The first act is a little slow, and once the plot does pick up it quickly becomes so deliberately scattered that the disparity is glaring. Even at that, we can readily make guesses as to where the plot is going - yet it's to the credit of screenwriter Charles Beaumont, and in turn filmmaker Adam Simon, that where exactly it will all end up remains shrouded in mystery. Why, I rather wonder if Beaumont hadn't fashioned his screenplay so that even he didn't know what the ending was going to be until he found it; alternatively, multiple endings could have been written. That is the tenor of psychological thrillers generally, yes, but this one seems particularly adept at shifting between broken realities and making one seem just as plausible as the next. This makes it all the more surprising, perhaps, that it was accordingly originally written for Roger Corman in the 60s, only to be rediscovered and updated; one can easily imagine how this might have looked if it had been produced 20-30 years earlier.
There's nothing specifically revelatory about 'Brain dead,' yet I'm pleased with just how good it is. It has no illusions about being something it's not; it's evident the budget was comparatively modest, and production values hover somewhere in the unremarkable middle ground. Yet the sets and filming locations are swell nonetheless, plus those stunts, effects, and props that are employed. There are some noteworthy names appearing here, given to some measure of recognition even in 1990, and in the very least Bill Paxton and Bill Pullman were no small get. Pullman is a solid lead, for that matter, ably navigating the spaces between all that is required of him at various points. Meanwhile, strong scene writing is extra important when the material deals with fractured perspectives, and the screenplay serves up a rich cornucopia of ideas while fashioning a compelling, satisfying narrative. I'm not saying that the title doesn't still leave a bit to be desired, especially as some themes and ideas rise and recede in accordance with the hops of the story, but overall the result is admirable.
Some spicier flavors of science fiction and horror likewise come and go throughout as this mystery thriller advances, though by and large the tone is such that, again, we can handily envisage it in Roger Corman's hands twenty or so years before. One way or another, the feature ably keeps us watching for the ultimate reveal, and the ride along the way is a fun one. Simon's direction is splendid in shaping the whole, and I think editor Carol Oblath deserves distinct credit for helping to shape the jumble into its final form. At length there's nothing so singular and grabbing about this as to demand viewership, but if one happens to come across it it's a good time, and worth checking out. It's neither as striking or as complex as some similar pictures, but 'Brain dead' stands quite sturdily on its own feet, and if you do have the opportunity to watch then I think it's worth checking out.
