Brain Donors

1992

Action / Comedy

17
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Rotten 85% · 10 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 85% · 5K ratings
IMDb Rating 6.9/10 10 4975 5K

slapstick idiot slapstick comedy vaudeville

Plot summary

Three manic idiots—a lawyer, a cab driver and a handyman—team up to run a ballet company to fulfil the will of a millionaire. Stooge-like antics result as the trio try to outwit the rich widow and her scheming big-shot lawyer, who also wants to run the ballet.

Director

Dennis Dugan Photo
Dennis Dugan

Top cast

Anita Dangler Photo
Anita Dangler as Usherette
Charlotte Zucker Photo
Charlotte Zucker as Woman with Program
Katherine LaNasa Photo
Katherine LaNasa as Dancer #1
Nancy Marchand Photo
Nancy Marchand as Lillian Oglethorpe
720p.BluRay 720p.WEB 1080p.BluRay 1080p.WEB
731.01 MB
1280*720
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 19 min
Seeds 1
660.68 MB
1280*714
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 20 min
Seeds 1
1.46 GB
1920*1080
English 5.1
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 19 min
Seeds 6
1.25 GB
1920*1072
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 20 min
Seeds 1

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by TedStixonAKAMaximumMadness 8 / 10

"Brain Donors"- One of the great underrated films of the 90's. A fantastically funny and silly throwback feature!

The story of the underrated comedy gem "Brain Donors" is quite a fascinating tale indeed. Conceived as a throwback tribute to old- school comedy acts such as the Marx Brothers and the Three Stooges, the film was an early effort for writer Pat Proft and director Dennis Dugan, whom worked under the supervision of the wildly famous Zucker Brothers. A cast of talented comedic actors was assembled and the filming commenced under the original working title "Lame Ducks", with the bulk of the plot being very loosely inspired by the classic Marx Brothers comedy "A Night at the Opera."Then a series of troubling developments ensued, casting the fate of the film into uncertainty. The Zucker Brothers had a falling out with studio Paramount and walked from the project during production, and Paramount responded by purposely changing the film's title at the last moment and tanking the marketing in a ploy for retribution. "Lame Ducks"- now known as "Brain Donors"- bombed at the box office as a result, and was quickly forgotten by film-goers... until its later home-video release eventually found an audience thanks to positive word-of-mouth.And it's a very good thing that it eventually found an audience. While not a particularly great film by any stretch, the fact remains that "Brain Donors" is a thoroughly endearing, charming and indeed laugh- out-loud hilarious tale that hearkens back to the glory-days of cinema, and the creativity that went into its production deserves all the recognition it could possibly get. After the death of famed philanthropist Oscar Winterhaven Oglethorpe, a ballet company is set to be founded in the name of his widow Lillian, played by Nancy Marchand. And Lillian's (literal) ambulance-chasing attorney Roland T. Flakfizer (John Turturro), along with his knucklehead associates Jacques (Bob Nelson) and Rocco (Mel Smith), want in on a slice of the action, putting them at odds with the company's slimy, power- hungry director Edmund Lazlo. (John Savident) All the while, the three are also drawn into other assorted shenanigans and comedic mishaps, including attempting to secure a spot for their friends Lisa (Juliana Donald) and Alan (Spike Alexander) in the act.At a lean 79 minutes, the film is an incredibly efficient comedic powerhouse, packing in the jokes fast and loose at a constant pace. Turturro, Nelson and late and great Smith make for a tremendous trio of likable doofuses, and all get key defining features and moments to shine. Turturro being the fast-talking and neurotic schmoozer, Nelson being a hapless and well-meaning oaf with an obsession towards gadgets, and Smith being a brash and volatile dope who sometimes can't keep his mouth shut. They compliment each other very well and have a great sense of chemistry. It honestly is a genuine shame we never got to see the three together again as these characters... I'd have loved to have seen them thrown into more stories.Visually, the film is very interesting, with director Dugan giving it all a certain sense of hyper-reality, which I think was an attempt to emulate the glitz and glamour of classic Hollywood comedies. It doesn't quite work in that sense, but it does help to usher the audience into the cartoonish madness that ensues, and it does the job well. I also really got a kick out of the use of stop-motion claymation for the credits, which was a really nice touch. The script by Proft is also really well structured, with the plot being used wisely to set up skits and scenarios to see our three leads make the worst out of. Dialog is played quick and loaded with subtle jokes, gags and double- entendres... you could watch the film a dozen times and still find new laughs that you never noticed before.It really is a tragedy to watch the film and know the backstory and what could have been had it been given a fair change. It's brutally funny and extremely cleverly assembled. I actually had to pause it several times just so I could catch my breath between cackles. Sure, the run-time is a bit too short, some of the jokes are a bit disturbing and it's not gonna change your life... but it's darned entertaining and well-worth checking out. And I can't help but give it my highest of recommendations to fans of all things funny. I give "Brain Donors" a very good 8 out of 10.
Reviewed by LPCDwoman 8 / 10

