Mind Benders Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		5.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

Mind Benders Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf November 29, 2024

The kids aren’t alright at Kingston High School, and the faculty is eager to do something about it in 1987’s “Mind Benders.” Co-writers Skip Lackey and Eugenie Joseph (who also directs) aren’t making a serious investigation into the ways of wild teenage behavior with the picture. They’re creating a comedy, and an especially broad one at that, turning to silliness to power the endeavor, which enjoys acts of slapstick and goofy banter while attempting to pay attention to a thin story concerning aural domination. “Mind Benders” reaches the limits of its appeal about midway through the effort, but there’s still plenty of movie left to endure, and one that’s not particularly attentive to the demands of structure and payoff.

The students at Kingston High School are unruly, and Principal Borden (Roy Thinnes) is fed up with all the rebellion and clowning around. A Vietnam War vet, Principal Borden is ready to instill some discipline in the teens, allowing Dr. Gunbow (Bill Curry) of the Behavior Modification Research Institute to come into the school and conduct sound tests, using special tonal patterns to reprogram the adolescents, making them easier to deal with. Hallway rebels Crash (Lee Tergesen) and Frankie (Skip Lackey) are troubled after the closure of the school’s radio station, electing to make life difficult for Principal Borden, keeping their headphones on tight during the school day. The young men manage to avoid the experiment, watching classmates get turned into well-behaved zombies, growing curious as to what’s going on. Turning to nerdly Calvin (David Kener) for help, Crash and Frankie look to uncover Dr. Gunbow’s equipment, making changes that remove non-violent behaviors from the programming, which unleashes chaos around the building the faculty can’t contain.

Frankie and Crash are your typical teen movie heroes, living to make the school day unbearable for teachers, and they also love to poke at their classmates, using the power of a radio show to humiliate others. Principal Borden is a decent foil, and Thinnes gives the best performance in “Mind Benders,” portraying a frustrated leader who can’t get his school under control. He faces acts of disruption from Frankie and Crash, and Joseph makes a bold choice by opening the picture with a food fight, aiming to launch “Mind Benders” with an explosion of mischief and messiness to best indicate to viewers that the cinematic journey about to unfold is a perfectly unserious one.

The sound conditioning makes up the plot of “Mind Benders,” as Dr. Gunbow sets up a computer system to melt teenage brains, using it on the worst of the worst at the school. The screenplay makes an attempt to address the weird science of the experiment, but the movie isn’t committed to developing a study of complacency. It’s more interested in high jinks from Crash and Frankie, following the pair as they hit up a local mall to meet women, and the duo love to razz Calvin, who has money and smarts, but no real social skills, despite being the only one of the gang that has a girlfriend. Amusingly, “Mind Benders” does try to establish domestic pressures on Crash and Frankie, who both struggle with their parents, but this is just a blip of concern in a picture that’s primarily out to be wacky with two rascals.

Mind Benders Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation is listed as "scanned and restored in 4K from its 35mm original camera negative." Colors are immediately striking during the viewing experience as the story moves around the school and mall. Primaries are distinct throughout, with sharp reds and blues. Clothing choices also deliver varied hues. Skin tones are natural. Detail is strong, exploring skin particulars on the actors, providing an understanding of their true ages. Costuming is fibrous. School interiors maintain dimension, visiting classrooms and auditoriums. Exteriors are deep. Delineation is satisfactory. Grain is fine and film-like. Source is in good condition.

Mind Benders Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

While the 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix is simple in design, some damage and age is encountered during the listening experience. There are several stretches of muddiness to get through, diminishing clarity, though nothing lasts for too long. The rest of the track handles the low-budget feature acceptably, with passably clear dialogue exchanges and scoring selections. The heightened nature of the movie remains appreciable, and often reaches the limitations of the production's equipment.

Mind Benders Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary #1 features co-writer/director Eugenie Joseph and co-writer/actor Skip Lackey.

• Commentary #2 features podcasters James Branscome and Nick Vance.

• "High Tension High" (37:19, HD) is the making-of for "Mind Benders," featuring interviews with co-writer/director Eugenie Joseph, producer Jack Bravman, co-writer/actor Skip Lackey, and actors David Kerner and Bill Curry. The featurette opens with Joseph proclaiming that filmmaking is "the most fun you'll ever have in your entire life, and it'll be the worst experience you'll ever have in your entire life." She details her early years in the industry, hired as a P.A. on 1982's "Hanky Panky," developing her career over the next few years. She recalls her time on 1986's "Spookies," where she was hired as an editor, only to end up reshooting half the picture. Talk turns to "Mind Benders," which was conceived as tax shelter project, putting pressure on Joseph and Lackey to develop a usable script. The pair previously worked for performance coach Tony Robbins, using his education to motivate the writing, focusing on mind control. Casting is examined, concentrating on Kerner's experiences during the Canadian shoot, requiring heavy makeup to hide his real age. Co-stars and performance choices are also assessed, collecting talent from Canada and the United States. Inspired by the work of Roger Corman, Joseph felt the stress of low-budget moviemaking, aiming to remain positive while managing creative challenges. Weather issues shortened the schedule, losing two days in the process, forcing the team to scramble to finish, dropping material along the way. The picture premiered on basic cable, undergoing a title change, and the interviewees remain positive about the experience, with Joseph hoping the endeavor finds new fans.

• A Trailer has not been included on this release.

Mind Benders Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Mind Benders" develops into a battle of wills and stolen tech as Crash and Frankie manage to mess up the sound system, and Principal Borden seeks to increase tones, pushing the kids over the edge. Fights break out in the school, with teens battling in auto shop and cosmetology class, and chases commence around the hallways once the main characters realize who they're up against. There's a brightness to the feature that's enjoyable, refusing the lure of horror as the central premise is kept light for comedic purposes. But there's also exhaustion as Joseph starts to repeat scenes and conflicts, perhaps trying to beef up the run time as editorial slackness sets in. Issues are also found in the conclusion of the tale, which is so abrupt, one has to wonder why the filmmakers even bother with it. There's no major ending to "Mind Benders," just a semi-random idea and some half-baked special effects. It's very strange, but also somewhat fitting for an effort that's already fairly scattershot. It's a shame the laughs aren't stronger in this exaggerated movie.