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      The Brain Machine

      PG-13 1972 1h 25m Sci-Fi List
      Reviews 5% Audience Score 50+ Ratings Ruthless individuals exploit the subjects of a scientific experiment which enables the overhearing of human thoughts. Read More Read Less

      Audience Reviews

      View All (10) audience reviews
      Audience Member Definitely worth a watch. Nice techno-sci-fi-psych thriller. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Audience Member This is a low-budget 70's film which stems from the cinematic crazes of both the 'evilly-implemented mind control' ('The Manchurian Candidate' and 'The Ipcress File') and 'paranoia about government conspiracy' subgenres that were fervently expressed in the Vietnam/Watergate era of American cinema. For me, growing up watching James Best as Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane in 'The Dukes of Hazzard', it was intriguing to watch him here, as a priest selected as one of 4 paid volunteers for an experiment supposedly run by the ECC, an environmental organization. It ends up that it's just a cover to test an experimental mind-control 'Brain Machine' that the U.S. government wants, in order to keep it's citizens in line, in the name of 'keeping social order'. Admittedly, when one of the directors says that the future is surveillance, I couldn't help but shudder at the parallels to society today, in this post-9/11 era. Unfortunately, the more time that passes, the closer these Orwellian cinematic views of civilization and its discontents come to mirroring the way life has become. No spoilers, but the machine forces the person to tell the truth. Growing up, I have learned that honesty is not always the best policy. In fact, life has to endure the 'little white lie' in order to have things run peacefully. While no cinematic masterwork, this film more than suffices as Exhibit A for evidence. Definitely worth a watch, especially if you can handle 1970's, TV-movie-style filmmaking. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Audience Member This is a low-budget 70's film which stems from the cinematic crazes of both the 'evilly-implemented mind control' ('The Manchurian Candidate' and 'The Ipcress File') and 'paranoia about government conspiracy' subgenres that were fervently expressed in the Vietnam/Watergate era of American cinema. For me, growing up watching James Best as Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane in 'The Dukes of Hazzard', it was intriguing to watch him here, as a priest selected as one of 4 paid volunteers for an experiment supposedly run by the ECC, an environmental organization. It ends up that it's just a cover to test an experimental mind-control 'Brain Machine' that the U.S. government wants, in order to keep it's citizens in line, in the name of 'keeping social order'. Admittedly, when one of the directors says that the future is surveillance, I couldn't help but shudder at the parallels to society today, in this post-9/11 era. Unfortunately, the more time that passes, the closer these Orwellian cinematic views of civilization and its discontents come to mirroring the way life has become. No spoilers, but the machine forces the person to tell the truth. Growing up, I have learned that honesty is not always the best policy. In fact, life has to endure the 'little white lie' in order to have things run peacefully. While no cinematic masterwork, this film more than suffices as Exhibit A for evidence. Definitely worth a watch, especially if you can handle 1970's, TV-movie-style filmmaking. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review Audience Member Confusing, segmented and not good Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review Audience Member Slow paced. The plot is confusing and doesn't seem to go anywhere. It could barely hold my interests. The characters suck and the film is overall a stinker. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/02/23 Full Review Audience Member This is a old one and own it. It was ok for what it was. I have seen worse Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/19/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      The Brain Machine

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      Movie Info

      Synopsis Ruthless individuals exploit the subjects of a scientific experiment which enables the overhearing of human thoughts.
      Director
      Joy N. Houck Jr.
      Producer
      Stephen C. Burnham
      Screenwriter
      Thomas Hal Phillips, Joy N. Houck Jr.
      Production Co
      Howco Productions Inc.
      Rating
      PG-13 (Sexual Content|Some Violence)
      Genre
      Sci-Fi
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Aug 25, 2018
      Runtime
      1h 25m
      Aspect Ratio
      Flat (1.85:1)