Library archivist Warren (Joe McDonald) discovers the notes of a mad scientist and starts putting his mind bending work to use. Naturally, the milquetoast guy is immediately no longer taking smack from his boss and talking up the object of his affection. These mind techniques are great! Too bad about the hair loss and oozing sores that come as a result of using them. Shot in Denver, CO., this might be best know for a few gooey creations by Vincent Guastini and Ted Bohus (masters of that field circa 1987). That is only in the last 15 minutes though and nothing else much is going on here. The most interesting thing is co-star Wade Kelly (as nerd Larry) looking like the spittin' image of Jerry Lewis. The sad news? I've watched this film twice (once in 1990 and again this year). And, yes, I realize I've watched a 90 minute film called MIND KILLER twice and that point has dawned on me.
11 Reviews
Funny late 80's horror trash.
HumanoidOfFlesh10 July 2009
Warren is a socially inept and very shy young librarian who is highly susceptible to self-help manuals.While pouring over one such book he discovers that by expanding his mind he can control his environment and the actions of other people.Disturbed by his changing personality his co-worker Larry and his room mate Brad attempt to help but instead become the objects of his wrath.Eventually Warren loses control.His overtaxed brain turns into a monster and bursts from his skull.The horribly mutant brain-creature takes on a life of it's own."Mind Killer" is an enjoyable horror trash with terrible acting and extremely bad creature effects.The central character of introverted Warren is an interesting touch.This movie is cheaply made and has that real cheap feel to it,but I have seen worse and more boring horror films.5 out of 10.
Low budget time waster
andybob-312 August 2000
Yes, this movie is as ridiculous as the artwork on rental box would have you believe! That being said however it is amusing in an odd sort of way, with a few good laughs here and there (many of which were unintentional). Watch this one only if its free and you've got nothing better to do for the next 84 minutes! I voted it a 3 out of the 10.
really very bad - nothing happens for most of the movie
FieCrier12 February 2005
I liked the premise, but the movie is really very bad.
The movie starts off with a woman approaching a door with some sort of monster or mutated human being behind it. Who that might be and how this scene relates to what follows doesn't become apparent for some time.
A librarian who has no luck with women is devoted to self-help books and videos, though they do him no good. He discovers a manuscript by a deceased local author that gives him psychic powers after he finishes reading it in one go. He becomes manipulative, and he starts losing his hair.
The movie is pretty uneventful until towards the end when the effects of the manuscript have really taken hold. It's not worth watching.
The movie starts off with a woman approaching a door with some sort of monster or mutated human being behind it. Who that might be and how this scene relates to what follows doesn't become apparent for some time.
A librarian who has no luck with women is devoted to self-help books and videos, though they do him no good. He discovers a manuscript by a deceased local author that gives him psychic powers after he finishes reading it in one go. He becomes manipulative, and he starts losing his hair.
The movie is pretty uneventful until towards the end when the effects of the manuscript have really taken hold. It's not worth watching.
Boring trash
Tikkin18 December 2006
I was excited when I found a VHS copy of this recently as the cover art is quite cool. But as usual with 80's horror flicks, a cool cover is usually to disguise a crap film. Mind Killer is no exception, but is even more boring than some of the worst 80's horror flicks! The opening looks interesting but after this it all gets dull and tedious. I nearly fell asleep, so I turned it off and watched the ending the next day. There's a little bit of cheesy action at the end, where the brain breaks free from the mans body. However it's far too late to save this mess. It reminded me of the ending to Slime City actually. The acting is bad and the whole film has a cheap feel, but not in a good way.
Avoid this unless you like cool VHS covers.
Avoid this unless you like cool VHS covers.
Crud
ccmackin11 July 2001
Warning: Spoilers
I really like bad movies. In fact, I'd prefer a bad movie over what most consider a "good" movie any day. However, in the case of "Mind Killer", there really aren't any elements to make this a bad movie in a good way. Nope. It just really sucks--in a bad way. Mind Killer, aka The Brain Creatures, concerns a young man who just can't seem to get any pudding from the ladies, whether it be at work, in the local pub, or anywhere else. It seems that his main frustrations involve his life-long dry spell. Seriously, if I had to think of one reason to watch this movie, it would have to be to see how much of a turd a man can become. The lead actor in this movie, Joe McDonald (I think), is total sack. And I have a feeling it isn't his acting skills that portray such sackdom. He's been in one other movie titled "Why I Hate Italians".
