Newspaper ad for BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS playing as part of a double feature... from Daytona Florida U.S.A. ( Feb. 9, 1958 )
This movie has always put a smile on my face.
How can you not like a big, maniacal, and horny, extraterrestrial brain, that's hellbent on enslaving the earth?
It can also absorb itself into other life forms and control them.
Newspaper tv listings above are from 1963 ( top ), and 1979 ( bottom )
This flick was constantly being shown on local tv channels, when I was younger.
BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS was written by Ray Buffum, and directed by Nathan Juran.
It stars, John Agar as Steve, Joyce Meadows as Sally, Robert Fuller as Steve's hamburger crazed friend / co-worker, unknown canine as George the dog, and a few other familiar faces.
After all this time, I still have fun watching this movie.
Screengrabs above are from an online video
I love the scene involving Steve amorously attacking Sally in the backyard, and that kick directed at her dog, when Mr. Bow-wow tries to defend her. It's so unintentionally hilarious.
Screengrabs above are from an online video
I also love the final battle between steve and the brain.
Almost forgot to mention John Agar's evil laughter.
John Agar was - and still is - the real KING OF THE Bs!... Eat shit Bruce Campbell... Yeah, I know a lot of folks still like him, and once, I did too... until I met him...
This movie was released on VHS by RHINO. I'm not sure, but another company have have also released it the United States.
A region one DVD was released by IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT.
I was one of the local viewers glued to the tube for the premiere of Chiller Theater, on that Saturday afternoon in 1963, to see BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS! That was WIIC channel 11 in Pittsburgh, PA. Chiller Theater later moved to Saturday nights becoming a hosted program with Bill "Chilly Billy" Cardille. And like you, I still love BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS!
ReplyDeleteHoly crap!... That's really cool to know about CHILLER.
ReplyDeleteMost of the late night shows I watched were in southern California, and a few in Chicago and New York.
Far too many lame-ass movie hosts these days - on the internet also.
I watch a show called OFF BEAT CINEMA... They're different in a good way.
I wrote another, much longer post re: the history of Chiller and Cardille, but lost it. :P
ReplyDeleteBasically, Cardille on Chiller Theater was only good for a few years, from the late 60s to the early 70s. After that, it became a parade of worthless crap. He did have a few funny studio guests, like Barbara Feldon and Phyllis Diller, but after a few years his film packages went downhill so far with constant recycling there was no reason to tune in anymore. He never cared about the films anyway. The show was frankly better without a host, as back in 1963.
ReplyDeletePS: That Florida double feature of TEENAGE MONSTER and BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS must have thrilled the folks in Daytona more than the 500 ever did! Both were films by Jacques "Jack" Marquette, and while TM was his only directing credit, he produced both. He seemed amused by my interest in TM, but that was only because the film was rarely shown on TV, while his other features BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS and ATTACK OF THE 50 FOOT WOMAN got constant syndication airing in the 60s and 70s. Once I finally saw TEENAGE MONSTER, my curiosity was gone for good! BRAIN, on the other hand, has been in my all-time top ten since 1963! :)
ReplyDeleteSeems like a lot of these types of shows had problems getting their hands on movies. Meanwhile, other shows hardly ever had repeats.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting these stories, I really liked reading them.
The TV stations didn't want to spend money on old "monster" movies, so they spent as little as possible acquiring crappy films and then ran them to death.
ReplyDelete