“Brain Dead” is a mind-bending sci-fi that belongs in the same category as “Brazil” and “Total Recall”. This is one that seems to have gone unnoticed by most people and it’s a real shame because I found it to be very entertaining.

In “Brain Dead”, Dr. Rex Martin (Bill Pullman “Lake Placid”, “Independence Day”) is a neurologist that gets given an extraordinary opportunity to perform brain surgery on a man (Bud Court “Coyote Ugly”) to help cure his paranoid delusions. The operation is hailed as a success by a corporation that wants the man’s mathematical skills restored. However, it’s not long before Dr. Martin is experiencing his own delusions as the lines between fantasy and reality continue to blur.

Bill Pullman is great to watch as Dr. Martin. He’s very likeable and you want to see him succeed in preserving his sanity and finding out what is really going on. Bill Paxton (“Weird Science”, “True Lies”) is also very good as Jim Reston, a sleazy corporate man and Rex’s friend. I like the scenes where we get to see the two interact because they have a somewhat uneasy friendship. Bud Court, Nicholas Pryor (“Risky Business”), Patricia Charbonneau (“Manhunter”) and George Kennedy (“Cool Hand Luke”) are all okay as well.

“Brain Dead” is a little on the cheesy side at times but it also has many disturbing elements as well. It reminded me somewhat of an episode of the original “Twilight Zone”, which is not surprising when you realise it was originally written by one of the writers of that show back in the 60s. The script was reworked a little before the movie was finally made. The performance from Pullman is also very satisfying. I have mixed feelings about the ending of the movie. In some ways, it is very powerful but there’s something about that also leaves you feeling a little empty. Overall, “Brain Dead” is a blast to watch.