IMDb > Brainstorm (1983)
Brainstorm
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

Brainstorm (1983) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 16 | slideshow)

IMDb Holiday Movie Guide

Overview

User Rating:
6.3/10   4,008 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 3% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Bruce Joel Rubin (story)
Robert Stitzel (screenplay) ...
more
Contact:
View company contact information for Brainstorm on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
30 September 1983 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
...The Ultimate Experience more
Plot:
Brilliant researchers Lillian Reynolds and Michael Brace have developed a system of recording and playing back actual experiences of people... more | add synopsis
Awards:
2 wins & 6 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(3 articles)
Sci-Fi Cinema Obscura: Brainstorm
 (From SciFiCool.com. 12 August 2009, 5:27 PM, PDT)

Back Catalogue #1 - Synapse Films
 (From Fangoria. 29 April 2009, 1:43 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
Knock my socks off more (60 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Christopher Walken ... Michael Brace

Natalie Wood ... Karen Brace
Louise Fletcher ... Lillian Reynolds

Cliff Robertson ... Alex Terson
Jordan Christopher ... Gordy Forbes
Donald Hotton ... Landan Marks

Alan Fudge ... Robert Jenkins
Joe Dorsey ... Hal Abramson
Bill Morey ... James Zimbach
Jason Lively ... Chris Brace
Darrell Larson ... Security Technician
Lou Walker ... Chef
Stacey Kuhne-Adams ... Andrea
John Hugh ... Animal Lab Technician
Ira David Wood III ... Barry (as David Wood)
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
The Gordon Forbes Tapes (USA) (alternative title)
more
Runtime:
106 min
Country:
Language:
Colour:
Colour (Metrocolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)
Company:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The tape used in the tape machines is a variety of decorative tape made by 3M. 3M only sold it in four-inch widths, so it had to be slit by hand to two-inch widths to fit in the tape machines. When filmed, they were astounded at how gaudy it looked, so to dampen its brightness, the prop crew wound the tape back and forth across a sander to dull its brilliance. "One of those things that actually looked a lot better on film when we finished with it," Douglas Trumbull commented. more
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: The soldering iron that Dr. Reynolds accidentally burns her wrist on is a battery operated rechargeable model, and would not have been hot unless she had been holding it and pressing the button. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Dr. Lillian Reynolds: Can you see better if I move it a little closer?
Dr. Michael Anthony Brace: I can see something. It's parts of the grid, but it's still rotating. It's not locking up.
Hal Abramson: Maybe we all need a little break, Lillian.
Dr. Lillian Reynolds: Hal, you take a break.
more
Movie Connections:
Features Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
14 out of 16 people found the following comment useful.
Knock my socks off, 22 August 2003
Author: hodapp from Indianapolis

Brainstorm had a rocky road to completion. After Natalie Wood died before completion of shooting, the studio wanted to shut it down and cash in the completion bond. Trumbull had fought tooth and nail to get the film made to begin with, and when it looked like it would be snatched from the jaws of victory, he hunkered down and dramatically altered sequences to prove it could indeed be finished without Wood's unshot scenes.

The "recorded memory" sequences were even more vivid for us in Indianapolis who saw it at the Eastwood theatre. The Eastwood had one of the few curved Cinerama roadshow screens outside of New York and Hollywood's Cinerama Dome. Think of it as a smaller version of an Omnimax screen. Sitting in the front row, you were completely enveloped by the film, and the visual and audio effect when the "memory" sequences lit up were quite attention grabbing. Trumbull was at this time working on his ill-fated Showscan process for amusement park rides, and was very interested in audience perceptions of diffrent lenses and frame rates. Some of this is used in Brainstorm. It's just not the same on a TV set of any size.

The central core of the story - the recording of the death of Lillian and Michael's obsession to experience it - is a disturbing one, because it explores the very nature of life and death. It can satisfy or dissappoint, because Trumbull has put his vision of memory, experience, death and afterlife on film for everyone to take pot shots at. And they did. It's a shame, because the film is beautiful, thought provoking, and ingenious. Yeah, I know, it has all of that evil government plot boilerplate. Look past it.

(It even revels in the quirks of the researchers, showing the second thing everybody does with new technology is use it for porn.)

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (60 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Brainstorm (1983)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Extremely underrated sairus-tro
Stand Ins Blob1965
spoilers!!! What is the truth about Gordy? Cleon
help on movie scene stafford75
SPOILER ALERT - Is it my imagination...... jdreck
Confusing, HAL scene, splice scene, etc. brainwarp
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Transformers Iron Man The Transformers: The Movie La historia oficial King of New York
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Sci-Fi section IMDb USA section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.