The Brainiac

Plot

In Mexico City in 1661, Baron Vitelius of Estara is condemned by the Inquisition and sentenced to be burned at the stake. As this sentence is carried out, the Baron promises that he will return with the next passage of a comet (visible over the scene of the execution), and slay the descendants of his accusers.

Thus in Mexico City in 1961, the promised comet returns, carrying with it Baron Vitelius, who takes advantage of his considerable abilities as a sorcerer to carry out his threat: he is able to change at will into the hairy monster of the title in order to suck out the brains of his victims with a long forked tongue; furthermore, he has strong hypnotic capabilities and is able to render his enemies motionless or force them to act against their wills.

Cast

Crew

1964 American-Language Version Crew:

Distribution

In 1963, the film was distributed in the United States by Clasa-Mohme Inc. in its original, Spanish-language-only form, for exhibition in Spanish-speaking American communities' cinemas.

In 1964, Florida-based entrepreneur K. Gordon Murray acquired rights to dub the film into American English and distribute it in the United States via his Trans-International Films Inc. firm. This version played largely in smaller, Southern towns and at drive-ins, but got wider American exposure on television in the early 1980s, via the USA Cable Network to which Murray syndicated his library of dubbed Mexican horror, sci-fi and fantasy films as a package deal.

Release

The film is one of several films dubbed into English and imported to the United States by K. Gordon Murray. In 2012 The Brainiac was released by Rifftrax with their characteristic humorous narrative dialog embedded in the audio track.

Reception

The film has developed a cult following since its cable-network TV appearance and is now considered a cult classic by younger generations.