Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy (1996)

A pharmaceutical scientist creates a pill that makes people remember their happiest memory, and although it's successful, it has unfortunate side effects.

Director:

Kelly Makin

Writers:

Norm Hiscock, Bruce McCulloch

Stars:

Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald

4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dave Foley	...	Marv / Psychiatrist / New guy / Raymond Hurdicure
Bruce McCulloch	...	Alice / Cisco / Grivo / Worm pill scientist / Cop #2 / Cancer boy / White-trash man
Kevin McDonald	...	Dr. Chris Cooper / Doreen / Chris' dad / Lacey
Mark McKinney	...	Simon / Don Roritor / Cabbie / Gunther / Cop #1 / Nina Bedford / Melanie / Drill sergeant / White-trash woman
Scott Thompson	...	Baxter / Mrs. Hurdicure / Wally Terzinsky / Malek / Big Stummies scientist / The Queen / Raj / Clemptor
Kathryn Greenwood	...	Ginny Hurdicure
Amy Smith	...	Raymond's kid
Lachlan Murdoch	...	Raymond's kid
Nicole de Boer	...	Cooper's groupie
Krista Bridges	...	Cooper's groupie
Christopher Redman	...	Wally Jr.
Erica Fairfield	...	Wally's daughter (as Erica Lancaster)
Jackie Harris	...	Natalie (Roritor's secretary)
Jonathan Wilson	...	Panicky assistant
Tony Ning	...	Mai Tai waiter

Storyline

A team of scientists working for a pharmaceutical company discovers a cure for depression. When the company finds itself in trouble financially, they rush the new drug into production without doing enough testing. Things seem to go fine until some of the users of the drug start slipping into comas. It becomes a race between the scientists who want to tell the world the truth and the company's marketing department who wants to protect their profit margin.

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Plot Keywords:

drugs | scientist | pharmaceuticals | side effect | marketing | 

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Taglines:

Shove this up your mind

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Genres:

Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and sexual humor

Details

Country:

Canada USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 April 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Brain Candy

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Gross USA:

$2,653,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures,Lakeshore Entertainment,Broadway Video

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the scene where Dr. Chris Cooper (Kevin McDonald) appears on television to present a music video award, the background theme is "Spiraling Shape" by They Might Be Giants - a song that, like the movie itself, warns about the dangers of succumbing to fad "miracle" products.

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Goofs

When the two workmen roll the carpet into a tube, it is obviously lopsided, accumulating on the left hand side of the screen. In the next shot, the carpet is perfectly even.

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Quotes

Scientist: I've invented a pill that gives worms to ex-girlfriends.
Don: Uh, right, and what's positive about that?
Scientist: Well, it's a pill that gives worms to ex-girlfriends.
Don: Couldn't it also give worms to ex-boyfriends?
Scientist: This is a drug... for the world... to give worms to ex-girlfriends.
Don: Well, great. Thanks for stopping by.
Scientist: You just don't get it here! Huhoooo!

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Crazy Credits

After the credits, Mother Hurdicure is distressed over her grandson flying away with the balloons she gave him, and is queried by the boy's mother as to his whereabouts.

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Alternate Versions

The Kids in the Hall originally filmed a different ending to the film where Dr. Chris Cooper (played by 'Kevin McDonald') fell into a coma and dreamed the ending. Apparently this included "an elaborate parade, complete with Coma Queens, candy-coloured floats, and a grinning mob", but unfortunately it scored poorly with test audiences. Paramount and the Kids re-evaluated the ending and agreed it lacked dramatic-weight and was "too scattered". They re-shot the ending in January.

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Connections

Followed by Kids in the Hall: Tour of Duty (2002)

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Soundtracks

Postal Blowfish
by Robert Pollard (as R. Pollard) & Mitch Mitchell (as M. Mitchell)
performed by Guided By Voices
courtesy of Matador Records

User Reviews

Hilarious Even WIthout Knowing The Show

The TV show was funny as hell, although it was sometimes hit-and-miss ; but what sketch show isn't. This movie contains a well planned plot executed by a diverse but motley crew of characters. It makes you think that the BBC show League of Gentlemen isn't as original as you thought it was! Also, the impersonation of Lorne Michaels is spot-on, and makes you think the Dr Evil character from Austin Powers isn't as original as you thought either (as they are both spoofing Mr Michaels - who produced both SNL for Myers and Kids in the Hall).

Great fun... and try not to laugh out loud at the 'cancer boy' character.