retro-the-best....: [New post] The Brain Eaters

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

[New post] The Brain Eaters

The Brain Eaters

dailypop | March 23, 2011 at 5:05 pm | Tags: corman movies, heinlein puppet masters science fiction | Categories: cult movies | URL: http://wp.me/p4kUt-2r9

I recently caught this on a late night digital cable airing, reminiscent of the old-school UHF airings from my youth. I find all I really use my cable service for is to watch random movies late at night... I wonder if I'm the only guy who does that? Brain Eaters is an alien invasion movie set in a small town being bullied by a Senator. It has a very small budget yet boasts pre-Star Trek Leonard Nimoy in the credits. I found myself waiting with baited breath for Spock to show up at any minute, imagining that he must be playing a lead character, but the star only materialized near the end of the movie.

The 1958 Bruno VeSota film bears a strong similarity to another Corman flick, Night of the Blood Beast. It's fascinating that both movies deal with rather heavy material (free will and the moral complexities of alien invasion) yet are schlocky movies all the same. The Brain Eaters opens with a senatorial hearing regarding the arrival of an alien craft in Riverdale, Illinois. Senator Walter K. Powers is determined to debunk the event and noisily departs for the sleepy town just as alien invaders embark on an unusual invasion.

Small parasites have escaped the watchful eye of dashing and brilliant scientist Dr. Paul Kettering and his aged wise assistant. They attempt to take over the bodies of stray dogs with little success but hit paydirt when they overwhelm the town's mayor. The plot becomes a standard paranoid science fiction film, popular during the late 50's but it boasts some inspired ideas such as the 'alien craft' is actually a drill head sent from beneath the Earth's crust rather than being from the stars. Also, the parasites see their invasion as more of a gift than a hostile action, foreseeing that the complete possession of all humans will result in world peace.

One of the strangest recurring moments in this movie is that everyone seems to be armed; from scientists to the mayor. The parasitic creatures are also very crafty and after they realize Kettering is onto them, decide to possess his girlfriend who taunts him dressed only in a see-through nightie, making for a thrilling and saucy confrontation.

The movie is heavily influenced by Robert Henlein's Puppet Masters, so much so that a messy legal battle ensued between Henlein and producer Roger Corman. In the end, they settled out of court and the author's name was not included in the credits as he felt the movie was more than a little bit lacking.

watch?v=jHk2KC-S5Z0

The Brain Eaters is a fun black and white piece of vintage sci-fi that is rather slow in pacing but strong in ambition. The big reveal of Nimoy at the climax of the movie will take you completely off-guard as by that time you will likely have forgotten that he is even in it. I won't spoil the moment, but it is very entertaining.