Evil Brain from Outer Space
Entry updated 27 March 2023. Tagged: Film.
Japanese/US film (1966). Shintoho. Directed by Chogi Akasaka and Teruo Ishii. Written by Ichiro Miyagawa and Teruo Ishii. Cast includes Hiroshi Asami, Akira Nakamura, Tomohiko Ôtani and Ken Utsui. 78 minutes. Black and white.
This was compiled from episodes 7, 8 and 9 of the Japanese Super Giant film series (see Tokusatsu), edited and dubbed by Walter Manley Enterprises into Evil Brain From Outer Space for American television. The Superman-like hero Super Giant was renamed Star Man: this was the fourth and final US television film made from the series, the preceding ones being Atomic Rulers (1965), Invaders from Space (1965) and Attack from Space (1965). However, whilst those had each been made from a brace of episodes that formed parts one and two of a story, Evil Brain From Outer Space was made from three standalone tales.
On the planet Zemar a "decontrolled" Robot kills the brilliant and omnipotent Balazar: but "his brain ordered built a mechanism which would keep it alive even though his body was destroyed – and now Balazar's brain seeks universal conquest", using nuclear weapons and making Earth his first port of call. Fortunately the High Council on the Emerald Planet learn of this and, concerned that radioactivity could leak into space and maybe even reach their own planet, send Star Man (Utsui) to Earth to defeat Balazar.
In Japan the police question Kawada (Asami), a suspected thief who claims the suitcase he had accidentally dropped into the river whilst being arrested contained an evil Alien's brain that had corrupted Dr. Kurokawa (Ôtani), the Scientist he had been assisting. Dr. Kurokawa (who pretends to be wheelchair-bound and has a falcon perched on his shoulder) contacts the police and says Kuwada is harmless and may be released: this is done. Dr. Kurokawa's agents recover the brain and now try to kill Kawada, but he is rescued by Star Man. Kuwada explains he had been trying to take Balazar's "indestructible" brain to a Dr Sakurai (Nakamura) in the hope he might find some means of destroying it. Dr. Kurokawa and Balazar now retreat underground and launch a three pronged attack: firstly, an army of costumed Zemarians who attempt to kill the world's leaders – but are defeated when their first target is revealed to be Star Man in disguise. Second is an army of Mutants: one, cobalt-nailed with a giant eye in their stomach (who had previously attacked Dr Sakurai) also tries to assassinate the world leaders; another is a woman who randomly kills members of the public by staring at them – though later, when she battles Star Man, she emits fire. However, most of the mutant army appear to be men in white raincoats. The third prong is to be germ warfare; however, this only kills one person before being stopped. Star Man locates Dr. Kurokawa and Balazar's headquarters: after a fight the former is arrested and the latter (a brain in a bell jar – see Brain in a Box) is killed when a formula created by Dr Sakurai is poured over it.
The three Super Giant episodes used the create this film were The Space Mutant Appears (1958, 45 minutes, original title Sūpā Jaiantsu – Uchū Kaijin Shutsugen), from which the Balazar plot that dominates this film comes; The Devil's Incarnation (1959, 57 minutes, original title Zoku Sūpā Jaiantsu – Akuma no Keshin) which concerned a scarred scientist who turns his dead daughter into a murderous witch (he becomes Dr. Kurokawa's brother and she the female mutant) and Kingdom of the Poison Moth (1959, 57 minutes, original title Zoku Sūpā Jaiantsu – Dokuga Ōkoku), about costumed middle-eastern terrorists plotting to kill a peaceful Arabic leader (the film using the terrorists and a murder attempt).
Inevitably the film is a bit of a mess: the plot is incoherent, with sudden scene changes and the narrator trying to paper over the cracks, whilst there are clearly too many villains – and two sets of children for Star Man to protect. The two main mutants are effective low-budget monsters and underline that the original Super Giant series can be seen as a precursor to Tokusatsu television series such as Ultraman, Kamen Rider and Super Sentai. [SP]
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