Brain Dead (1990)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Adam Simon

Writers:

Charles Beaumont (screenplay)
Charles Beaumont (story)
(more)

Release Date:

19 January 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

From the writer of the original "Twilight Zone" comes the most terrifying film of the decade.

Plot:

A psychological thriller from the writer of the original "Twilight Zone!" In a showdown of man vs. machine...

Plot Keywords:

Cult Favorite | Psychotronic | Independent Film

Cast

Bill Pullman	...	Dr. Rex Martin
Bill Paxton	...	Jim Reston
Nicholas Pryor	...	Man in Bloody White Suit / Ramsen / Ed Conklin
Patricia Charbonneau	...	Dana Martin
George Kennedy	...	Vance
Brian Brophy	...	Ellis
David Sinaiko	...	Berkovitch
Lee Arenberg
Andy Wood	...	Brain Surgeon
Maud Winchester	...	Crazy Anna
Lisa Moncure	...	Board Member
Jon Kellam	...	Board Member
Willie Garson	...	Board Member
John Paxton	...	Board Member
David Sklare	...	Board Member
Cynthia Ettinger	...	Nurse Anderson
Shannon Holt	...	Toni
V.J. Foster	...	Fred (as Jeff Foster)
Bud Cort	...	Jack Halsey
Brent Hinkley	...	Dewey
Deirdre O'Connell	...	Mrs. Halsey
Dorothy Vincent	...	Halsey's Aunt #2
Kyle Gass	...	Anaesthetist
Dean Robinson	...	Valet
Mark Boothby	...	Neighbor / Eunice Security Guard
Steve Ruggles	...	Restaurant Manager
Adam Lima	...	Bus Boy
Jesse Douglas	...	Canteen Attendant
Patti Tippo	...	Resident
Barney Burman	...	Experimental Face
Laura McCorkindale	...	Dancing Madwoman
Roscoe Pound	...	Wrong Man
William Simon	...	Doctor in Lobotomy Film
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ann Vincent	...	Halsey's Aunt #1

Directed by
Adam Simon

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Charles Beaumont		screenplay
Charles Beaumont		story
Adam Simon		writer

Produced by
Julie Corman	....	producer
Lynn Whitney	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Peter Rotter		(as Peter Francis Rotter)

Cinematography by
Ronn Schmidt

Film Editing by
Carol Oblath

Casting by
Barbara Cohen
Leslie Litt

Production Design by
Catherine Hardwicke

Art Direction by
Gilbert Mercier

Set Decoration by
Gene Serdena

Costume Design by
Catherine Taieb

Makeup Department
Barney Burman	....	special makeup effects
Rob Burman	....	special makeup effects
Desne J. Holland	....	assistant hair stylist (as Desne Holland)
Desne J. Holland	....	assistant makeup artist (as Desne Holland)
Angela Moos	....	hair stylist (as Angela Margolis)
Angela Moos	....	makeup artist (as Angela Margolis)

Production Management
Albert T. Dickerson III	....	production manager
Esther P. Russell	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Philippe Browning	....	second unit director (as Philipe Browning)
Benjamin Clark	....	first assistant director: second unit
Gregory Kent Simmons	....	first assistant director (as Greg Simmons)
Thomas Patrick Smith	....	second assistant director (as Thomas Smith)

Art Department
Antoine Bonsorte	....	carpenter
David Esparza	....	key scenic
Sean Gordon	....	carpenter
Andrew T. Grant	....	property master (as Andrew Grant)
Barry Hatchett	....	carpenter
Johan Le Teneux	....	construction coordinator (as Johan Le Tenoux)
Claire Ohea	....	scenic artist (as Claire O'hea)
Bruce Parker	....	carpenter
Dimitri Radoyce	....	storyboard artist
Abigail Scheuer	....	assistant to production designer
Michael Soriano	....	set dresser
Robert Stover	....	swing person
Michael Vatovec	....	scenic artist
Mark Walters	....	scenic artist
Norman West	....	lead man
Richard K. Wright	....	assistant property master (as Richard Wright)
Judith Wyle	....	assistant art director
Liz Young	....	props: medical and torture instruments

