brow offering has heart and gruel.