Anyway, he really falls for this woman at his job (he's a library clerk). The thing is, she's pretty ugly. No, make that really ugly. But, she is supposed to be hot, so suspend your disbelief. Oh yeah, also suspend your desbelief when our hero finds an ancient book in the basement of the library and learns mind powers. Soon after, he's making candy bars fly out of vending machines! Wow! He also gets the girl he wants, and although she can't help herself, she knows something is up. Eventually, he wigs out and turns into some creature, which is nothing more than a mask that the studio bought from the "expensive" selection at the mask hut in the mall during Halloween season. I think he dies. Normally I wouldn't spoil an ending like that, but there is no way anyone is ever going to read this or actually find this movie. The movie itself looks like a home video a high-school kid made for a project, since the best special effect in the whole film is the candy bar thing I mentioned above. I have this movie on tape somewhere. I taped it on accident many years ago. I guess some day I'll look for it so I can throw it at someone.
Anyway, he really falls for this woman at his job (he's a library clerk). The thing is, she's pretty ugly. No, make that really ugly. But, she is supposed to be hot, so suspend your disbelief. Oh yeah, also suspend your desbelief when our hero finds an ancient book in the basement of the library and learns mind powers. Soon after, he's making candy bars fly out of vending machines! Wow! He also gets the girl he wants, and although she can't help herself, she knows something is up. Eventually, he wigs out and turns into some creature, which is nothing more than a mask that the studio bought from the "expensive" selection at the mask hut in the mall during Halloween season. I think he dies. Normally I wouldn't spoil an ending like that, but there is no way anyone is ever going to read this or actually find this movie. The movie itself looks like a home video a high-school kid made for a project, since the best special effect in the whole film is the candy bar thing I mentioned above. I have this movie on tape somewhere. I taped it on accident many years ago. I guess some day I'll look for it so I can throw it at someone.
Mindless, more like
Leofwine_draca13 September 2018
Warning: Spoilers
MIND KILLER is another cheap and cheerful horror flick of the 1980s, concerning a geeky guy desperate to have success in dating women. To this end he uses black magic which gives him amazing sexual powers but gradually transforms him into a demon at the same time. Yep, this is another mindless (see what I did there?) time-waster, full of lamentable performances, a cheesy sex scene, and some amusing prosthetic gore effects. It has much in common with the likes of MAUSOLEUM but somehow manages to be even cheaper than that cult movie, and it's only really entertaining during the OTT climax.
Probably the worst movie I've ever seen
levi-moniz8 March 2022
A creature-feature in which the creature has one minute of screen time out of about ninety. The audio mix is so terrible that what people are saying is often completely unintelligible due to loud music or ambient noise. It's as though the movie is purposely attempting to annoy the viewer with noises. Howling coyotes and TV static conspire to drive the viewer insane along with the film's antagonist. I hope whoever worked the sound on this movie stubs a toe for his terrible work on this project.
The only reason I give Mind Killer two stars instead of one is because I honestly can imagine a worse movie.
If you come across this on Tubi or wherever, SKIP.
The only reason I give Mind Killer two stars instead of one is because I honestly can imagine a worse movie.
If you come across this on Tubi or wherever, SKIP.
Insane in the brain.
BA_Harrison15 April 2019
Nerdy library clerk Warren (Joe McDonald) works in the archive department where he stumbles upon a document that shows him how to develop psychic powers. With his newfound mental abilities, Warren seduces women against their will, including his library colleague Sandy (Shirley Ross). Eventually Warren's brain ups and leaves his body and latches onto Sandy, using her to attack his womanising room-mate Brad, of whom he has long been jealous.