Sound Department
Geraint Bell	....	sound effects editor
Gaston Biraben	....	dialogue editor (as Gastón Biraben)
Michael Clark	....	sound effects editor
Joe Earle	....	sound effects editor
Craig Felburg	....	production sound mixer
Catherine Harper	....	foley artist
Camilla Mauritzson	....	sound re-recording assistant
Cynthia Merrill	....	foley artist
Dennis Patterson	....	adr recordist
Dennis Patterson	....	foley editor
Dennis Patterson	....	foley recordist
Dennis Patterson	....	sound designer
Dennis Patterson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Robert Perry	....	boom operator (as Bob Perry)
Christopher B. Reeves	....	dialogue editor (as Chris Reeves)
Bill V. Robbins	....	production sound mixer (as Bill Robbins)

Special Effects by
Robyn Jacobs	....	special effects assistant (uncredited)

Stunts
John Branagan	....	stunts (as John Branigan)
Patrick J. Statham	....	stunt coordinator (as Patrick J. Stratham)
Merritt Yohnka	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Malcolm Abbey	....	still photographer
David A. Barbush	....	swing grip (as David Barbush)
Stephenie Blakemore	....	best boy electric
Glen Deitell	....	first assistant camera
John V. Fante	....	director of photography: second unit (as John Fante)
Rick Jacobsen	....	best boy grip (as Rick Jacobson)
Derrick Kolus	....	gaffer
Katie Nilson	....	electrician: second unit
Katie Nilson	....	grip: second unit
Lee Redmond	....	director of photography: second unit
William Russell	....	first assistant camera: second unit (as Bill Russell)
Neil Toussaint	....	camera intern
Tony W. Watson	....	key grip (as Tony Watson)
Oscar Williams	....	electrician: second unit
Oscar Williams	....	grip: second unit
Roger Wong	....	second assistant camera
Bryan Godwin	....	assistant camera: second unit (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Anne Tamrazi	....	assistant wardrobe

Editorial Department
Ute Berthold	....	apprentice editor (as Ute Bertholdt)
Susannah Cobb	....	assistant editor
Dawn Michelle King	....	post-production assistant (as Dawn King)
Ken Regan	....	post-production coordinator
Dan Schalk	....	apprentice editor (as Danny Schalk)
Jerome Stern	....	apprentice editor
Kathy Tanney	....	assistant editor
Mato	....	color timer (uncredited)

Music Department
Paul Di Franco	....	music supervisor (uncredited)

Other crew
Nancy Ahschlager	....	production accountant (as Nancy Ahlschlager)
Waldo Brain	....	production controller
M. Cevin Cathell	....	production coordinator (as Cevin Cathell)
Benjamin Clark	....	assistant to director
Steve Gehrke	....	script supervisor (as Steven Gehrke)
Mari Geraci	....	production assistant
Doug Hofer	....	location coordinator
Harri James	....	script supervisor: second unit (as 'Harri Monster' James)
Byrdie Lifson	....	assistant to producer
Alexandra E. Perce	....	production assistant (as Alexandra Perce)
Sean Wade	....	production assistant
Redmond Walsh	....	set production assistant
Sarah Elgart	....	choreographer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• New Horizons

Distributors

• Concorde Pictures
• MGM/UA Distribution Company (????) (France) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (VHS)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (video)
• New Horizons Home Video (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Paranoia (USA)

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:M | France:-16 | UK:15 | USA:R

Company:

New Horizons

Trivia:

Dr Martin mentions that he went to "Miskatonic University", the college where Re-Animator (1985) took place. Miskatonic University is supposedly located in Arkham, MA, a fictional town created by H.P. Lovecraft.

Quotes:

Dr. Rex Martin: My brains are individuals - they're special - they're unique.

Movie Connections:

References Re-Animator (1985)

Pure Madness and Insanity

The advantage of making a movie about madness is that you can sell almost ANYTHING as long as it's all confusing. From this point of view, Brain Dead is brilliant. However, if you expect to find a solution in the end, you will be disappointed.

My interpretation of Brain Dead is that you can never tell what is reality and what is imagination of the main character (Bill Pullman). I even doubt that the brain surgeon story at the beginning is real. During the movie we learn that you can never tell who Pullmans character really is - Rex Martin, Dr. Halsey, who ever? Is he really a brain surgeon, or is that his own imagination, too? Or is he himself the mad-gone maths employee? Or is he just an insane patient suffering fear of somebody messing with his mind?

I think that the brain surgeon story is a very clever move to confuse the audience, because it seems to be the clue for what is going on, but at the end, it isn't. It reminds me of the psycho-drug story in Jacobs Ladder, which isn't real, either.

However, I'd have liked to see a clever explanation for all that weird stuff at the end.