My Review Of “The Brain Eaters” 1958

     A team of local scientists discover alien parasites when they investigate a mysterious, three-story-tall, cone-like object that has appeared outside of town. It becomes obvious that the parasites' first victims, who’s minds have been taken over, are the town's leading citizens. “The Brain Eaters” released in 1958 is a classic science fiction story than blends both the other worldly with the creature feature concept that explodes later in Hollywood b-movies.  The film stars Edwin Nelson, Alan Frost, and Jack Hill. Written by Gordon Urquhart and directed by Bruno Vestor the film is a cookie cutter format that spawned in the 1950’s bringing much of the science fiction short stories to life on the drive in  and theater screens across America.

     “The Brain Eaters” story has been reinterpreted many times over the years. Most notably “Puppet Masters” and “The Faculty”. The story is as eerie and classic as “Body Snatchers” and one of the best sci-fi premises to break through the 1950’s craze for everything extraterrestrial. I am pretty sure that in this film the parasite invasion which is soon found to be from our own prehistoric beginnings is actually a metaphor for communism fears that ravaged the middle of the 20th century.  I don’t normally get that deep into a films meaning because for me it takes a lot from the shear enjoyment of the story.

“The Brain Eaters” is cut and try in its concept, showing a clear path to the end by exposing the enemy right from the beginning, leaving no real room for suspense or drama. The story moves more like propaganda than fiction thriller. The dialogue is your basic 50’s arrogance of American triumphant over any and all threats. However simply from a nostalgic approach to appreciating all that came before “The Brain Eaters” is one of the best examples of Man’s fears of the unknown and the growing threat of the new fields of scientific studies. “If we explore to much into our world would we somehow destroy ourselves?” This is still the burning question today, and “The Brain Eaters” is one of the first time we see those questions explored in science fiction writings spawn a b-movie craze that has spanned the decades since.