I saw this film in the theater and it became a lifelong favorite. Louise Fletcher’s heart-attack scene is pro-longed and gut-wrenching. She was spectacular as Lillian Reynolds. Of course Natalie Wood was luminous and so natural in her scenes with Walken. It truly is a masterpiece and was ahead of its time.
Didn't know payphones had that much bandwidth. I can see him standing there numb from the experience, then suddenly it goes black and a "please wait, loading content" progress bar appears. And he's all like, this is BS man, I was in the middle finding some answers to existence and the afterlife, but the connection is too slow to keep it going. Next, a commercial from comshaft begins about high speed internet access. "Don't let this happen to you."
Underrated film for all the reasons you describe - great story, casting, score, cinematography, special effects and direction. Really glad Trumbull pushed to have the film complete after Wood's tragic death.
I was 8 when this came out and saw it at the drive in. This movie has stuck with me all these years. Probably seen it 10 times, but I cannot get anybody to sit through more than half the movie.
I remember watching this on TV when I was a kid. Great movie. And btw it was way more than virtual reality, it was a technology for recording a person's (or monkey's) experiences and then playing them back directly into someone else's brain. Way, way ahead of its time.
Nearly at gunpoint I forced my 17 year old daughter to watch this with me, and guess what, she loved it. She told me the next day in class she was thinking about the movie. Considering this movie was made 40 years ago, to be able to capture a teenage girls TikTok infected brain for almost 24 hours, is a modern miracle. Pretty special for me too, to have have moment to share with my lovely daughter. It's a great movie.
When this came out the theater played this on the big 21:9 screen like Starwars. Most of the movie was in 16:9 mono track, until they went under the device then it popped open to the full 21:9 with full stereo. Quite the effect that added a lot to this movie. I haven't ever watched it again why bother after that theater experience.
I saw this little jewel back in cinema in 1983, loved it instantly for it's fantastic atmosphere and sfx, and it's soundtrack just perfect. The big daddy of Oculus rift, visionary when you think about it.
I felt this and "The Dead Zone" the same year showed Walken's depth in acting. Also because of this, "Brainscan", "Virtuosity" "Lawnmower Man" and "Strange Days" were made. Great video! 👍
I work in VR because of this film! I was 13 when it came out, snd knew what I wanted to do! (imagine my dissapointment with Nintendo's 'VirtualBoy' 12 years later! LOL) Now I am making the world (in VR) of another great mid-80s movie: _The GOONIES!_
This is a great movie, I dont know why it didn't get more recognition. Love the idea of a complete recording life experiences(smells, touch, feelings, etc) and then being able to play it back for anyone to experience as if they were there experiencing it for themselves.
This scene in the film is perfection: I made that for you. It's a gift. What is it? It's me. In spite of the limitations caused by Natalie Woods accidental (?) death the film is one of my favorites.
Brainstorm is incredible! such deep, interesting, well executed ideas. I had no idea about the tragedy surrounding this film. I can also see how other great films like "Strange Days" (directed by Kathryn Bigelow) and Nolan's "Inception" were influenced by it. And great video about the film Jonny. Thanks for the information.
A while after this came out, I was getting a haircut at a new place and had time to check out a dungeon like Video Cassette rental shop in the basement of a tiny shopping "Mall" in the suburbs. I noticed this new Video Cassette and wanted to rent it for Natilie Would (but I wouldn't). There were maybe 2 others looking at the videos. I was late getting the movie back, and just before the shop closed, I made it with minutes to spare. I was shocked to see at least 20 people jammed into the basement shop. All of them were looking at me as I walked down the stairs, and when they saw that I had this cassette to return, they started to Riot !!! A guy grabbed it out of my hand and spoiled the fun. Will Never Forget That day.
I've always loved this movie. The score is indeed amazing, especially for Lillian's death. The main title was used as a temp track for The Abyss rough cut, hence the similarities in the themes. I guess Cameron was hoping to get Horner over Silvestri. Speaking of Cameron; Strange Days has always been my headcanon Brainstorm sequel.
@@catherinebirch2399 Yes. Shocking and threatening because it starts out so harmless and ordinary and through the music and the incredible acting performance you can see and feel that she is going to die. How she first fights and wants to call for help, but then realizes it's too late. That is the most moving scene.
I work in VR ... YOU JUST GAVE ME AN IDEA... Just as we (as fans) were able to get the 7 or so missing scenes put back into a Goonies release, this seems like it coukd be turned into a VR theater experience, changing not just the film rate for the 'immersive scenes', but making them 3D and 360° VR (you can turn your head and see the whole world). Using AI it would be actually easy now, to extrapolate the 'missing world' with CGI help... HMMM.. BRAINSTORM: The VR Experience. The studio would make new money on an old property!