The first half of Mindkiller is kinda dull, with Warren and his equally dorky pal Larry (Wade Kelley doing his best Julius Kelp impression) trawling bars and clubs hoping to find a member of the opposite sex willing to go home with them. I assume that their lame attempts at picking up women are supposed to be funny, but they aren't. Once Warren starts to learn the document's secrets, his batting average improves considerably by using mind control (cheaper than Rohypnol, I guess); this too is fairly forgettable, with only a spot of brief T&A to prevent total boredom: Ross strips to her undies during a dream sequence (nice bod, shame about the face), and a blonde with bad hair flashes her tits.
The second half of the movie sees Warren gradually losing control as his brain causes him to mutate, but it's not until the 20 minutes that the film delivers the goods in terms of gloopiness, Warren's enlarged cranium pulsating before splitting open to ooze blood and mucous over a hysterical Sandy, and, in the film's funniest scene, the brain growing eyes, fangs and legs to attack Larry. Fans of trashy practical effects will appreciate the effort, even if the results aren't that great.
The first half of Mindkiller is kinda dull, with Warren and his equally dorky pal Larry (Wade Kelley doing his best Julius Kelp impression) trawling bars and clubs hoping to find a member of the opposite sex willing to go home with them. I assume that their lame attempts at picking up women are supposed to be funny, but they aren't. Once Warren starts to learn the document's secrets, his batting average improves considerably by using mind control (cheaper than Rohypnol, I guess); this too is fairly forgettable, with only a spot of brief T&A to prevent total boredom: Ross strips to her undies during a dream sequence (nice bod, shame about the face), and a blonde with bad hair flashes her tits.
The second half of the movie sees Warren gradually losing control as his brain causes him to mutate, but it's not until the 20 minutes that the film delivers the goods in terms of gloopiness, Warren's enlarged cranium pulsating before splitting open to ooze blood and mucous over a hysterical Sandy, and, in the film's funniest scene, the brain growing eyes, fangs and legs to attack Larry. Fans of trashy practical effects will appreciate the effort, even if the results aren't that great.
A Mind is a Terrific Thing to Waste!
Coventry21 July 2009
"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.
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.
Imitative, minor horror opus
lor_22 March 2023
My review was written in November 1987 after watching the film on Prism video cassette.
"Mind Killer", previously titled "Brain Creature", is a modest made-for-video horror feature from Denver filmmakers.
Joe McDonald is featured as Warren, a nerd working in the library's basement archives, who unsuccessfully hangs out with fellow nerd (and trivia expert) Larry (Christopher Wade) in singles bars where the girls won't give either of them a tumble.
When Warren finds a book by Vivac Chandra on total mind control, he is suddenly full of energy and confidence, causing women to be entranced by him. Film ventures into sci-fi territory as Warren and later Larry develop psychokinetic powers. Warren uses his new mental abilities to try and force pretty librarian Sandy (Shirley Ross) to obey his will, but several yucky makeup effects later, Larry uses a machine to subdue Warren, who has mutated into a brain monster.
Film's cheapo production values are very restricting, with the brain monster looking like a leftover from the minor horror pic "The Deadly Spawn". Vincent Guastini's makeup effects bring back the boring bladders-under-the-skin and dripping goo motifs of countless horror films. Acting is adequate, on the level of regional theater.
"Mind Killer", previously titled "Brain Creature", is a modest made-for-video horror feature from Denver filmmakers.
Joe McDonald is featured as Warren, a nerd working in the library's basement archives, who unsuccessfully hangs out with fellow nerd (and trivia expert) Larry (Christopher Wade) in singles bars where the girls won't give either of them a tumble.
When Warren finds a book by Vivac Chandra on total mind control, he is suddenly full of energy and confidence, causing women to be entranced by him. Film ventures into sci-fi territory as Warren and later Larry develop psychokinetic powers. Warren uses his new mental abilities to try and force pretty librarian Sandy (Shirley Ross) to obey his will, but several yucky makeup effects later, Larry uses a machine to subdue Warren, who has mutated into a brain monster.
Film's cheapo production values are very restricting, with the brain monster looking like a leftover from the minor horror pic "The Deadly Spawn". Vincent Guastini's makeup effects bring back the boring bladders-under-the-skin and dripping goo motifs of countless horror films. Acting is adequate, on the level of regional theater.
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