Michael Schlesinger on THE BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS

"Memorable" is the word for Nathan Juran's inadvertantly surreal science fiction film from 1957—"ridiculous" comes to mind too: it's a movie so preposterous the director took cover behind a pseudonym. John Agar plays a wide-eyed scientist whose eyes only get wider when he's possessed by an airborne brain named Gor. The balloon-like creature has plans for world domination and only Vol, Gor's bouncy, benevolent twin, can save us. It may be preposterous but it makes for a great Saturday matinee.
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[baronhausenpheffer]

I absolutely love this type of 50s sci-fi/horror flick. Just unhinged and unintentionally campy enough to be hilarious, but just competent enough to create a coherent narrative and engage the imagination.

[voxangelaemortis]

I have officially spent too much time on the internet. The giant head on the poster looked like Shrek to me.

[JohnInTheShelter]

I dunno how Harryhausen sees this and 50 FT. WOMAN and thinks, "This is THE GUY to direct 7th VOYAGE!"

[daupomatic]

Growing up with midwest tv, Agar was the litmus test for crappy films. That super square dude meant that the alien didn't matter.

[dessertlocust]

sometimes i feel like the guest just wants to pick the most obscure movie to prove their worth

[guillaumebabey]

I know this will sound ludicrous but I will kinda defend The Brain from Planet Arous. Even if it is laughable in many ways, it's not worst than other 50's sci-fi movies (clearly better than The Giant Claw for example) and it gave John Agar an actual role. Too often is he playing a goodie-two-shoes know-it-all. Here he has a dual role and his performance is really commendable. The freudian overtones too make it fascinating to watch within the contact of America's super-repressed society at the time (and even now to some respect). I do agree that the film loses steam near the end of the conclusion is way too neat and tidy. Still, there IS a good film in there, one that could actually benefit a remake.

[sdovas]

Y'always know,
When it says "Howco, "
Y'just gotta GO!!!

[chuckcookus]

Love seeing John Agar as a deranged villain instead of his heroic block of wood métier

[marshallamdur]

Juran also directed quite a few "Lost in Space" episodes....

[ErwinGiesemann]

Attack of the 50 Ft Woman is an example of the poster being better than the movie.

[lamecasuelas]

The second Best brain movie, the Best one being of course Fiend without a face

[FucTrump]

I would argue Guardians of the Galaxy vol 2 has dethroned this as the greatest movie about a giant floating brain with eyes in outer space.

[spaakfan]

It's a helluva lot more fun than "Donovan's Brain"!

[kali]

John Agar was asked to defer his salary so they could work a little harder on the special effects. Agar took one look at the brain prop, and took the salary. No one would blame him.

And at the end, Steve refuses to believe his wife when she tells him there was another Brain (who had already left the premises). Don't laugh, Steve: Now all of your associates think you are a psychopathic murderer and you're probably going to go to jail. After all, "Sorry, but my mind was taken over by an alien Brain thingie" isn't really much of a defense. Particularly since you don't really have a lot of evidence. That balloon (sorry, Brain remnants) won't convince anyone.... 🤣🤣

[VonWenk]

Didn't the producer, Jacques Marquette, become a cinematographer for Universal Television? I always found this movie creepy because John Agar, who was usually the hero, was basically the villlain. And who had the ability to stand against him. In almost any other movie of this type, his character would have been dead at the end, either because the brain won or he sacrificed himself stopping it.

[KarlBunker]

One letter away from "The Brain From Planet Arouse."

[Emulous]

Sydney Lassick at the start?! Heard you were dead.

[mikesilva]

Suddenly I long for a Hal Needham film.😅

[nickpemberton]

I have to say John Agar's eyes gave me nightmares as a child.

[JamesSimmons-dt]

I am as fond of SOME scenes in the AROUSe film...how pronounce?...as of SOME in Not of This Earth. Paul Burch's "My eyes are a~li~en...!" Age when we see movies is so much of a muchness. In theaters or TV can differentiate imprinting greatly. Agar great here. I want that balloon...available? Market it...worked for Disney, ugh. Brooks nailed THAT in Spaceballs...Yogurt!