It was a great movie! So under-rated. I remember "Ms. Wood" died just before movie was finished. There was some worry that the movie would be dropped. It was one of the first movies filmed in North Carolina, the "lab" was in the "Research Triangle Park." As a matter of fact, I believe the "lab" building was the IBM lab. The ending of the movie was not the planed ending. It had to be re-written when Ms Wood died. Always wondered what the ending would have been.
Just watched this again this morning for first time since I was in 3rd grade in 1983. It was on TCM. I'm from NC so to my surprise I see them drive a bronco up to a big white hotel. It's the Pinehurst Hotel and Country club. She's also seen wearing the Duke University sweatshirt in one scene. When he goes to visit his friend on the golf course he's working on a golf cart. He's in front of these bungalows on stilts you rent along the Pinehurst Golf Course. Gotta ride by there and find these locations now. It was filmed in 1981. She drowned (allegedly murdered by Husband Robert Wagner) on a boat that also included her Co Star Christopher Walken... I'ma bet Robert Senses something going on between her and Walken which was the reason for their on deck fight that led to her winding up in the water and dying. Watch the movie again and you can tell she looked seriously into Walken in this film.... The film was pieced together by the director as most of Woods filming was complete. Then release 2 years later in 83.
the lab in NC/RTP was the just destroyed burroughs-wellcome HQ, designed by Paul Rudolph. that rabbit hole led me to this movie which I need to see now
I saw it in a theater when I was 14. I really enjoyed it but the odd thing for me was that I don't ever remember seeing a trailer for it at the time. In fact I was kind of tepid towards seeing it. My mother was the one that I had seen it with, and she was really excited about seeing it. To this day, I have no idea about how she had heard about it.
This movie was so great for the time it came out. The funny thing about it was what would happen if the technology evolved that it became a black market tech. Because you could record events from the wearers point of view. Even the recording apparatus got smaller and the recording media evolved. And that's where the movie Strange Days comes into the picture and that movie set the stage for a great cyberpunk esque movie which I still love to this day and will watch it over and over again. Even though it came out in 1995.
I am very happy to see the praise and appreciation for Brainstorm in the comments. I felt that I was very alone in liking this film when none of the friends I showed the VHS to shared my enthusiasm for it. I particularly enjoy the production design.
Why did they cut the scene where the dead scientist's spirit pays a visit to hell in the DVD, yet it made it to television? It had very disturbing imagery that the video playback scene in Event Horizon obviously got inspiration from. It was also of hell.
What I most remember about this movie was how they depicted the technology shrinking over time. Now that I'm an engineer it annoys me to see some supposed "prototype" device all miniaturized, clean, and gleaming white. Prototypes look like they do in this movie: big, ugly, and pushed around on a cart by some poor intern
This movie scared the hell out of me when I saw it in the theater as a kid. I learned what terror was that day. I pray a technology that can directly access the brain like that is never created.
@dewfall56: The scariest movies to me are the ones that seem closest to being plausible. That said, the original THE MUMMY (or whatever was the title of the 30s movie with Lon Chaney) scared me for the longest time. As an 8-9 year old, the idea that dead people could be revived with tea and that being dead already these people were immune from most causes of death, well...it didn't help that my maternal grandfather looked like the mummy without the bandages. But to date, THE scariest movie in my opinion is Alien Resurrection. It scares me to think that governments and scientists would be so foolish and be so steeped in hubris as to "bring back" a deadly monster, and even worst...think that they will be able to control an extremely alien species when they really can't even "control" humans. But the icing on the cake, so to speak was that room full of failed Ripley clones. That scientists would attempt over and over, AND FAIL, and so hideously. Then they would keep their failures alive to be further experimented on.
@@stever507 How so? VR? That's only two senses affected, and no emotion. And you can shut your eyes and plug your ears. The movie is about a machine that can send a full experience that seems completely real right into your brain, and there is nothing you can do to stop it or shield yourself from it. Imagine skydiving for the first time, or being tortured.
Excellent video! This is SUCH an underrated movie! I saw this as a very young child at the theater and have loved it ever since. They thought of so many ramifications of what a technology like that would be capable. Also, great performances by everyone in the film.
This was also a comeback for Cliff Robertson, who had been blacklisted by the studios for exposing the embezzlement and forgeries of executive David Begelman. There is a great quote by Kirk Douglas on David Begelman's wiki page. You should check that out.
