Brainscan (1994)

Synopsis

A new video game attaches itself to the subconscious and puts the player in complete control...

of murder!

Thoughts

With my love/hate relationship for The Evil Within continues, I figured it only fitting to take a trip down nostalgia road. 

From Atari to PC to current generation consoles, I've always enjoyed playing video games. Now, there's absolutely nothing wrong with the classic 8-bit side scroller, but, there's nothing better than actually being a part of the experience though. That feeling that you are the character you're controlling. The sense of emotion that overcomes you when beloved characters die. It just makes the game that much more of an entertaining experience. Why not take this experience to the big screen? No, I don't mean to the likes of Uwe Boll. 

Brainscan is a fantasy horror gem from the mid nineties about a teenager, Michael, who's seen and played it all. Well, that is until he gets his hands on Brainscan. The concept of this movie is kind of original, but not entirely. In 1993, Full Moon Entertainment released the cult classic, Arcade. For me, that serves as inspiration for Brainscan. The concepts are similar: video game is somewhat alive, video game kills people. Similar, but also quite different. You know what, I'll just write about Arcade tomorrow for reference. My point being this, although the concept isn't entirely original, it is still unique. Think It's a Wonderful Life, but with a psychological fantasy horror twist. Ever since seeing this, I have wanted to play a game that attached to my subconscious. 

Even though I still want to play a game like Brainscan, it doesn't stop me from wanting to pick this film apart. The acting was terrible. Edward Furlong has never changed. Remember what I said about Matthew Lillard in Thirteen Ghosts? The same applies for Furlong. His character, Michael, is kind of a creeper. Well, I guess all can be forgiven with his voyeurism since his neighbor actually likes it. Yeah, and at the end, you find out she's just as creepy. Awkward teenage love. T. Ryder Smith as the Trickster was laughable, but he was meant to be. Maybe he could have been a tad bit more horrifying, but sine this movie was targeted at the younger generation, I'm assuming comedic relief was needed. I could forgive the acting because most of the film is technically in a video game and they're known for ridiculous acting which is actually a nice touch...only if that was what they were really going for. 

As cheesy as the graphics are for today's standards, they're still neat to me. The scene where the Trickster come out of the television is awesome. Alright, my nostalgia is getting the best of me, but it still looks great. When the Trickster and Michael merge as one, which I still think inspired the final scene of Timecop, was pretty damn cool. That mucus that spewed from Trickster's eyes was a delight. Alright, enough with the gushing. 

Brainscan is pretty decent for a movie about a video game that isn't based off of an actual video game. Films like this are less common, yet somehow don't get the recognition they deserve. It's not much, but it is still deserved. Maybe instead of taking games we love and turning them into terrible films, come up with a somewhat original twist of a classic that inspires endings to future films. Would you be wasting your time watching it if you've never seen it? Let's just say you should absolutely have nothing else going on, exhausted Netflix, folded your laundry, cleaned the gutters, filed your taxes and having take out for dinner. For those who have seen it, there's nothing wrong with taking a trip down memory lane. 

IMDB: 6.1/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 4/10

WeFLM: 5/10

Come for the Trickster. Stay for ending credits scene.

-kp