The greatest movie ever made..!

Disappointment for a huge fan!

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly 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.

Are you tired of the sameness of Hollywood's over-priced commercialized dross? Check out Mr. Henenlotter's work today. This is a weird film, but in a good way. Elmer is a parasite who will get you high in exchange for brains. The problem was the old people was feeding him animals brain, so Elmer decide to find a new host. The young man was getting so high that he didn't know what Elmer was up to. Elmer didn't care just as he was getting human brains.The film is also a moral warning about the effects of drugs - they make you feel great at first but before long you're addicted to them, you've screwed your life up and you'll do literally anything to get the fluids you're now dependent on. A very black form of comedy with a serious edge to it, and the inner-city locations provide an excellent atmosphere. Very original, with good writing, and neat visuals for such a low budget.Overall rating: 7 out of 10.

This starts off well enough, with the rather intriguing idea of a parasitical creature that drugs its victims in order to procure the brains of those around it, but it never really gets going anywhere, and I quickly hoped for a bit more action. Similarly to that other Henenlotter classic Basket Case, this makes use of stop motion animation to render the creature on screen, and it is hit and miss in terms of the success. At times it seems quite realistic, at others like a piece of plasticine.A nice idea all round, it's just a shame it couldn't have had a bit more energy and, if checking out Henenlotter for the first time, I'd go with Basket Case every time.

Let me just say it right off the bat. God bless Frank Henenlotter. This guy is a master of 80's B-Horror every bit as much as Lloyd Kaufman. Henenlotter is known mainly for what I consider the greatest Horror movie of the 80's, that's right, Basket Case. But later on, in the late-80's, Henenlotter would work his low-budget magic once again.Now, this is what I call an intriguing storyline... Meet Brian, Brian lives with his brother in a New York apartment, he mostly keeps to himself in his room. Brian isn't some kind of a freak or anything, he's just depressed and bored. Well, things are about to liven up for Brian, because there is a thousand year old worm-like parasite loose in the building. Meet Elmer the Aylmer, Elmer can produce a highly-addictive psychedelic liquid, and inject it into peoples brains. Elmer drugs Brian, who is now experiencing his first good day in quite awhile. The fast talking Elmer aims to make friends with Brian. Naturally, Brian welcomes the little fella with open arms. Just like every other drug, and pretty much anything that makes you feel good, there is a catch. Elmer survives on one thing, human brains. And you guessed it, it's now Brian's responsibility to bring home the bacon, so to speak, or no more good days (brain damage). With his brain only half fried, Brian still has half a conscience, and just like any drug-addict who has that moment of clarity, poor Brian has some detoxing to do. But in this case, Brian's drug of choice will quite literally be taunting him the whole way back. I don't know about you, but I would have told that thing to go to hell and gone out and got a bottle of Southern Comfort, or something.After Frank Henenlotter's original masterpiece, the man brings us the most entertaining anti-drug flick since Bood Freak. Enough disgusting gore, bad acting, and outrageous B-charm to satisfy any fans of Basket Case, even our pal, Kevin Van Hentenryck stops by for a spell, so, you know this psychedelic shin-dig is not to be missed. Too bad Henenlotter hasn't made more movies over the years, although, I do hear good things about his new one, Bad Biology. I can't say I've ever seen Frankenhooker, or that I approve of the Basket Case sequels, but as far as I've seen, Lightning has struck at least twice for Mr. Henenlotter. 9/10