Brainscan (1994)

A teenager is part of an interactive video game where he kills innocent victims. Later, the murders become real.

Director:

John Flynn

Writers:

Brian Owens (story), Andrew Kevin Walker (screenplay)

Stars:

Edward Furlong, Frank Langella, T. Ryder Smith

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Edward Furlong	...	Michael
Frank Langella	...	Detective Hayden
T. Ryder Smith	...	The Trickster
Amy Hargreaves	...	Kimberly
Jamie Marsh	...	Kyle
Victor Ertmanis	...	Martin
David Hemblen	...	Dr. Fromberg
Vlasta Vrana	...	Frank
Domenico Fiore	...	Ken (as Dom Fiore)
Claire Riley	...	News Anchor
Tod Fennell	...	Young Michael (as Tod Fennel)
Michèle-Barbara Pelletier	...	Stacie (as Michele-Barbara Pelletier)
Dean Hagopian	...	Mr. Keller
Donna Baccala	...	Mrs. Keller (as Donna Bacalla)
Jérôme Tiberghien	...	Mr. Tebb (as Jerome Thiberghian)

Storyline

A lonely teenage horror-movie fan discovers a mysterious computer game that uses hypnosis to custom-tailor the game into the most terrifying experience imaginable. When he emerges from the hypnotic trance he is horrified to find evidence that the brutal murder depicted in the game actually happened -- and he's the killer.

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Plot Keywords:

murder | teenager | computer game | computer | neighbor | 

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Taglines:

Wanna play? I dare you.

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Genres:

Comedy | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence, and for language and some sexuality

Details

Country:

Canada USA UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 April 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

Brain Scan

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Box Office

Gross:

$4,264,509 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Admire Productions Ltd., Coral Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color (Pathécolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

It is assumed that Michael's mother died in the car crash in which his knee was injured.

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Goofs

Michael's area code is 717 which is located in Eastern Pennsylvania. However if you look closely at the letters that he sorts through and finds the Brainscan package, the state that he lives in is actually New Jersey.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Young Michael: [Older Michael lays in bed having a nightmare about the scene of his parents accident, seeing his younger self laying on the operating table calling out] Mom! Mom!
Young Michael: [Michael see's his younger self in the street of the accident over his dead father] Mom! Mom! Somebody help us!

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Crazy Credits

As the end credits start, we hear the trickster say "Hey wait, it's not over yet" and the credits screen shatters as if it was made of glass. It then shows a scene involving the dog with the dismembered foot from earlier in the film, and then the end credits resume

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Connections

References A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

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Soundtracks

Thunder Kiss '65 (Swinging Lovers Remix)
Performed by White Zombie
Remixed by KMFDM
Music by White Zombie
Lyrics by Rob Zombie
Produced by Andy Wallace
Courtesy of Geffen Records

User Reviews

Unique Period Film

A movie like Brainscan is unique. The characters in this film only exist in the time that the movie was made. Brainscan can almost be called a period film today due to its embracing the troubled youth subculture of the early nineties. Ed Furlong of Terminator 2 is a high school student that exposes himself to large amounts of Horror, Hard Rock, and Video Games. When his obsessions become his vices, he experiences the fear of losing control of the only thing he truly possesses; himself. A sinister antagonist called The Trickster drives the plot of the movie and forces the main character (Furlong) to become either a hero or a victim. The movie is well paced and has an entertaining score/soundtrack. This film should be highly recommended to fans of Horror, Sci-Fi/Fantasy and admirers of Frank Langella and/or Edward Furlong.