Frank Henenlotter's 1998 drug-use fable Brain Damage is a really fun watch. It's got a good blend of horror and comedy, along with a couple of really graphic effects scenes. Is gross-out horror-comedy a sub-genre? I think there are enough Troma films out there to say yes, and Brain Damage fits in with those. And not to trash on Troma, but Brain Damage just feels a little more sophisticated, like it's got a little more on it's mind.
But "sophisticated" probably won't be the first word you think of after watching this. You'll need two things to enjoy Brain Damage: (1) a dry yet very black sense of humor (2) the ability and disposition to get into a film that features a little, kind of charmingly shoddy puppet thing:
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| you can't really see his eyes or mouth here :-( |
Meet Elmer - Brain Damage's physical manifestation of addiction. He's this intelligent, rather witty little worm-like creature who talks in a very convincing, soothing tone. He kind of reminds me of a less neurotic Brian from Family Guy. But basically, all he wants to do in life is eat brains. He tracks down a human host and injects a blue liquid into their brains in the back of their neck, forming a symbiotic relationship. The host more or less trips balls, and Elmer gets to hang onto the host for transport - only to attack and feed on innocent bystanders while the host is occupied looking at all of the pretty colors. By the time the host realizes he's abetting a murderous little worm thing, they are too addicted to the high to kick the habit. So now the host has to basically care for Elmer, or the drug supply is cut off.
Our host/addict here is a young man named Brian, and he seems like a good guy. He's rooming with his brother in a small apartment in New York City, is in a serious relationship with his girlfriend Barbara, and has a Slayer Reign in Blood poster in his room (so you know he's awesome). Once he starts in with Elmer and the drug, he starts to behave very suspiciously - acting all paranoid, spending all of his time alone in the bathtub, and cutting off contact with Barbara and his brother. He can hold it together for short periods of time, but then needs another fix. Once he realizes what's going on (being clued in by his bloody clothes in one of his fleeting sober moments), he holes up with Elmer in a shitty hotel to try and kick the habit. It's a battle of wills between Brian and Elmer... will Brian ever be free of his addiction? Or will he continue to stand idly by as an accomplice in a murderous spree? Tune in to find out!
Elmer was definitely the highlight of the film for me. He has this really soothing tone to his voice, and a very straightforward sense of humor - it would be tempting to give this odd little puppet a wacky muppet voice, but the fact that he's played completely straight as a rational, normal entity just made me laugh every time. His scene with Brian in the hotel (where Brian is trying to go clean) is the most absurdly funny conversation I've come across in quite some time. And I always appreciate a practical creature (effects-wise). Sure, you can see the seams at times, but what's important is that he is tangible. Much of my enjoyment from Brain Damage came from the interactions between Brian and Elmer, and there's just no way it could have been replicated with CGI. I don't care how good of an actor you are. You also get little touches of stop-motion here and there, which is always awesome to see.
The violence/gore scenes range from wacky to really gross. In one of Elmer's attacks, he just jumps and attaches to a guy's forehead, while the guy flails around screaming and tries to rip him off. It's played as kind of slapsticky. But there are a couple of really nasty bits too. I had to cover my eyes during one sequence where Brian finds more than a little something hidden in his ear. And then there is the blowjob death (for lack of a better term), where Elmer comes out of Brian's fly opening. It's really explicit, and of all of the movies I've watched since October 1, this would have been the worst scene for my wife to walk in on. Really, it's just kind of impressive in how over the line it is. I'm not sure what it may have looked like in the R-rated version, but I saw the unrated DVD. Apparently, they had to cut much of it out to avoid an X-rating when it was originally released.
The soundtrack was a bit synthy at times, but that's about the worst thing I have to say about it. I'd argue that it's a very well made film- although if an absurd approach to a serious subject doesn't float your boat, you'll certainly have issues. And it can be a little jarring to see a really intense withdrawal scene bookended by a little worm puppet. But I've always liked it when goofy horror movies tackle heavy subject matter. Brain Damage is a bit on the nose about it's drug-use metaphor, but it's obviously not concerned with subtlety. Ultimately, it's a really fun ride, as long as you're prepared for things to get pretty disgusting.
I would highly recommend this film.
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