Brainstorm (1983)

Taglines: The door to the mind is open!

Brainstorm movie storyline. Brilliant researchers Lillian Reynolds (Natalie Wood) and Michael Brace (Christopher Walken) have developed a system of recording and playing back actual experiences of people. Once the capability of tapping into “higher brain functions” is added in, and you can literally jump into someone else’s head and play back recordings of what he or she was thinking, feeling, seeing, etc., at the time of the recording, the applications for the project quickly spiral out of control.

While Michael Brace uses the system to become close again to Karen Brace, his estranged wife who also works on the project, others start abusing it for intense sexual experiences and other logical but morally questionable purposes. The government tries to kick Michael and Lillian off the project once the vast military potential of the technology is discovered. It soon becomes obvious that the government is interested in more than just missile guidance systems.

The lab starts producing mind torture recordings and other psychosis inducing material. When one of the researchers dies and tapes the experience of death, Michael is convinced that he must playback this tape to honor the memory of the researcher and to become enlightened. When another researcher dies during playback the tape is locked away and Michael has to fight against his former colleagues and the government lackeys that now run his lab in order to play back and confront the “scariest thing any of us will ever face” – death itself.

Brainstorm is a 1983 American science fiction film directed by Douglas Trumbull, and starring Christopher Walken, Natalie Wood (in her final film role), Louise Fletcher and Cliff Robertson. It follows a research team’s efforts to perfect a system that directly records and replays the sensory experiences and emotional feelings of a subject, and the efforts by the company’s management to exploit the device for military ends. After a researcher records her death from a heart attack, her colleagues join forces to retrieve the information and play it back.

About the Story

A team of scientists invent a brain–computer interface that allows sensations to be recorded from a person’s brain and converted to tape so that others may experience them. The team includes estranged husband and wife Michael and Karen Brace, as well as Michael’s colleague Lillian Reynolds. At CEO Alex Terson’s instruction, the team demonstrates the device to investors in order to gain financing.

Karen dons the recorder while working with Michael and Lillian. When Michael plays the tape back, the group realizes that emotional experiences are also recorded. Michael tapes his memories of times with Karen, which he shares with her, and it leads to their reconciliation.

Lillian is pressured by backers to admit as a member of the team a former colleague, Landon Marks, whom she sees as part of the military-industrial complex. She disagrees with their plan to have the invention developed for military use. Gordy Forbes, a team member of the project, has sexual intercourse while wearing the recorder. He shares the tape with his colleagues, including Hal Abramson. Once alone, Hal splices the section of tape containing Gordy’s orgasm into a continuous loop. After prolonged exposure to the repeating orgasm, it causes a sensory overload which leads to his forced retirement. Tensions increase as the possibilities for abuse become clear.

Already suffering from heart problems and a constant cigarette smoker, Lillian suffers a heart attack while working alone. Realizing that she is about to die, Lillian records her experience. Following her funeral, Michael decides to experience Lillian’s recording, but he nearly dies when the playback causes his body to simulate the sensations and effects of a heart attack. Michael modifies his console to filter the physical output, and he replays the tape. Viewing Lillian’s death experience, he sees “memory bubbles”—moments from Lillian’s life. Michael experiences Lillian’s memories of a humorous exchange with Michael as he plays with an industrial robot, a surprise birthday party, and being devastated when Alex tells her that an earlier project has been cancelled.

A team of scientists wanting to discover the machine’s military capabilities is monitoring the equipment as Michael plays Lillian’s final tape. They have Gordy also experience the tape, but Landon ignores the advice of the monitoring staff that Michael has made modifications to his playback terminal. As such Gordy dies from physically experiencing Lillian’s heart attack and subsequent death while Michael is able to view the tape unharmed.

Michael’s playback is cut short by Hal, but having witnessed the digital near-death experience makes Michael curious to see the entire tape. Alex has the recording locked away and tells Michael he will not be allowed to view it. When he returns to work, Michael walks in on Landon Marks and a team of outsider technicians going through his research records and protests to Alex who responds by firing Michael and Karen.

Michael attempts to hack into the lab’s computers. Hal advises him to look under “Project Brainstorm”, a program the military has created to re-develop their invention for torture and brainwashing. Michael accesses one such tape from his den and quickly stops viewing it because of its disturbing nature, and leaves the room. Michael and Karen’s son Chris wanders into the den and inadvertently views the tape, causing him to have a psychotic experience which results in his hospitalization. At the hospital, Alex visits and Michael confronts him about Project Brainstorm (of which Alex denies any knowledge) and blames Alex for his son’s condition. Alex then informs Michael of Gordy’s fate, essentially blaming him for his death.

Rather than see his creation perverted, Michael vows to destroy his work and enlists the help of Karen and Hal. Michael and Karen head to the Pinehurst Resort and, realizing they are under surveillance, stage a fight that results in Karen leaving for Hal’s house. As the two feign reconciliation over the phone, Michael accesses the Brainstorm computer via another phone line, while Karen hacks into the system and sabotages the robots that manufacture the interface terminals.

Directed by: Douglas Trumbull
Starring: Christopher Walken, Natalie Wood, Louise Fletcher, Cliff Robertson, Alan Fudge, Jordan Christopher, Donald Hotton, Bill Morey, Jason Lively, Darrell Larson, Lou Walker, Stacey Kuhne-Adams, Debby Porter
Screenplay by: Philip Frank Messina, Robert Stitzel
Production Design by: John Vallone
Cinematography by: Richard Yuricich
Film Editing by: Freeman A. Davies, Edward Warschilka
Costume Design by: Donfeld
Set Decoration by: Linda DeScenna, Tom Pedigo
Art Direction by: David L. Snyder
Music by: James Horner
MPAA Rating: None.
Distributed by: MGM / UA Entertainment Company
Release Date: September 30, 1983