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Brainstorm (1983)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
30 September 1983 (USA) moreTagline:
...The Ultimate Experience morePlot:
Brilliant researchers Lillian Reynolds and Michael Brace have developed a system of recording and playing back actual experiences of people... more | add synopsisAwards:
2 wins & 6 nominations moreNewsDesk:
(2 articles)
Back Catalogue #1 - Synapse Films (From Fangoria. 29 April 2009, 1:43 PM, PDT)
DVD Review: ‘Natalie Wood Collection’ Offers Glimpse at Movie Legend
(From HollywoodChicago.com. 3 February 2009, 7:43 AM, PST)
User Comments:
Difficult, but Talented moreCast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| 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) |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parentsRuntime:
106 minCountry:
USALanguage:
EnglishColor:
Color (Metrocolor)Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 moreCertification:
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)Fun Stuff
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. moreGoofs:
Continuity: When Lillian is recording her death, the tape reel is almost empty and it only records for about 30 seconds. After the funeral, when Brace and Hal are in the lab , the reel on the table is full. Then later, when we see the tape reel in the tape lab, it's almost empty again. moreQuotes:
[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.
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Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Brainstorm (1983)| Recent Posts (updated daily) | User |
|---|---|
| Screen Widens | rderkis |
| help on movie scene | stafford75 |
| Deluxe Edition DVD | DaRk_Tetsuo |
| Recumbent bicycle | gldrgidr-1 |
| james cameron must love this film | supabil |
| heart attack | wavymouth |
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First off, let's get a few things out of the way:
Yes, "Brainstorm" is marred by uneven acting and the death of its lead actress, Natalie Wood, under circumstances that to this day are still the stuff of speculation.
Yes, Louise Fletcher's death scene is overacted to the point of parody.
Yes, it's not easy to accept Christoper Walken in a role of a semi-normal person.
Yes, "Brainstorm" was only Douglas Trumbull's second film as a director, and some might argue that it was little better than "Silent Running."
But, even despite all of that, the story is incredibly engaging, the visuals are striking (what else would you expect from the wizard responsible for "2001" and "Blade Runner"?), James Horner's music is absolutely divine, and the film is quite enjoyable.
Also, in its favor, a great deal of the credit (or blame, as many would say) for the final result lies squarely with MGM/UA. Still dealing with United Artists' financial baggage after their merger, the company all but took the film away from Trumbull after Wood's death--not to mention the studio's lack of support for Trumbull's plan to film the "helmet" sequences in his ultra-realistic Showscan process.
So, in point, I highly recommend this movie, but just be aware of what you're getting into...