An affectionate and hilarious tribute to the Brothers Marx

Whether or not you have ever seen a Marx Brothers movie, BRAIN DONORS will make you laugh out loud. Writer Pat Proft, Director Dennis Dugan and head wackos the Zucker Brothers have crafted a tribute to the kings of anarchic comedy. Specifically modeled on A NIGHT AT THE OPERA, John Turturro has the Groucho part, Bob Nelson has Harpo (and he gets to talk!), British comic Mel Smith has Chico, Nancy Marchand takes Margaret Dumont's role, and everyone has a grand time. It's lightning fast, furious and very, very funny. BRAIN DONORS came on the tail end of the AIRPLANE-inspired comedies of the Eighties, so not very many people saw it in theaters the first time around. Fortunately, we now have it on DVD. Enjoy!
Reviewed by TedStixonAKAMaximumMadness 8 / 10

"Brain Donors"- One of the great underrated films of the 90's. A fantastically funny and silly throwback feature!

The story of the underrated comedy gem "Brain Donors" is quite a fascinating tale indeed. Conceived as a throwback tribute to old- school comedy acts such as the Marx Brothers and the Three Stooges, the film was an early effort for writer Pat Proft and director Dennis Dugan, whom worked under the supervision of the wildly famous Zucker Brothers. A cast of talented comedic actors was assembled and the filming commenced under the original working title "Lame Ducks", with the bulk of the plot being very loosely inspired by the classic Marx Brothers comedy "A Night at the Opera."Then a series of troubling developments ensued, casting the fate of the film into uncertainty. The Zucker Brothers had a falling out with studio Paramount and walked from the project during production, and Paramount responded by purposely changing the film's title at the last moment and tanking the marketing in a ploy for retribution. "Lame Ducks"- now known as "Brain Donors"- bombed at the box office as a result, and was quickly forgotten by film-goers... until its later home-video release eventually found an audience thanks to positive word-of-mouth.And it's a very good thing that it eventually found an audience. While not a particularly great film by any stretch, the fact remains that "Brain Donors" is a thoroughly endearing, charming and indeed laugh- out-loud hilarious tale that hearkens back to the glory-days of cinema, and the creativity that went into its production deserves all the recognition it could possibly get. After the death of famed philanthropist Oscar Winterhaven Oglethorpe, a ballet company is set to be founded in the name of his widow Lillian, played by Nancy Marchand. And Lillian's (literal) ambulance-chasing attorney Roland T. Flakfizer (John Turturro), along with his knucklehead associates Jacques (Bob Nelson) and Rocco (Mel Smith), want in on a slice of the action, putting them at odds with the company's slimy, power- hungry director Edmund Lazlo. (John Savident) All the while, the three are also drawn into other assorted shenanigans and comedic mishaps, including attempting to secure a spot for their friends Lisa (Juliana Donald) and Alan (Spike Alexander) in the act.At a lean 79 minutes, the film is an incredibly efficient comedic powerhouse, packing in the jokes fast and loose at a constant pace. Turturro, Nelson and late and great Smith make for a tremendous trio of likable doofuses, and all get key defining features and moments to shine. Turturro being the fast-talking and neurotic schmoozer, Nelson being a hapless and well-meaning oaf with an obsession towards gadgets, and Smith being a brash and volatile dope who sometimes can't keep his mouth shut. They compliment each other very well and have a great sense of chemistry. It honestly is a genuine shame we never got to see the three together again as these characters... I'd have loved to have seen them thrown into more stories.Visually, the film is very interesting, with director Dugan giving it all a certain sense of hyper-reality, which I think was an attempt to emulate the glitz and glamour of classic Hollywood comedies. It doesn't quite work in that sense, but it does help to usher the audience into the cartoonish madness that ensues, and it does the job well. I also really got a kick out of the use of stop-motion claymation for the credits, which was a really nice touch. The script by Proft is also really well structured, with the plot being used wisely to set up skits and scenarios to see our three leads make the worst out of. Dialog is played quick and loaded with subtle jokes, gags and double- entendres... you could watch the film a dozen times and still find new laughs that you never noticed before.It really is a tragedy to watch the film and know the backstory and what could have been had it been given a fair change. It's brutally funny and extremely cleverly assembled. I actually had to pause it several times just so I could catch my breath between cackles. Sure, the run-time is a bit too short, some of the jokes are a bit disturbing and it's not gonna change your life... but it's darned entertaining and well-worth checking out. And I can't help but give it my highest of recommendations to fans of all things funny. I give "Brain Donors" a very good 8 out of 10.
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