Brainscan
Encyclopedia
Brainscan is a 1994 horror film
starring Edward Furlong
, Frank Langella
, Amy Hargreaves, Jamie Marsh
and T. Ryder Smith
. Music was composed by movie composer George S. Clinton
.
) discovers a mysterious computer game that uses hypnosis to custom-tailor the game into the most terrifying experience imaginable. When he emerges from the hypnotic
trance, he is horrified to find evidence that the brutal murder
depicted in the game actually happened, and he's the killer. Add in the appearance of the mysterious Trickster (T. Ryder Smith
), and the murderous madness jumps to the next level. Hounded by his best friend Kyle Hilliard (Jamie Marsh
) and Police Detective Hayden (Frank Langella
), and hiding the truth from girl next door and crush Kimberly (Amy Hargreaves), Michael's world comes crashing down in a hectic cacophony that is sure to make one think, "Are you sure you wanna play?" He moves from level to level, each time trying to keep from being caught, even killing Kyle. It all comes to a climax when the Trickster tells Michael he must kill Kimberly. Michael sneaks into her room while she sleeps, but refuses to go through with it. The Trickster reveals he is Michael (his dark side) and possessed Michael, the struggle of which wakes Kimberly. Kimberly reveals that she loves Michael, which allows him to break free. However, the Trickster opens Kimberly's door, allowing Hayden to come in and shoot Michael. He awakens to discover the whole experience was just the game. He joyfully discovers Kyle is still alive and that nothing in the game had happened. He goes over to Kimberly's party (the same one as at the beginning) and asks her out, which she replies with "maybe" before giving him a kiss. The movie concludes with Michael giving his Principal (who was closing down his Horror club unless Michael shows him what will be shown first) Brainscan. As he turns back, he sees the trickster and smiles, knowing he has passed on his curse.
Tagline: Wanna play? I dare you!
featured a good deal of hard rock
, grunge
, and heavy metal
from then-emerging bands. Among the bands who had music on the soundtrack are Mudhoney
, White Zombie, OLD
, Dandelion
, Primus
, Tad
, Pitchshifter
and the Butthole Surfers
. It also featured the film's Main Title Theme from George S. Clinton's score.
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
starring Edward Furlong
Edward Furlong
Edward Walter Furlong is an American actor whose best known film roles are John Connor in Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Daniel Vinyard in American History X. He is a two-time Saturn Award nominee, winning the 1992 Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor for his performance in...
, Frank Langella
Frank Langella
-Early life:Langella, an Italian American, was born in Bayonne, New Jersey, the son of Angelina and Frank A. Langella Sr., a business executive who was the president of the Bayonne Barrel and Drum Company. Langella attended Washington Elementary School and Bayonne High School in Bayonne...
, Amy Hargreaves, Jamie Marsh
Jamie Marsh
Jamie Marsh is an American theatre and film actor.Marsh was born in New York City. In 1981 while living in Stockholm, Sweden with his family, Jamie was cast in his first movie, Montenegro. After moving back to New York and graduating high school, Jamie studied at the H.B. Studios with Uta Hagen...
and T. Ryder Smith
T. Ryder Smith
T. Ryder Smith is an American actor. A native of New York state and long-time resident of New York City, he has appeared frequently on stage, particularly in avant-garde theatre works, and in film, sometimes as a voice actor.-Stage:...
. Music was composed by movie composer George S. Clinton
George S. Clinton
George S. Clinton is an American composer, songwriter, arranger, and session musician.Clinton was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee. His musical career began in Nashville while earning degrees in music and drama at Middle Tennessee State University...
.
Plot summary
A lonely teenage horror-movie fan named Michael Brower (Edward FurlongEdward Furlong
Edward Walter Furlong is an American actor whose best known film roles are John Connor in Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Daniel Vinyard in American History X. He is a two-time Saturn Award nominee, winning the 1992 Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor for his performance in...
) discovers a mysterious computer game that uses hypnosis to custom-tailor the game into the most terrifying experience imaginable. When he emerges from the hypnotic
Hypnotic
Hypnotic drugs are a class of psychoactives whose primary function is to induce sleep and to be used in the treatment of insomnia and in surgical anesthesia...
trance, he is horrified to find evidence that the brutal murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
depicted in the game actually happened, and he's the killer. Add in the appearance of the mysterious Trickster (T. Ryder Smith
T. Ryder Smith
T. Ryder Smith is an American actor. A native of New York state and long-time resident of New York City, he has appeared frequently on stage, particularly in avant-garde theatre works, and in film, sometimes as a voice actor.-Stage:...
