By Geno McGahee
I don’t know what it is. When I see a 50 pack of horror movies for 20 bucks, I have to buy it, especially when the expectations are so low going in. It’s hard to be disappointed when you assume that they will all be shit to begin with, but it’s an adventure in a box. That’s the appeal of it, mostly. So many movies to watch, so much time to waste, and maybe, just maybe, there may be some quality entertainment…even if it’s by accident.
A 2004 film called BRAINIAC was part of this horror compilation and I was rather pleased immediately with the production. It’s shot very well and featured some rather good actors and actresses. It surrounds a lab run by Dr. Peter Van Dorn (Greg Bayan) and a drug called “Nirvana,” which according to the creators, will eliminate drug use across the nation, reduce crime, and basically save humanity, but there is a dark side to it. Many that have taken it have become violent and volatile.
Sunday Morgan (Lisa Nistri), Peter’s assistant, is a big supporter of her boss and when the police surprise them with a search and seizure warrant, she stands by her company. She begins to question Peter when several murders take place and it all points to the company and the drug Nirvana. With the help of Detective Danko (Joe Hansard), Sunday begins to put the pieces of the puzzle together.
Peter’s daughter, Kate (Elizabeth Shevock), slowly realizing that her father is changing and stumbles across some evidence that he is hiding information that could cost him his career and company. She teams up with Sunday, helping her figure out the “Brainiac Murders.”
Brainiac is actually a monster, a major side effect of Nirvana, that sucks the brains out of the victims. The look of the monster is very good, especially for a movie on this level, and the amount of locations is very impressive. This movie gets an A for effort right out of the gates. They tried to make a good movie and they succeeded. This is a very fun watch and the monster looks good and the climax of the movie is a lot of fun.
BRAINIAC is a very good movie for a low budget monster flick. The acting is very good, especially Lisa Nistri, and although the person that turns into the beast is quite obvious, it is still well worth the watch. I recommend it.
Scared Stiff Rating: 6/10.
