Kelly WandThe Man With The Screaming Brain
October 29th 2006 03:57
There are two kinds of people in this world. One kind freely admits that Bruce Campbell has always been a genius. The other kind is only pretending to be unaware of the obvious. “Bubba Ho-Tep” was certainly a clincher. Who could not admit the brilliance of his performance as an aging Elvis locked into battle with the Egyptian undead?
For years, he has wandered the mutant wastelands of B-movies and doomed television programs, saving those flicks his presence graced from the oblivion of crappiness; a latter day David Carradine. He leads through his mighty chin, protruding proudly past the pap purveyed by his pulp pandering peers. We are fortunate to live in the time of Bruce for those who follow will envy us our short time strut across this mortal stage.
Hyperbole? Yes; but only barely. Bruce Campbell came out of Detroit with the apparent ability to do just about anything. Not only does he act but he writes books, produces and has directed television shows. It would only be a matter of time before he got to direct a feature and now here it is. “The Man with the Screaming Brain” is a comic brain transplanting tale of love, lust and mad scientists gone bad.
Campbell plays a rich American capitalist who has part of an ex-KGB agent’s brain grafted to his. This means he gets plenty of opportunity to beat himself up again as he did in Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness. He is, after all, the best self beater upper in the business. Both halves of his damaged brain must unite to kill the gipsy woman who killed them both. She also killed Bruce’s wife; who was also having an affair with the KGB agent. Yes, things can get pretty messy when you have a partial brain transplant. Particularly when your dead wife is fitted with a robot body.
Fans of Xena Warrior Princess will be delighted at Campbell’s reunion with Ted Raimi. The broader slapstick that crept into that show is given full reign here. It is also particularly nice to see Stacy Keach playing a mad East German scientist. Oh, how the mighty can fall… on their feet!
This is a delightful film. It’s not “Gone with the Wind” which – to many of us – is very comforting news indeed. Thank the Lord Bruce for Region 1 Imports.
For years, he has wandered the mutant wastelands of B-movies and doomed television programs, saving those flicks his presence graced from the oblivion of crappiness; a latter day David Carradine. He leads through his mighty chin, protruding proudly past the pap purveyed by his pulp pandering peers. We are fortunate to live in the time of Bruce for those who follow will envy us our short time strut across this mortal stage.
Hyperbole? Yes; but only barely. Bruce Campbell came out of Detroit with the apparent ability to do just about anything. Not only does he act but he writes books, produces and has directed television shows. It would only be a matter of time before he got to direct a feature and now here it is. “The Man with the Screaming Brain” is a comic brain transplanting tale of love, lust and mad scientists gone bad.
Campbell plays a rich American capitalist who has part of an ex-KGB agent’s brain grafted to his. This means he gets plenty of opportunity to beat himself up again as he did in Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness. He is, after all, the best self beater upper in the business. Both halves of his damaged brain must unite to kill the gipsy woman who killed them both. She also killed Bruce’s wife; who was also having an affair with the KGB agent. Yes, things can get pretty messy when you have a partial brain transplant. Particularly when your dead wife is fitted with a robot body.
Fans of Xena Warrior Princess will be delighted at Campbell’s reunion with Ted Raimi. The broader slapstick that crept into that show is given full reign here. It is also particularly nice to see Stacy Keach playing a mad East German scientist. Oh, how the mighty can fall… on their feet!
This is a delightful film. It’s not “Gone with the Wind” which – to many of us – is very comforting news indeed. Thank the Lord Bruce for Region 1 Imports.
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