THE BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS (Film Detective Blu Ray ) Release date : June 22, 2022 Original Theatrical release October 1,1957 from Howco International. B&W. 71 min. 1.85:1 1080p DTS-HD Mater Audio 2.0 Mono Subtitles English, Spanish 1 DISC. Booklet . Region A 2k Blu Ray SRP $29.99
Film Detective continues to bring the best possible prints of 1950s sci fi flicks . This time the company has released one of the better known films of the period , THE BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS (Howco ,1957) .
Howco Productions ( later Howco International Pictures), was a South Carolina film production and distribution company that created low budget features for about 60 Southern based movie theatres and drive ins . They later had a tv distribution company named National Television Films. They proved successful enough that they were able to also purchase and distribute films made by others (CARNIVAL ROCK, by Roger Corman, 1957). They were still in business up until the 1980s , releasing successful films by people like Charles B Pierce like THE LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK (1972) and it’s sequel BOOGEY CREEK II (1985). The name comes from Joy Newton Houck Sr., Ron Ormond , and J. Francis White (H.O.W. Co.).
In 1957 ,Howco budgeted for a sci- fi co- bill . Screenwriter Ray Buffum was assigned to write both films, THE BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS and “Monster On The Hill” (released as TEENAGE MONSTER,to cash in on the then current teenage monster craze).
Nathan Juran was brought in to direct on the strength of his work on THE DEADLY MANTIS (Universal,1957) & 20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH (Columbia,1957). He would direct this film and another cult film, ATTACK OF THE 50’ WOMAN (AA,1958),both of which he said he did strictly for the money . Juran was so disappointed in the result of the two films that he used the pseudonym Nathan HERTZ .
Since his ignoble firing from Universal in 1946 (after 20 years ,creating some of the most iconic effects make up in history), the great Jack Pierce got the occasional “A” picture like JOAN OF ARC (RKO,1948), but the majority of his work was on television and low budget features. Since tv and small budget films need to shoot quickly, it does seem to put the lie to the accusation that the make up genius was too slow in his creations.
For TEENAGE MONSTER , Pierce attached hair and some collodion to actor/stuntman Gil Perkins, who was fifty when he portrayed the title character. For BRAIN…, he created some radiation burn make ups , but his most interesting creation were the hard contacts with metal foil on them. They were incredibly painful, as flakes would come loose into actor John Agar’s eyes. Ever a trooper, Agar endured them as best he could , though you can see his eyes tearing at times . Variations and hopefully improved contacts similar to these were used again by Pierce in CREATION OF THE HUMANOIDS (Emerson, 1962) .
Art Department/ prop master Richard M Rubin created or was responsible for the making of the floating brain with eyes and hanging spinal cord . Rubin also worked on TEENAGE MONSTER and ATTACK OF THE 50’ WOMAN , among other films. It seems to have been a light weight prop for maneuvering on wires (visible in a few shots) , with some lighting for the eyes .
Music for the co-bill was by Academy Award nominated (for a 1945 PRC (!)film , WHY GIRLS LEAVE HOME) composer Walter Green. Green used more brass than strings for his scores for both films, making his small orchestra sound louder and grander than it probably was.
Jacques Marquette handled the cinematography for BRAIN, with he and director Juran /Hertz setting up some fairly effective shots with moody lighting. One memorable shot is of John Agar ‘s face behind a water cooler, before revealing his eyes.
Marquette directed TEENAGE … with Taylor Byars handling the camera . TEENAGE must have been enough of the director’s chair, as he returned to cinematography and Nathan Juran/Hertz on ATTACK….
Both films had extremely low budgets estimated $58,000 for BRAIN…, with a thousand less being budgeted for TEENAGE …). I WAS A TEENAGE WEREWOLF (AIP) from the same year had an estimated budget of $82,000 .
The plot of BRAIN is that something crashes into the desert , emitting great quantities of radiation .Scientist Steve March (John Agar, FORT APACHE,RKO 1948 ) informs his girlfriend Sally Fallon (Joyce Meadows, THE GIRL IN LOVER’S LANE, Filmgroup,1960) that he & his assistant Dan ( Robert Fuller, EMERGENCY tv series,Universal 1972-8) are going out to explore and hopefully find the source of the energy out in the desert by Mystery Mountain.
Once in the desert, the explorers go into a cave, and encounter the alien Gor (voiced by Dale Tate, one of the film’s associate producers) a criminal who has fled to Earth. The creature resembles a gigantic human brain with eyes embedded into it. Its powerful mind kills Dan and the creature possesses Steve.
Steve returns after being gone for a week ,and visits his fiancé . Steve explains that Dan has gone off to Vegas. Her dog George senses that something is not right with Steve. Steve tries to rape Sally (the brain only wants her for her body?) but the dog quickly jumps in to save her.
Steve returns home, where Gor briefly leaves his body & explains his plan for world conquest ,with the added pleasure of Sally to amuse him.
Sally & her dad (Thomas Browne Henry, 20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH) go to Mystery Mountain where they encounter another alien named Vol (also voiced by Dale Tate), He is seeking to recapture Gor . Vol explains that Gor is most vulnerable whenever he exits Steve . Then in its more corporeal form, it has a weakness in what on a human brain would be the fissure of Rolando. To get close to Gor , Vol enters the body of George The Dog where he can observe closely undetected.
Steve/Gor start to merge more, best shown by Steve’s unnatural silvery eyes. Giddy with his powers, at one point Steve/Gor blows up a plane mid flight.
Later , at a meeting before Army officials , he blows up a nuclear test site to demonstrate his powers (stock footage). Can Steve/ Gor be stopped ?
This Special Edition from FILM DETECTIVE lets you choice between its original format of 1.85:1 or a widescreen 1.33:1 . Both seem pretty sharp in their 2k 1080p restoration. Too sharp, perhaps, as those pesky wires holding up Gor seem more obvious, making me wonder why Steve didn’t just cut them?
The sound is quite crisp and clear, with no muddying of dialogue, sound effects or the brassy score.
What makes this special edition truly special are the extras. Film Detective goes out of their way to give film nerds like me all the behind the scenes info that they can.
First up is
The Man Before The Brain :Director Nathan Juran. Film historian Justin Humphreys (The Doctor Phibes Companion, Bear Manor,2018) guides us through an informative mini doc on the director’s life and career.
The Man Behind the Brain – continues exploring the career of the director, this time led by filmmaker / film buff C Courtney Joiner (screenwriter of Empire‘s PRISON , 1987). Both are informative .
Not The Same Brain with actress Joyce Meadows, that explores some of the films locales as well as her role in the production.
There is a running commentary by filmmaker Larry Blamire (LOST SKELETON OF CADAVRA ,Columbia ,2001) ,documentarian David Schecter, star Joyce Meadows, and Tom Weaver, who also wrote the illustrated booklet included with this release.
For those who cannot get enough Brain , you can also buy merchandise
Merch https://www.bonfire.com/store/filmdetective/
& the soundtrack CD of both BRAIN & TEENAGE is available here
https://www.mmmrecordings.com/Brain_Planet_Arous/brain_planet_arous.html
BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS is another fun 1950s sci fi releases that Film Detective has made a must have.
Kevin G Shinnick
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