THE BRAIN MACHINE a/k/a GRAY MATTER (1977)

Until I saw this film, I had forgotten just how pervasive simulated wood and brick paneling were in the 1970s. Boy, there's a lot of it here!


THE BRAIN MACHINE features not one, but two, actors you may have heard of: James Best (The Dukes of Hazzard) and Gerald McRaney (Simon & Simon, Major Dad). The plot: a government mind-control experiment on four civilians goes horribly wrong. This is not, however, THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE. It's not even a primary.

Filmed on a budget that was less a shoestring than an aglet, THE BRAIN MACHINE is ambitious. Alas, it falls short of its lofty goal of being a suspenseful sci-fi thriller with social commentary. Its attempts at building tension come off as interminable, the acting is either too understated or too over the top, and the dialogue is rife with lines like “You'll have to kill me before I die!” and “Stay away from me, you scientific bitch!”

On several occasions, we see the same exterior shot of a swimming pool with a mansion in the background belonging to one The General (whose resemblance to Henry Kissinger can't be a coincidence). We're also repeatedly shown the same exterior shot of a building that's presumably home to the Brain Machine experiment. After a half-dozen repetitions of each, I rolled my eyes and groaned.

This is not a terrible film, but it could have used a punchier script and more pointed direction.