a review of 脑残

Hooptober, Night Sixteen: Compared to the other Henenlotter films I've seen (Basket Case 1 & 2, Frankenhooker) this one felt just a bit meaner in its outlook to me. Although the realization of Elmer the trip-inducing brain parasite is delightful in terms of both the low-budget creature FX and the voice performance by classic horror host Zacherle, it's occasionally hard to get invested in the protagonist because he's literally zonked out on Elmer's blue brain-juice and loses all agency for most of the film. There's some gloriously gonzo sequences, like the surreal bedroom hallucination that kicks off the story, or when Elmer's former owners reappear to breathlessly exposit backstory that is never referenced again, or even the literally mind-blowing ending. But there's also a few scenes (like the infamous brain-worm "blowjob") that feel almost pointlessly cruel in their execution, which damaged the fun quotient of the film a bit for me.