Brainscan (1994)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

John Flynn

Writers:

Brian Owens (story)
Andrew Kevin Walker (writer)

Release Date:

22 April 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Wanna play? I dare you.

Plot:

A teenager is part of an interactive video game where he kills innocent victims. Later, the murders become real.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Video Game | Computer | Eye Gouging | Brief Female Nudity

Cast

Edward Furlong	...	Michael
Frank Langella	...	Detective Hayden
T. Ryder Smith	...	The Trickster
Amy Hargreaves	...	Kimberly
James Marsh	...	Kyle (as Jamie Marsh)
Victor Ertmanis	...	Martin
David Hemblen	...	Dr. Fromberg
Vlasta Vrana	...	Frank
Domenico Fiore	...	Ken (as Dom Fiore)
Claire Riley	...	News Anchor
Tod Fennell	...	Young Michael (as Tod Fennel)
Michèle-Barbara Pelletier	...	Stacie (as Michele-Barbara Pelletier)
Dean Hagopian	...	Mr. Keller
Donna Baccala	...	Mrs. Keller (as Donna Bacalla)
Jérôme Tiberghien	...	Mr. Tebb (as Jerome Thiberghian)

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

Canada | USA | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Pathécolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1994) | Finland:K-18 (uncut) (2002) | Argentina:16 | South Korea:15 | UK:15 (DVD re-rating) | Australia:M | Germany:18 | Spain:18 | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Company:

Admire Productions Ltd.

Trivia:

In both Kyle and Kimberly's room, you see an Aerosmith poster for Get a Grip, which has the track Living on the Edge. Edward Furlong starred in the video.

Quotes:

Michael: [in front of a video camera] My name's Michael Bower, I'm sixteen and I'm scared to death. I don't know what this tape's gonna to prove but if I'm a killer consider this my confession. Igor, dial 1-800-555-FEAR.

Movie Connections:

References Yojimbo (1961)

Soundtrack:

Welcome To This World

This has held up surprisingly well over time

I originally saw this when I was maybe 13, and I found it a rather tense movie back then. While I wouldn't say that any part of the movie is "scary", I don't think that any of it even attempts to be. Instead, I found myself simply feeling uneasy while watching it.

I recently decided to rent it for the nostalgia factor and give it another watch, fully expecting it to be horrible and downright laughable, but I was surprised to find that this movie still has the power to make me feel uneasy and even uncomfortable while watching it.

The scriptwriter's alien ideas about how computers and games work are indeed rather laughable, but if you can forgive those, the movie does an admirable job of pulling you into Michael Bower's world. Anyone who has ever done something wrong, and felt that queasiness that comes with the knowledge that yes, you are going to get caught, can relate to the situation Michael is in. The main theme, played several times throughout the movie, is very creepy and mood setting; I loved it.

I found Brainscan far more compelling than the standard slasher flick or monster movie, and would readily recommend it to anyone looking for something a little more psychological.