The Brainiac Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		2.5

The Brainiac Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 27, 2023

Chano Urueta's "The Brainiac" (1962) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films. The supplemental features on the release include new audio commentary by critic Keith J. Rainville; new program with critic Eduardo de la Vega Alfaro; fotonovela; and more. In Spanish or English, with optional English and English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Burn him!

I am tempted to declare that Chano Urueta was the very last person that should have been asked to direct The Brainiac a.k.a. El Baron del Terror because this film wastes so many terrific opportunities to be special it almost seems like someone -- and possibly Urueta -- wanted it to disappoint. However, I do not know anything about Urueta, the type of films he shot over the years, and most importantly how he shot them. It could be that Urueta did very well with the material he was given to work with and delivered exactly what he had to -- only a coherent film. In a recent program that is included on the release of Black Pit of Dr. M, Daniel Birman Ripstein confirms that many of the films his famous grandfather, Arturo Ripstein, produced for Alameda Films were small, cheap, and rushed projects. These films were good for business, but they were not well-made films. If I were a betting man, I would bet on The Brainiac being such a film because it is small, looks cheap, and most definitely rushed.

But there are a couple of things that work against my theory that The Brainiac simply had to turn out a coherent film. First, several small sections of it have wonderful noirish qualities and quite easily could have been pulled out of a proper Hollywood production. These sections are very carefully lit and lensed, plus a few feature pretty good special effects. Why would Urueta waste time shooting them this way if all he had to do is deliver a coherent film? Second, the story that is told in The Brainiac combines material that is right for a classic horror tale and contemporary horror thriller. The transition from the former to the latter and the buildup during the opening twenty or so minutes are lovely, too. So, again, a rushed bad film would not reveal such quality areas.

Before I explain how Urueta most likely lost control of The Brainiac and regrettably delivered just a coherent film, here’s a quick description of its story:

Sometime during the year 1661, Baron Vitelius (Abel Salazar) is accused of being an evil wizard and sentenced to burn at the stake. Moments before he dies, Baron Vitelius observes the passing of a very rare comet and vows to return when it reappears to punish the descendants of his executioners. Three hundred years later, the comet reappears and Baron Vitelius reemerges as a brain-sucking creature residing in a human body. Shortly after, while pretending to be a wealthy philanthropist, Baron Vitelius tracks down the descendants of his executioners and collects their brains in a vintage chest.

The most serious troubles in The Brainiac are a byproduct of the introduction of terrible kitsch. This is not the type of cool kitsch that makes a cheap film look interesting. Rather, it is the type of uninspired kitsch that quickly corrodes a film from within and makes it look amateurish. After Baron Vitelius reemerges, the kitsch destroys the integrity of the main characters and then removes the need to redirect the story and produce memorable twists.

If the kitsch was required, Urueta was undoubtedly not the right person to direct The Brainiac. The sections with the wonderful noirish qualities that I mentioned suggest that Urueta wanted The Brainiac to offer more than just mediocre thrills and chills but could not. Also, the most outrageous material where Baron Vitelius uses his long tongue to strike his targets is the least inspired material. It is the cheapest looking as well. If Urueta was the right person for the job, this material alone would have redeemed The Brainiac.

The Brainiac can be seen with Spanish and English tracks. The Spanish track is clearly the superior one. The English track features dubbing that is completely out of sync with the story and not in a so-bad-it-is-actually-good way.

The Brainiac Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Brainiac arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films.

The film looks good in high-definition. However, it has been remastered, not fully restored, and this is why its visuals reveal plenty of surface imperfections, such as cuts, blemishes, scratches, and specks. Grain exposure is uneven too, but not because there are traces of problematic digital work. The elements that were used to prepare the current master have age-related limitations and they are reproduced. Unsurprisingly, while pleasing, delineation, clarity, and depth can fluctuate a bit. The grayscale is convincing. However, this is another area where meaningful improvements can be introduced. As you can see from the screencaptures that are included with this article, the dynamic range of the visuals is not optimal. Image stability is good but some shaky transitions remain. My score is 3.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

The Brainiac Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: Spanish LPCM 1.0 and English LPCM 1.0. Optional English and English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The Spanish track is much more convincing, but not only because it is the original track. Its clarity and stability are superior, plus in some areas its dynamic intensity is better. I tested the English track because sometimes I find the foreign dub tracks to be quite entertaining but my impression is that it is out of sync with the story. Its tone is not right and as a result many exchanges sound oddly academic.

The Brainiac Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Que Viva Chano! - in this new program, critic Eduardo de la Vega Alfaro discusses the life and cinematic legacy of Chano Urueta. In Spanish, with English subtitles. (23 min).

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critic Keith J. Rainville.

• Fotonovela - presented here is a printed relica of the El Barón del Terror novela. In Spanish, with English text.

• Trailer - a remastered vintage trailer for The Brainiac. In Spanish, with English subtitles. (4 min).

• Cards - limited Edition exclusive art cards.

• Book - limited Edition exclusive 100-page book with new essays by José Luis Ortega Torres, David Wilt and Abraham Castillo Flores, archival articles, and full film credits

The Brainiac Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Uninspired kitsch quickly transforms The Brainiac into a very mediocre film. I thought that it could have been a very special genre film because it has several small sections with wonderful noirish qualities, but they were ignored. When the final credits rolled on my screen, I instantly concluded that Chano Urueta was not the right person to direct The Brainiac. Could I be wrong? Absolutely. There is an excellent chance that The Brainiac turned out exactly as its producers wanted. However, it is so easy to recognize its tremendous potential and see how casually it was wasted that it is impossible not to be disappointed by Urueta's work. The release we have reviewed is included in Mexico Macabre: Four Sinister Tales From the Alameda Films Vault, a four-disc box set, which is Reigon-Free. An identical North American box set is available as well. You can see our listing of it here.