One morning, a young man wakes to find that a small, disgusting creature has attached itself to the base of his brain stem. The creature gives him a euphoric state of happiness but demands human victims in return.
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Rick Hearst | ... | Brian (as Rick Herbst) | |
 |
Gordon MacDonald | ... | Mike |
| Jennifer Lowry | ... | Barbara | |
| Theo Barnes | ... | Morris | |
| Lucille Saint-Peter | ... | Martha | |
| Vicki Darnell | ... | Blonde in Hell | |
| Joseph Gonzalez | ... | Guy in shower (as Joe Gonzales) | |
| Bradlee Rhodes | ... | Night watchman | |
| Michael Bishop | ... | Toilet victim | |
| Beverly Bonner | ... | Neighbor | |
|
|
Ari M. Roussimoff | ... | Biker (as Ari Roussimoff) |
|
|
Michael Rubenstein | ... | Bum in alley |
|
|
Angel Figueroa | ... | Junkie |
|
|
John Reichert | ... | Policeman |
|
|
Don Henenlotter | ... | Policeman |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
See All (252) »
Storyline
A normal, average guy who lives in New York City becomes dependent on an evil, disembodied brain. The brain feeds the guy a narcotic substance in exchange for his unwilling assistance in obtaining the brains of innocent victims for sustenance. This turns into a tour of circa-1980s underground NYC clubs, backlots, and other seedy locations. One scene features the band Swimming Pool Cues playing the song "Corruption." Written by Mark Logan <marklo@west.sun.com>
Plot Keywords:
parasite | male objectification | two word title | body part in title | taking a shower |Taglines:
The movie that will blow your mind! See more »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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See more on IMDbPro »
See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
25 May 1988 (France) See more »Also Known As:
Brain Damage (La maledizione di Elmer) See more »Filming Locations:
New York City, New York, USAEdit
Box Office
Budget:
$900,000 (estimated)Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
| (uncut)Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
Edit
Brian: Yeah, but when it comes to blood in my underwear, I want to know how it got there.
See more »
by J. Calder, A. Boston, J.E. Garnett, B. Elsey, & B. Burton
Performed by The Swimming Pool Q's
Courtesy of Irving Music, Inc.
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Brian has an unexplained cut on his lip all throughout the film. It was a part of a subplot involving him getting into a fight the night before defending his brother in a bar fight. But due to time restraints the explanation scenes were never filmed See more »Goofs
When Brian wakes up bloody, the blood on his left hand disappears and reappears between shots. See more »Quotes
Aylmer: Part of my talent, Brian, is to spare you any unpleasantness.Brian: Yeah, but when it comes to blood in my underwear, I want to know how it got there.
See more »
Crazy Credits
In the end titles, listed under "Historical Research" is BABE WOZENTHAL. According Frank Henenlotter on the DVD's commentary, this was a joke about Jerry Lewis in "The Errand Boy." See more »Soundtracks
Corruptionby J. Calder, A. Boston, J.E. Garnett, B. Elsey, & B. Burton
Performed by The Swimming Pool Q's
Courtesy of Irving Music, Inc.
See more »
Frequently Asked Questions
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This is one of my alltime favorites of the horror genre! A great movie to watch.
What i like about this movie is the underlying drug related messages throughout. It's like watching requiem for a dream almost in that drug-related sense.
I don't need to tell much about the plot, since i'm sure many have already explained it.
I am a hardcore horror fan through and through, and i will just say that this movie rocks. It's got a great and interesting story, some awesome gore scenes and some hilarious comedy as well. It's not scary, but it is a gory, funny, bizarre, and original movie that isn't even close to being like anything else out there...you gotta see it to believe it.
10 out of 10 (based on a horror fan's review)