BRAINWAVES (director/writer: Ulli Lommel; screenwriters: Buz Alexander/Suzanna Love; cinematographers: Jon Kranhouse/Ulli Lommel; editor: Richard Brummer; music: Robert O. Ragland; cast: Corinne Alphen (Leila Adams), Suzanna Love (Kaylie Bedford), Tony Curtis (Dr. Clavius), Vera Miles (Marian Koonan), Keir Dullea (Julian Bedford), Percy Rodrigues (Dr. Robinson), Nicholas Love (Willy Meiser), Paul Willson (Dr. Schroder), Eve Brent Ashe (Mrs. Simpson), Ryan Seitz (Danny Bedford); Runtime: 77; MPAA Rating: R; producer: Ulli Lommel; CinAmerica Pictures; 1983)
“I found it to be Lommel’s most entertaining film.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
A neat sci-fi crime thriller that reworks the theme of transplanted memory, as done previously in The Eyes of Laura Mars (1978). It’s capably directed in a brisk pace by the former actor and associate to German filmmaker Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Ulli Lommel(“The Boogey Man”/”The Tenderness of the Wolves”/”A Taste of Sin”). Lommel hopes to cash in on the publicity surrounding Douglas Trumbull’s similar themed mad scientist film Brainstorm (1983). In any case, I found it to be Lommel’s most entertaining film. During the 1990s the cult filmmaker re-located to Hollywood, where he made zero-budget schlock films and never realized his potential.
The young San Francisco housewife Kaylie Bedford (Suzanna Love, the director’s wife) is happily married to Julian Bedford (Keir Dullea). When accidentally hit by a car while crossing the street Kaylie is left in a coma. Desperate, Julian and Kaylie’s mom Marian (Vera Miles) allow neurosurgeon Dr. Clavius (Tony Curtis) to try an experimental operation. It involves repairing brain tissue by transferring corrective patterns from the brain of a donor named Leila Adams (Corinne Alphen). The donor was electrocuted by the killer as she was taking a bath. While Kaylie recovers from the operation at home, she has disturbing memories of the murder. Therefore Julian tries to find out in time the killer’s identity, but his investigation alerts the killer and Kaylie’s life is in jeopardy.
REVIEWED ON 12/23/2014 GRADE: B
Dennis Schwartz: “Ozus’ World Movie Reviews”
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