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Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy
Paramount // R // July 16, 2003
List Price: $24.98 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie:
"Brain Candy" was the 1996 attempt by Canadian comedy group Kids in the Hall to feature film success. Unfortunately, the film was anything but a success - in and out of theaters in what seemed like a mere week, "Brain Candy" grossed only a little over 2.5 million at the box office. However, the group's large fan-base was able to catch the picture on home video and "Brain Candy" soon became one of the bigger cult comedies of the 90's.
The film stars the Kids (David Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney and Scott Thompson) in a series of different roles in the picture. Early in the picture, Dr. Chris Cooper (McDonald) has come up with a new drug, Gleemonex, that cures depression and makes the user feel as if it's "72 degrees all the time". It does so by locking onto the last happy memory and replaying it over and over.
While the early tests of the drug seem to work, the scientists in the lab have no idea yet what possible side effects might be. In the offices above, the Roritor Pharmecuticals CEO (a classic performance from McKinney - I'd be surprised if Mike Meyers didn't take at least slightly from this character for "Dr. Evil" in the Austin Powers series) says to his staff, "Uh, I'm concerned that we didn't have a back-to-school or Christmas drug." Their last drug, Stummies, has been successful, but they need something new or they're going to go out of business. The CEO decides to go ahead with Gleemonex, side effects or no side effects (definitely the former, as it turns out).
Although I still find "Brain Candy" funny overall, I still think there are stretches where it doesn't work as well. All of the performers, who take on what seem like a total of about 30 roles, launch into their characters with great energy, but sometimes the humor goes a little too over-the-top for it to be completely effective. The sequences in the company boardroom, highlighted by the performances of McKinney and Foley, are certainly the film's sharpest sequences. Overall, "Brain Candy" is a pretty funny and inspired picture (which also looks great, boasting clever production design). Maybe it stretches itself a little thin at times, but it often hits its target.
The DVD
VIDEO: "Brain Candy" is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen by Paramount. This is a very good transfer that offered only a few very little flaws. Sharpness and detail were consistently fine, as the picture usually appeared sharp and well-defined, with only a few little instances of softness now and then.
Edge enhancement remained at a bare minimum throughout the presentation and only a couple of little hints of pixelation were seen. Only a few print flaws were spotted, too - a brief speck here and a mark there, but nothing too terribly distracting. The film's vivid color palette remained well-saturated and bold throughout. Aside from a few little faults, a pretty enjoyable transfer.
SOUND: "Brain Candy" is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 by Paramount. Aside from a few little instances for sound effects, "Brain Candy" doesn't put the surrounds to use. Most of the picture is a dialogue-driven comedy, with a few instances where the music gets decent presence. Audio quality was generally very good, as dialogue sounded clear and natural throughout.
MENUS: Basic, non-animated menus.
EXTRAS: Nothing.
Final Thoughts: While "Brain Candy" has some slow stretches, it also has a few brilliant moments that I still find absolutely hilarious. Paramount's DVD will likely disapoint "Kids in the Hall" fans who wanted supplements, but the audio/video quality is still very good. Fans should seek a purchase.
"Brain Candy" was the 1996 attempt by Canadian comedy group Kids in the Hall to feature film success. Unfortunately, the film was anything but a success - in and out of theaters in what seemed like a mere week, "Brain Candy" grossed only a little over 2.5 million at the box office. However, the group's large fan-base was able to catch the picture on home video and "Brain Candy" soon became one of the bigger cult comedies of the 90's.
The film stars the Kids (David Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney and Scott Thompson) in a series of different roles in the picture. Early in the picture, Dr. Chris Cooper (McDonald) has come up with a new drug, Gleemonex, that cures depression and makes the user feel as if it's "72 degrees all the time". It does so by locking onto the last happy memory and replaying it over and over.
While the early tests of the drug seem to work, the scientists in the lab have no idea yet what possible side effects might be. In the offices above, the Roritor Pharmecuticals CEO (a classic performance from McKinney - I'd be surprised if Mike Meyers didn't take at least slightly from this character for "Dr. Evil" in the Austin Powers series) says to his staff, "Uh, I'm concerned that we didn't have a back-to-school or Christmas drug." Their last drug, Stummies, has been successful, but they need something new or they're going to go out of business. The CEO decides to go ahead with Gleemonex, side effects or no side effects (definitely the former, as it turns out).
Although I still find "Brain Candy" funny overall, I still think there are stretches where it doesn't work as well. All of the performers, who take on what seem like a total of about 30 roles, launch into their characters with great energy, but sometimes the humor goes a little too over-the-top for it to be completely effective. The sequences in the company boardroom, highlighted by the performances of McKinney and Foley, are certainly the film's sharpest sequences. Overall, "Brain Candy" is a pretty funny and inspired picture (which also looks great, boasting clever production design). Maybe it stretches itself a little thin at times, but it often hits its target.
The DVD
VIDEO: "Brain Candy" is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen by Paramount. This is a very good transfer that offered only a few very little flaws. Sharpness and detail were consistently fine, as the picture usually appeared sharp and well-defined, with only a few little instances of softness now and then.
Edge enhancement remained at a bare minimum throughout the presentation and only a couple of little hints of pixelation were seen. Only a few print flaws were spotted, too - a brief speck here and a mark there, but nothing too terribly distracting. The film's vivid color palette remained well-saturated and bold throughout. Aside from a few little faults, a pretty enjoyable transfer.
SOUND: "Brain Candy" is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 by Paramount. Aside from a few little instances for sound effects, "Brain Candy" doesn't put the surrounds to use. Most of the picture is a dialogue-driven comedy, with a few instances where the music gets decent presence. Audio quality was generally very good, as dialogue sounded clear and natural throughout.
MENUS: Basic, non-animated menus.
EXTRAS: Nothing.
Final Thoughts: While "Brain Candy" has some slow stretches, it also has a few brilliant moments that I still find absolutely hilarious. Paramount's DVD will likely disapoint "Kids in the Hall" fans who wanted supplements, but the audio/video quality is still very good. Fans should seek a purchase.
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