Brainscan

1994
18
1h 36m

IMDb RATING

6.0/10

13K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

Play trailer2:03

Body Horror Dark Comedy Slasher Horror Horror Sci-Fi

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

Directors
- John Flynn
- Dino Castelli
Writers
- Brian Owens
- Andrew Kevin Walker
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.0/10

13K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

3,739

3,036

Directors
- John Flynn
- Dino Castelli
Writers
- Brian Owens
- Andrew Kevin Walker
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 nomination

Kyle
(as a different name)

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)

Don Jordan

Cop #1

Pete White

Dog Owner

Peter Colvey

John

Directors
- John Flynn
- Dino Castelli
Writers
- Brian Owens
- Andrew Kevin Walker
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Storyline

Edit

Did you know

Edit

Trivia
Director John Flynn did not get along with Edward Furlong during filming. He later recalled, "Eddie Furlong was a 15-year-old kid who couldn't act. You had to slap him awake every morning. I don't want to get into knocking people, but I was not a big Eddie Furlong fan."

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.

Quotes
[Michael answers Dr. Fromberg as to why he likes watching horror films]
Michael: I guess it's kind of an escape.
Dr. Fromberg: Like, uh... lighting up a marijuana cigarette and escaping the real world, hmm? Like watching a pornographic sex film, getting an erection and raping someone? Is that what you mean?
Michael: You know, I don't think erections rape people. People rape people.

Crazy credits
As the end credits start, we hear Trickster say "Wait a minute. Haven't you forgotten something?" 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.

Alternate versions
The UK Guild video was cut by 58 secs with edits to a scene where a man is repeatedly stabbed and his foot severed. The cuts were waived for the Optimum DVD release.

Connections
Featured in Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: Bad Girls/The Inkwell/Naked in New York/Brainscan/Surviving the Game (1994)

Soundtracks
Under My Skin
Performed by Dandelion
Written by Dandelion
Produced by David M. Johnson and Dandelion
Courtesy of RuffHouse Records

User reviews109

Review

Featured review

6/10

The STRANGEST "video game" movie ever

A very strange film. If I had seen it as a younger kid, I think I would have been a lot more into it. With a plot about a virtual reality video game in which you get to indulge in people's sickest innermost urges (killing people).

It's a little too violent for pre-teens, yet that's why it would be such a stand out movie at that age. Unfotunately, it's a little too awkward and dumb for anyone over the age of 15 to really get into. The strange mix of the "video game plot", with the extremely voyeuristic murder scenes, and the goofy HOST of the game, "Trickster" who is reminiscent of Howie Mandell's character in Little Monsters, doesn't blend quite so well. The movie overall gives you a very uncomfortable feeling but it's too campy to be one of those "I love it because it's so incredibly hard to watch" movies like Irreversible for example.

The cheesy effects are actually pretty entertaining at least. Recommended for Edward Furlong fans and fans of simply bizarre 90's movies, otherwise not so sure.