Watch The Brainiac For Free

This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Singular Mexican horror film that "expertly" blends the seemingly incongruous themes of Gothic melodrama and gonzoid sci-fi. A supposed heretic (Abel Salazar) is condemned to a fiery death by members of the be-hooded, bloodthirsty inquisition; and as 'El Baron' fails to perish in the flames he threatens to return in 300 years???? in order to eradicate the last family members of those that have deigned to put him to death. 'El Baron del Terror' is sheer, unadulterated, B-Movie madness, but oddly compelling at the same time; its complete lack of subtlety is compensated by a bravura eccentricity! Salazar certainly makes for a fabulous villain who transforms quite gloriously into a vile, monstrous, brain sucking demon. Wild, fabulous entertainment from the heady,iconoclastic realms of Mexican horror.

Of all the many Mexican gems that K. Gordon Murray released in English language dubs, this is probably the most interesting. In 1661 a Baron (Producer Salazar) is tried by a grand inquisition for witchcraft and burnt at the stake. Before he dies he curses the townsfolk and vows to return in 300 years. It's 1961 and a comet lands and the Baron emerges from the crater. He has a pulsating head, weird looking pincer hands and a long tongue that sucks out his victims' brains (or "sopholic matter"). He can change his identity to his first kill at will, can disappear and reappear and a light shines on his face when he hypnotises people. He keeps brains in a casket and in one surprising scene eats some with a spoon! The heroes are a couple of young astronomers in love. The cops don't have a clue. The anti-climatic ending and terrible dubbing brings it down a few notches, but don't neglect yourself the pleasure of this atmospheric b/w oddity. With Adriadna Welter, Rene Cardona, Ruben Rojo, Luis Aragon, Victor Valezquez, Ofelia Guilmain, David Silva, German Robles, Mauricio Garces, Curiel, Carlos Nieta and Francisco Regiuera. There used to be a good band from Dayton, Ohio called Brainiac.Movie reviews at: spinegrinderweb.com

Brainiac, The (1961) ** (out of 4) In 1661 a Baron is burned alive for Satan worshipping and swears vengeance on the relatives of those responsible. Three hundred years later he returns as a deformed monster who has the ability to suck the brains out of people. My comments on this one are for the English dubbed version, which should be avoided since there's now an uncut, original language version out there on DVD. The dubbing here actually makes the film seem a lot worse than it actually is because the original movie is pretty straight forward in the story its telling. There are many sequences in the original version where the director is going for childs but this can't be seen in the dubbed version. What really sticks out about this film is the wonderful monster, which has to be the greatest ever created for one of these Mexican horror films. The make up effects are somewhat laughable but the monster is just great anyways. The atmosphere is another big plus here.

1661: Evil and unrepentant sorcerer Baron Vitelius d'Estera (well played with suitably dour relish by Abel Salazar) gets burned at the stake for practicing witchcraft. Before he dies the Baron vows to return 300 years later to kill the descendants of his executioners. In 1961 a passing comet resurrects the Baron as a grotesquely malformed brain-eating humanoid beast with pointy ears, a swollen face, fangs, and a long forked tongue who embarks on a brutal rampage. Capably directed by Chano Urueta, with a gloomy tone, a novel and inspired script by Federico Curiel and Adolfo Lopez Portillo, a steady pace, a lively ooga-booga shivery score by Gustavo Cesar Carrion, a gloriously hideous monster, several nifty quirky touches (the Baron keeps the cerebrums of his victims in an urn so he can snack on them!), stark, fairly polished black and white cinematography by Jose Ortiz Ramos, and solid acting from a cast that includes familiar south-of-the-border fright feature stalwarts German Robles, Luis Aragon and Ariadna Welter, this truly peculiar item makes for hugely entertaining viewing. The laughably hokey English dubbing and endearingly chintzy (not so) special effects only add to this picture's considerable loopy charm. A pleasingly offbeat one-of-a-kind weirdie.