MicroCinema Scene

Brainwarp, a low-rent criminal mastermind, teams up with the Legion of Rude People to take on some apoplectic cops and a suave James Bond pastiche in Jon Schnepp’s hyperactive greenscreen opus Brainwarp.

Brainwarp is an odd and curiously dated character, with his plaid suit, horn-rimmed glasses, and annoying catchphrases and mannerisms, almost seeming to have shot forward in time from an old Batman or Laugh-In episode from the go-go 60s, more Sid Caesar than Jim Carrey.  Eric Hoffman’s fully-immersed portrayal ranges from goofy to grating, and seems even more of an anachronism against an almost entirely keyed background and scores of digital effects.

One gathers from the “Behind the Scenes” footage on the DVD that the creators intended for Brainwarp to be a television pilot, and it is structured that way, with teasers and commercial breaks (though uneven audio and some other ragged production values would probably stymie its airing), so they throw everything they have comedy-wise at the screen hoping something will stick.  There are parodies of 60’s spy movies, 70’s cop shows, comic book jokes, religious jokes, dumb jokes, raunchy jokes, old-school slapstick; there are ghosts, bikini-clad spies, rocket packs, and on and on at breakneck speed, all spliced with dizzying, almost headache-inducing effects. 

Brainwarp is entertaining, though its eye-clawing graphics and head-snapping pace may not appeal to all viewers.  In general I liked its mix of humor styles and the unusual characters and situations, and would be interested in seeing another escapade from this retro foe.

Two and a half stars.

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