Brainstorm (1983)

Director:

Douglas Trumbull

Writers:

Bruce Joel Rubin (story)
Robert Stitzel (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

30 September 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

...The Ultimate Experience

Plot:

Brilliant researchers Lillian Reynolds and Michael Brace have developed a system of recording and playing back actual experiences of people...

Plot Keywords:

Technology | Military | Memory | Chimpanzee | Peanut Butter

Awards:

2 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Christopher Walken	...	Michael Brace
Natalie Wood	...	Karen Brace
Louise Fletcher	...	Lillian Reynolds
Cliff Robertson	...	Alex Terson
Jordan Christopher	...	Gordy Forbes
Donald Hotton	...	Landan Marks
Alan Fudge	...	Robert Jenkins
Joe Dorsey	...	Hal Abramson
Bill Morey	...	James Zimbach
Jason Lively	...	Chris Brace
Darrell Larson	...	Security Technician
Lou Walker	...	Chef
Stacey Kuhne-Adams	...	Andrea
John Hugh	...	Animal Lab Technician
Ira David Wood III	...	Barry (as David Wood)

Also Known As:

The Gordon Forbes Tapes (USA) (alternative title)

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Australia:M (original rating | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (1984) | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG | Singapore:PG | Canada:PG (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA

Company:

JF Productions

Trivia:

Natalie Wood died before filming was complete, thus the ending had to be constructed from scenes shot earlier. The film was dedicated to her memory.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The scene after Gordy experiences the death tape, the IV needle is shown being pushed in with the bevel down. This defeats the purpose of the bevel, it should be inserted with the bevel up.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Dr. Lillian Reynolds: Can you see better if I move it a little closer?
Dr. Michael Anthony Brace: I can see something. It's parts of the grid, but it's still rotating. It's not locking up.
Hal Abramson: Maybe we all need a little break, Lillian.
Dr. Lillian Reynolds: Hal, you take a break.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Making of 'Event Horizon' (2006) (V)

Intriguing, disturbing

Brainstorm is an amazing and beautifully crafted film, worth watching more than once. From the opening credits and the music that never quite resolves, it is one of those experiences that leaves one unsettled, but not untouched. The images, the stories, and the issues keep this film from succumbing to the temptation of being more science than fiction. The subtle performances and direction, although sometimes underrated, are intriguing and lend a sophisticated air.

Watch it as an experience rather than as a scientific treatise and you will surely have a great ride.