"Mind Killer" is one of those crazy & cheesy late 80's horror movies that I vividly remember renting at the video store solely because the VHS cover looked so appealingly nasty! The cover image of this particular gem I always remembered because it boosted an illustration of a heavily mutated human brain with one evil eye and a set of sharp teeth. By now, nearly twenty years later, movies such as this one are not much more than forgotten guilty pleasures of the video store generation. They really don't make 'em like this anymore, but the nowadays generation of horror fans probably sees that as a blessing, because they honestly wouldn't be interested in a horror flick about a psychic killer-nerd, complete with tacky make-up effects and an insufferable pop-music soundtrack. I swear; if "Mind Killer" had been any more eighties, my haircut would have spontaneously taken the shape of a Duran Duran or Flock of Seagulls video clip! The story introduces library clerk Warren, a social outcast who feels severely frustrated because he can't find a girlfriend in spite of his video course material and the continuous advice of his hunky roommate Brad. When Warren discovers a manuscript about the art of mind controlling, his luck seems to be turning. He abuses the newly gained psychic powers for all sorts of silly pranks and even manages to conquer the will of his muse and co- worker Sally. But Warren becomes dangerously obsessed with expanding his mind powers and his brain gradually mutates into a self-operating monster.
Okay, it's probably due to childhood memories, but I really like "Mind Killer". Admittedly the first hour resembles more of a romantic soap opera and the wannabe comical interludes are pretty pathetic, but the cheese 'n charm factor is truly irresistible. The crazy plot is never boring and actually becomes more suspenseful along the way. Joe McDonald, the guy playing Warren yet never starred in anything else, is a reasonably creepy guy with a perverted stare and throbbing eyes. The last ten to fifteen minutes are outrageously campy, with virulently attacking brains and tremendous overacting. There's also a supportive character that doesn't cease to howl like a coyote wolf, for some reason, and a bit of gratuitous nudity when Warren picks up a girl in a bar who's about twice his size and looks like an even manlier version of Brigitte Nielsen. Recommended, but only if you were born between 1970 and 1982 and spent your teenage years scrutinizing video stores for hidden horror treasures.