Saw this in theater when I was 9 I'll never forget becuz right towards the end the film burnt up in the projector and I didn't get to see the end till home video.
You neglected to mention that the idea to promote Showscan was to have the views from the device, which are shown in an extreme widescreen view projected with the Showscan process to heighten the realism. When you watch the movie you can pretty well see that that was the whole idea.
Jonny, you forgot to mention that the SHOWSCAN high definition viewing system was not allowed by MGM to be implemented, resulting in lack luster box office performance.
I remember watching this film, but it was most likely on a rented VHS tape. I really remember very little about it. But maybe it's worth a rewatch sometime. Double feature with Miracle on 34Th Street?
Seeing this movie in my late teens sparked an interest in the human mental potential. It launched a multi-decade long, private, personal research into this aspect. From hard science research and experimentation to informal "outside the lab" experiences I studied the peer reviewed, published and recounted reports of scientific researchers and involved individuals. While not finding the "definitive" body of research leading to an answer for which I sought, I am convinced there is much more to be discovered.
I loved this movie and always wondered why it doesn't get referenced with today's technology being the "future" projected in the film. This film's concept blew me away and I found this YT video because once again - I thought of this film. Thanks for the vid!
one of my fav movies of the 80s-groundbreaking in every way...really sad that this left such a bad taste in Trumbull's mouth that he moved away from directing....but, such is the nature of the politics of directing a movie...
I work in VR because of this film! I was 13 when it came out, snd knew what I wanted to do! (imagine my dissapointment with Nintendo's 'VirtualBoy' 12 years later! LOL) Now I am making the world (in VR) of another great mid-80s movie: _The GOONIES!_
Yeah, what happened that night on the yacht? They had a few drinks, Natalie flirted with Christopher Wslken, Robert Wagner didn't like it and voila, Natalie has an accident and the film doesn't get finished.
This does make me wonder how difficult it would be to do a new transfer of Brainstorm with the 60fps footage to digital 4K HFR (high frame rate) video now that today's video and screen technology is more ubiquitous.
He hit on the problem then that theaters were having, putting butts in seats. This is about the time we saw small theaters pop up, the big screen theaters being divided in half. He went bigger and more frames per second. I feel sorry for the people today telling me how they enjoy going to the movies on the big screen. I laugh at them. I have nice sound at home with a 60 some inch screen it’s just not worth going to the theater. Bring back the 70 mm film experience you just can not compare the experience between the 2. The large formate and in this film case the more frames bigger screen just is a world ahead of the little screen movies. I will watch from home.
Ya a truly under-rated film. I saw it in its theatrical release and loved it. The studios screwed over Trumball and I don't blame him a bit for his reaction.
I remember loving this movie as a teen. Studios want movies that hit the pulse of now rather than the pulse of the future, but it takes media to look at the future to help give some vision to the public, even if it's seen as a failure in the present. That's my opinion anyway.
I saw this when I was 9 in 1984. Loved it! My mom had told me that Natalie Wood died while it was being made, I remember being quite sad about that. It was on VHS so I had no idea it switched frame rates. That is a really cool idea!
This what I hoped/thought that Virtual Reality would be, instead of the obviously artificial "computerized worlds" of today. MGM's last second pulling out of the film should have enough to have their name removed from this amazing movie.
Good movie, it's difficult to get the average audience into an intelligent work, the dialogue has to be dumbed down. The acting was superb, what killed the movie was the inability to make reshoots due to Wood's death. Most movies have scenes that need to be re-shot or an extra scene added, it really tied the hands of the director. I think the whole concept was great and so futuristic, with the actors and such a good story this movie could have been amazing. Just the luck of the draw I guess. So many movies and TV shows had potential yet never reached it because of one reason or another, many times it's the bean counters that kill it.
If anyone is interested I left a copy of my screenplay "Penal Colony" at an agency in Hollywood in the late 70's I believe my story was ripped off as the main plot centered around a device to record all the 5 senses, and have them played back as real experiences using the device. The government also wanted to use the device in military espionage. Oh well shit happens. I hope the screenwriter credited with the story conscience bothers him.
I would relate other elements of my story "Penal Colony" but I would probably be "ripped off " again. My advice to any writer: do not put your stories in people hands that you have never done business with.
I saw this movie when it first hit the theatres, it was sort of controversial because of the behind the cameras events that necessitated in unfortunate editing. (Probably this is explained here, I haven't watched the video yet.)
Apparently Gabe Newell and Valve Studios is cooking up something that'll interact with the brain to a degree in VR, it was mentioned in a recent review. They're still hiring for the Research and Experimental division, including opportunities for psychologists.. the way this video ended reminded me of that.