6.1 | / 10 |
Users | 3.5 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
A powerful criminal brain from the planet Arous, Gor, assumes the body of scientist Steve March. Thru March he begins to control the world by threatening destruction to any country challenging his domination. Another brain, Val, works with Marchs future wife Sally to defeat Gor. Val explains that Gor will be vulnerable when he is forced to leave March at intervals to re-energize. Gors vulnerable spot, the Fissure of Orlando, is described in a note left by Sally in Steve's lab.
Starring: John Agar, Joyce Meadows, Robert Fuller, Thomas Browne Henry, Ken TerrellHorror | 100% |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1, 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
English SDH, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Commentator Tom Weaver delivers another pretty cheeky analysis of a cult item on this disc, and he is quick to alert viewers that if they're coming to The Brain from Planet Arous to see mind boggling special effects, they'd best keep moving, as there is next to "nothing to see here". The lack of visual wonderment may be a disappointment for at least some, but The Brain from Planet Arous manages to have a few ostensible aces up its sleeve (and/or medula oblongata), though it's arguable that all of them are intended. This is a near perfect example of a patently ridiculous and largely forgotten film that provides a decent supply of "WTF were they thinking" laughs as it documents the travails of a scientist named Steve March (John Agar), who has the misfortune to be "possessed" by an alien entity known as Gor (voiced by an uncredited Dale Tate). Gor's physical manifestation looks for all the world weirdly similar to that seventies toy phenomenon known as Weepul, albeit in glorious black and white. Gor is able to "ditch" his massive brain body (with goo-goo-googly eyes) to inhabit March, and Gor's desire to dominate the Earth (and, later, the Universe, of course) transforms the mild mannered March into the very model of a modern mad scientist.
Note: Screenshots 1 through 13 are from the 1.85:1 version. Screenshots 14 through 19 are from the 1.33:1 version, and I've attempted to
duplicate some of the same moments so that those interested can see what the framing differences look like.
The Brain from Planet Arous is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of The Film Detective with AVC encoded 1080p transfers in either 1.85:1 or
1.33:1. The IMDb lists this 1957 production as (understandably) having been exhibited in 1.85:1, and I found that framing to be generally the more
appealing of the two, though I have to say at times the "widescreen" version looked tight (if never overly problematically so), though that aspect (no
pun intended) is counterweighed in the "full frame" version by some obvious "roominess" toward the top of the frame in particular. I think grain may
look a bit more tightly resolved in the 1.33:1 version, for what that's worth. This was culled from the collection of Wade Williams, whose name will be
familiar to diehard collectors of cult items, and so I'm assuming a print (rather than an IP or negative) was utilized, which does result in a pretty gritty
grain field, as can be easily seen in the screenshots I've uploaded to accompany this review. That said, I didn't notice any actual resolution problems,
and while heavily "textured", especially in the 1.85:1 version, things look nicely organic. Detail levels are generally good as well, with some of the
midcentury modern fabrics offering complex patterns that resolve without problem. There is quite a bit of damage on display, including some rather
large and at times long lasting scratches and the like.
The Brain from Planet Arous features a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono track that reveals some signs of thinness and brashness in the upper registers in particular, though the fun score by Walter Greene (which almost prefigures some of Johnny Williams' great work for Irwin Allen's sci fi tv series in the sixties) sounds reasonably full bodied. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout, and while there's some minor background noise in quieter moments, there's really no major damage to report. Optional English and Spanish subtitles are available.
As Tom Weaver gets into in his commentary, The Brain from Planet Arous may be appreciated as one panel of a very strange triptych which also includes Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman and Teenage Monster. There's a kind of charming innocence to all three films, however unintentionally camptastic they may seem to jaded contemporary sensibilities, and those with a certain tolerance for lo-fi escapades involving a googly eyed disembodied brain should find The Brain from Planet Arous at least intermittently diverting. Technical merits are generally decent, though I recommend parsing through the screenshots I've uploaded to accompany this review to get a feel for how things look. The supplements on this release are very well done, for anyone who may be considering making a purchase.
1957
1953
1954
2014
2013
1958
1957
1958
1964
Special Edition | The Creeping Unknown
1955
Warner Archive Collection
1958
2K Restoration
1958
1994
1959
1988
Warner Archive Collection
1951
2016
2022
2020
Space Mission to the Lost Planet / Vampire Men of the Lost Planet
1970