BootDigest
Such a frustrating disappointment
Mjeteconer
Just perfect...
Matialth
Good concept, poorly executed.
Leofwine_draca
THE BRAIN MACHINE is one of those single location thrillers in which a group of voluntary participants come together in a research institute to take part in a scientific experiment, with horrifying results. It's not really a single location film all the way through as there are plenty of exterior scenes and padding that doesn't really add a whole lot to anything. I liked the way that the film's title and trappings attempt to bring in then-modern computer technology into the story even though computers have very little to do with what actually takes place.This also happens to be one of the dullest films I can remember watching in recent months. Films made in the 1970s either tend to be really, really good, or really, really bad. THE BRAIN MACHINE falls into the latter category as it's just so cheap and amateurish in nature. The first half of the picture is all back story, set up, and exposition, and the second half is all tumult that just doesn't ring true. Add in plenty of histrionic acting and a generally dated feel and you have a film that's really not worth your time.
Michael J Salmestrelli (vonnoosh)
I'm not sure what exactly led to the Sci Fi fixation of evil secret projects being launched by the government but the late 70's and early 80's flicks are FILLED with them. This era of Sci Fi created almost as many of these types of movies than the bomb did back in the 50's Much of those movies were quite bad, the same can be said about these types of films as well, to that, say hello to The Brain Machine AKA Grey Matter.Much of what has been said about this flick has already been said so I'll summarize, The flick starts with a Robert Ludlumesque plot of a Doctor finding out some connection between the military and an environmental project. Once this slice of suspense is over (roughly 15 minutes in), the rest of the movie is just ending....Brain Machine has some overlong skinpealingly boring scenes of doctors trying to get "the truth" from the volunteered patients. How someone telling "absolute truth" helps the environment(you know, pollution, overpopulation not emotional environment), I will never know and don't bother scratching your head about it. IT IS NOT WORTH IT!The director, editor, maybe screenwriter, I don't know was absolutely obsessed with establishing shots of the clinic and the General's office. Interesting fact for fellow connoisseurs of bad movies, the General's house is the exact same house Peter Lawford's character uses in the Greydon Clark nonclassic (made famous by MST3K) Angel's Revenge aka Angel's Brigade aka Seven from Heaven. It is easy to make this connection because the viewer really gets a lot of long hard looks at buildings.Aside from the padding, boredom, and confusing script, the dialog is REALLY goofy especially when the patients go in the "E-box" Things go wrong in there and an exasperated patient says things like "You scientific birdbrain!" followed by "You scientific bitch!", another patient follows suit with "You scientific bastards!" and my favorite "You'll have to kill me before I die!"I recommend watching this movie if you got it like I did in one of those 50 movie budget DVD packs. You basically know what you're getting into when you buy those sets so enjoy the mediocrity and remember DO NOT TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TELLING THE TRUTH HELPS THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT! As Lewis Black once said about something similar to that "You'll end up having blood shoot out of your eyeball trying to figure that one out."
jonbecker03
"The Brain Machine" is one of those action films with relatively little action and lots of "filler" sequences between the action scenes. But that's OK in this case, because what we get is intriguing filler. At times endearing filler....entertaining filler....but above all intriguing filler. This is also one of those films in which you don't really know what's going on a good deal of the time, or even most of the time. And at times you don't even know who some of the characters are supposed to be (antagonists? PROtagonists? NEUTRALS??). But that's OK in this case, since what is on the screen is interesting even when it's incomprehensible. "Brain Machine" keeps your attention and gets you to think. I like the way Joy N. Houk, Jr. mixes "modernistic" and "postmodern" elements. The whole production, from a design point of view, has a "modernistic" orientation (obsessive use of the color blue in the decor, the appearance of abstract expressionist paintings as wall murals, the overall sleek and clean look, etc.). Yet the storytelling style and characterization are decidedly POSTmodern, i.e., ambiguous, amorphous, and ill-defined. "Brain Machine" tells the stories of a group of disturbed individuals living in a disturbed, uncertain universe. The film may be more than thirty years old, yet in some respects it is quite contemporary........
FieCrier
I saw this on VHS under its AKA Grey Matter. Going into it, I wasn't sure what it was about, and having watched it I'm still not entirely sure.There's a theft of files at a government research facility, and someone in an airplane turns around when he learns of the theft.Four people participate in what they think is an experiment having to do with population control and pollution, or something. They're kept in uniforms in a room which will get progressively smaller to represent a growing population. The scientists in charge emphasize the importance of the participants telling the truth. It's clear they all have secrets.Meanwhile, some things seem to be going wrong. A technician dies after touching a hose. Some of the cameras don't work. A guard is mysteriously sinister.The computer begins asking personal questions, which the surprised scientists repeat to the participants. Sometimes while they're sleeping they appear to be electrocuted and have visions.In the end, there's a television report in which a newscaster reports falsely on the study while two apparently powerful men watch the report on TV and comment on it.
