NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Film Detective Blu-ray (June 2022): Film Detective have transferred Nathan Juran's The Brain from Planet Arous to Blu-ray. This package offers both the 1.33:1 aspect ratio version and the 1.85:1 widescreen. Both have similar high bitrates and are housed on a dual-layered disc. There are some persistent floating vertical scratches but the grain is very evident. One of the more flattering positives is that it is a heaping amount in advance of SD with more layered contrast an an uptick in film-like texture. I can't imagine the film looking much better for home theatre viewing.

NOTE: We have added 62 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Film Detective use a DTS-HD Master dual-mono track (16-bit) in the original English language. The Brain from Planet Arous has aggressive moments, alien effects, and screams that come through with reasonable depth. The score is by journeyman Walter Greene (War of the Satellites, Teenage Monster, Teenage Doll, Jesse James' Women, Son of Billy the Kid), that David Schecter discusses in the commentary. Film Detective offer optional English subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

The Film Detective Blu-ray offers a commentary by Tom Weaver (author of They Fought in the Creature Features.) He's always excellent and includes input from David Schecter (on the score/music), voice recreations, and interview tidbits mixed in from Planet Arous star, Joyce Meadows. He talks about plenty involving the production - producer Jacques ('Jack') Marquette, actors Agar, Meadows, Robert Fuller (conversation they had on the phone), Thomas Browne Henry with plenty of anecdotal stories, descriptions of the shooting locations (Bronson Cave in Griffith Park) and much more. He's always perfect for this 50's sci-fi genre. Also included are Not the Same Old Brain, with Joyce Meadows - a cute 12-minute piece with the 85-year old Canadian-born actress talking about The Brain from Planet Arous, her part, other work with Agar and having some fun in the outdoor location "near Mystery Mountain" with a faux alien attack in the end. This is NEW, written, produced etc. by David Schecter, as Meadows talked about the Film Detective Blu-ray! There are also two featurettes; The Man Before the Brain about director Nathan Juran's previous work and The Man Behind the Brain: The World of Nathan Juran with further details on the Romania-born former art director by the likes of C. Courtney Joyner co-author of (The Savage B's: A Tribute to B-Horror) providing input. There is also a 12-page liner booklet with an essay by Tom Weaver.  

Nathan Juran's The Brain from Planet Arous is weak, but hokey fun, even for this genre. Effects are quite... budget-conscious with the transparent brain-shaped creature and its googly-eyed, out-of-focus, possession. It still has a lot of charisma with appealing everyman Agar + smok'in 22-year old Meadows (she was "Miss Sacramento" in 1953 as Joyce Burger, and "Miss Hollywood" in 1954.) It's not a bad science-fiction story - if having a few weaknesses and awkward dialogue. It is a shade reminiscent of Donavan's Brain , made 4-years earlier, with an evil entity taking possession of a human mind, in this case intent on world domination. The Brain from Planet Arous appeared in 1958 on a double feature with, the equally poor-effect-laden, Teenage Monster.  The Film Detective Blu-ray offers the alternate ratio version, excellent commentary, fun elderly Meadows piece and two informative featurettes on the director. Plus there is a liner notes booklet. This is right up my alley - so a 'keeper' for me. To each his own.

Gary Tooze