), and the murderous madness jumps to the next level. Hounded by his best friend Kyle Hilliard (Jamie Marsh
Jamie Marsh
Jamie Marsh is an American theatre and film actor.Marsh was born in New York City. In 1981 while living in Stockholm, Sweden with his family, Jamie was cast in his first movie, Montenegro. After moving back to New York and graduating high school, Jamie studied at the H.B. Studios with Uta Hagen...
) and Police Detective Hayden (Frank Langella
Frank Langella
-Early life:Langella, an Italian American, was born in Bayonne, New Jersey, the son of Angelina and Frank A. Langella Sr., a business executive who was the president of the Bayonne Barrel and Drum Company. Langella attended Washington Elementary School and Bayonne High School in Bayonne...
), and hiding the truth from girl next door and crush Kimberly (Amy Hargreaves), Michael's world comes crashing down in a hectic cacophony that is sure to make one think, "Are you sure you wanna play?" He moves from level to level, each time trying to keep from being caught, even killing Kyle. It all comes to a climax when the Trickster tells Michael he must kill Kimberly. Michael sneaks into her room while she sleeps, but refuses to go through with it. The Trickster reveals he is Michael (his dark side) and possessed Michael, the struggle of which wakes Kimberly. Kimberly reveals that she loves Michael, which allows him to break free. However, the Trickster opens Kimberly's door, allowing Hayden to come in and shoot Michael. He awakens to discover the whole experience was just the game. He joyfully discovers Kyle is still alive and that nothing in the game had happened. He goes over to Kimberly's party (the same one as at the beginning) and asks her out, which she replies with "maybe" before giving him a kiss. The movie concludes with Michael giving his Principal (who was closing down his Horror club unless Michael shows him what will be shown first) Brainscan. As he turns back, he sees the trickster and smiles, knowing he has passed on his curse.
Tagline: Wanna play? I dare you!
Soundtrack
The film's soundtrackSoundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
featured a good deal of hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
, grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
, and heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
from then-emerging bands. Among the bands who had music on the soundtrack are Mudhoney
Mudhoney
Mudhoney is an American alternative rock band. Formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1988 following the demise of Green River, Mudhoney's members are vocalist and rhythm guitarist Mark Arm, lead guitarist Steve Turner, bassist Guy Maddison, and drummer Dan Peters. Original bassist Matt Lukin left the...
, White Zombie, OLD
OLD (band)
OLD was a grindcore / industrial metal band from Bergenfield, New Jersey, signed to Earache Records...
, Dandelion
Dandelion (band)
Dandelion was a grunge band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania formed in 1989 by vocalist/guitarist Kevin Morpurgo, bassist Mike Morpurgo, guitarist Carl Hinds and drummer Dante Cimino. With the exception of Bayen Butler in 1993 as an additional guitarist, the band were able to establish themselves as...
, Primus
Primus (band)
Primus is an American rock band based in San Francisco, California, currently composed of bassist/vocalist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry "Ler" LaLonde and drummer Jay Lane. Primus originally formed in 1984 with Claypool and guitarist Todd Huth, later joined by Lane, though the latter two departed...
, Tad
Tad (band)
Tad was an American grunge band from Seattle, Washington led by Tad Doyle. Among the first of the many bands which came out of Seattle in the grunge era, Tad was notable for the fact that its music had a noticeable 1970s metal influence, rather than the punk which influenced most other grunge bands...
, Pitchshifter
Pitchshifter (band)
Pitchshifter are a British five-piece electronic-metal band from Nottingham, United Kingdom formed in 1989. The band was started by bassist and vocalist Mark Clayden, lead guitarist and programmer Johnny A...
and the Butthole Surfers
Butthole Surfers
Butthole Surfers is an American alternative rock band formed by Gibby Haynes and Paul Leary in San Antonio, Texas in 1981. The band has had numerous personnel changes, but its core lineup of Haynes, Leary, and drummer King Coffey has been consistent since 1983. Teresa Nervosa served as second...
. It also featured the film's Main Title Theme from George S. Clinton's score.