EvildeadInks back again with another blast from the past and, yes, the mid 90’s are further back than some of us want to believe. Today, I tackle another video store find that doesn’t get a lot of love, Brainscan.
This bad boy features a still fresh-faced Eddie Furlong, right off the heels of T2. He plays the character Michael who has a taste for horror and by far the most amazing electronic setup in his room ever put to film. Dude has an answering service, full entertainment stereo system, and this rad bubble light display that I really want. Michael’s mom dies in a car accident, in a flashback, during the credits, then fast forward to teen Michael, where his dad seems to be always working out-of-town in the tech world, hence all his sweet toys. We never meet the father, but do hear him on an answering machine. Besides that, the house is empty except for Mike. He does, however, have a buddy, Kyle. Both are basically the heads of a horror club at their school, until it becomes banned by the principal. He insists anything Michael plans to show the club, he must approve of first. This pays off to wonderful degree, at the end of Brainscan.
From here, Michael decides to purchase this new horror game from an ad in his monthly Fangoria called Brainscan. Once the disc arrives by mail, Michael plays and commits a murder in the first person perspective… but it’s just a game, right? Surprise, surprise, the next day he learns that it…was….real! Michael frantically tries to contact the game developers and pray that this cannot be real. He does, however, come in contact with the voice that sold him the game via the telephone. The TV starts flashing and a face soon appears. Then that face starts to pop out of the damn TV and we are introduced to the master of Brainscan; His name is Trickster.
This dude tells Michael that he must play the future games to cover up clues and get rid of evidence. He has quite a unique look and an even more bizarre appetite. He then guides/sabotages Michael into eliminating his witnesses and covering his tracks, literally. Michael does have a love interest of sorts that he spies [like a creeper] on next door. She plays a critical role in the film’s finale.
I won’t give up the ending to Brainscan, but I dug it. This film has a fun twist that is a polarizing one. Some love it and others hate it. All in all, not a lot of love is out there for this one, but it was on the better side of one of those random gets at the video store. Finding a DVD has proven to be a task, as well. The only one I have found so far is on a four pack. Come on, Shout Factory, let’s make this happen.
I love the character Trickster; There’s a bit of blood, but not a whole lot. A fun eye-poking scene and some retro blue electricity… that’s straight up Ernest Goes to Jail.
I give this flick a 3.5 outta 5 stars. It has flaws and some spots that do not follow continuity; It is fun and rocks some suspense. Brainscan even has a little bit of star power with Frank Langella, as the detective that’s hot on the heels of Michael. You might have enjoyed Frank’s work in Masters of the Universe as Skeletor… rock on, Skeletor.
If you come across this flick, give it a whirl. I hope you enjoy it as much as some of us do. Buddies Forever!
