Arrow Video, with domestic sales and distribution
support provided by MVD Entertainment Group, has a new Hi-Def Blu-ray
presentation of writer/director Frank Henenlotter’s 1988 creature feature, Brain
Damage, ready for genre fans to enjoy on Feb. 4.
Filmed in New York City in early 1987, Brain
Damage reached theatres one year later. The working title was Elmer the
Parasite, but fans of Henenlotter’s
brain-feast film know that “Elmer” is really Aylmer (Old English for famous;
inspiring and the like), but Elmer will do.
At least that’s what Dr. Ackerman (Theo Barnes) and his wife, Martha (Lucille
Saint-Peter), call the little brain sucker, who they’ve been feeding in their
apartment when we have that first meet-the-creature moment.
Living next door is Brian (Rick Hearst, aka: Rick
Herbst … after this film he became a soap opera regular with stints on The Young
and the Restless, The Bold and the Beautiful, Days of Our Lives and
more) and the creature — make that, parasite — takes a liking to him. A symbiotic relationship develops with Brian
hauling Elmer (voiced by John Zacherle) around the city to feast on human
brains, while Elmer “feeds” his host with a blue liquid (though a puncture
wound in the back of his neck) that sends him on psychedelic trips.
Everything is going along swimmingly until … come
on, we can’t give that away, but let’s just say that Brian’s love interest,
Barbara (Jennifer Lowry … her career moment), gets a kiss to remember.
Filmmaker Frank Henenlotter had fun with his
creature features — Basket Case (1,
2 and 3) and Frankenhooker —
before turning his attentions to the business of Something Weird Video. Indie horror at its best … with a sense of
humor.
Bonus goodies on the Blu-ray release of Brain
Damage from Arrow Video on Feb. 4 include
commentary from Henenlotter, Elijah Drenner’s 2017 documentary titled Listen to
the Light: The Making of Brain Damage,
five featurettes — “The Effects of Brain Damage,” “Animating Elmer,” “Karen
Ogle: A Look Back,” “Elmer’s Turf: The NYC Locations of Brain Damage” and “Tasty
Memories: A Brain Damage Obsession — and the animated short film by Harry
Chaskin titled Bygone Behemoth.
Additionally, there is a Q&A session from the
2016 Offscreen Film Festival featuring filmmaker Frank Henenlotter.
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