People are voting emotionally.

Excellent but underrated film

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

The basic premise of this movie, the technology, is in sync with that of a short story by Arthur C. Clarke, published in 1954. Clarke's story, first published as "Patent Pending," and also published as "The Invention," appeared in his collection, Tales from the White Hart. The story within a story tells of a French scientist who successfully finds a way to record and play back brain waves, allowing experiences to be replayed by other people.

A research scientist has been experimenting with a revolutionary brain-reading device. This wondrous machine is able to read a person's thought processes and translate these to videotape. When the scientist wants to study the brainwaves of his late partner, he finds himself seriously at odds with his superiors -- not to mention several ominous-looking government types.This film had a bit of trouble with the production... there were budgets issues, studio interference... and most notably, an important actress (Natalie Wood) died in the middle of shooting and had to be cleverly replaced by her sister (did you notice?). Some say the acting is uneven, though that was not really an issue for me.Despite the hurdles, this should be seen as a minor classic, even if largely forgotten today. As Wood's final film it should be honored, and Christopher Walken of course went from being an Oscar favorite to an international wonder. He is surprisingly normal in this picture.

Natale Wood's last film and released 2 years after her untimely death with a few scenes shot (perhaps) using a stand-in (no film credit). Also staring Christopher Walken and Cliff Robertson. They are part of a team of research scientists that create a remarkable tool that records virtually all of a real-life experience through brainwaves. That includes every nuance of vision, touch, smell, emotion, and (as we learn later) pain and suffering. It's remarkable that it was even finished, and producer-directer Douglas Trumble spent almost 5 million dollars to finish the film after a production "grant" from Lloyd's of London, who insured it's completion. Almost not released by MGM at all. It's unsettling and the "recorded" brainwaves are quite intense and may be disturbing to some. Minor nudity, sexual content, torture, and a vivid "Heart Attack" death experience are all part of the brainstorms! The equipment looks quite real with the record and playback mechanisms using golden "foil" tape. The government intends to produce it on a mass-production scale. The ending is an amazing testament to the genius and artistry of Douglas Trumbull. Both Hell and Heaven are "realistically" portrayed. The devise is corrupted into a diabolical mind control, torture-brainwashing tool, the research scientists attempt to sabotage and destroy it. A 2001 "psychedelic" ending with visions of the afterlife? This haunting film was not a moneymaker for MGM and "feels" unfinished. The music starts and stops in fits although the storyline remains remarkably understandable, with a few minor exceptions. A bit slow at the beginning.The idea of "mind control thru a headset devise" is not original and was used in the original "Star Trek" series, at least twice in the 1960's. I saw this on a big screen and it was a far superior experience, with all the format-size changes on the screen. Viewing it once every few years is enough for me. Both exhilarating and incredibly disturbing at the same time, even on a small(er) home screen.

High Concept Filmmaking from SFX Wizard Turned Director Douglas Trumbull. Imaginative and Always Visually Interesting, This is Nevertheless a Film that is Not as Good as Some of the Parts.It's Inconsistent Tone Wavers All Over the Place and as Coherent Cinema it Fails to Piece Together a Finished Film that is as Intriguing as its Initial Premise. Scientists Christopher Walken and Louise Fletcher Discover a Way to Transfer Thought and Senses to Illuminous Video Tape and When Played Back the Recipient Experiences the Recorders Thoughts and Through All Five Senses Just as it Was From the Sender.That is a Clunky Way of Explaining the Set-Up and as One Would Guess, Putting it in a Movie and Making it Believable was Not an Easy Task. You've Got to Respect Trumbull's Audacity to Pull it Off. He Almost Succeeds but Not Quite, Because Ultimately it Proved Troublesome.The Juxtaposition of Real Life Situations, Like a Struggling Marriage Don't Quite Fit Neatly With the Scientific Razz-Ma-Tazz and In the End the Movie Becomes a Thing that the Medium of Film Can't Quite Compel or Flesh Out the Conceit of the Scientific Experiment.It is an Awkward Film Despite Some Stunning Camera and SFX Work, Set-Design, Process Shots, and Some Pretty Good Acting and a Suitable Bombastic Music Score. The Movie is Ambitious and the Filmmakers Involved Have Enough Talent to Make it Worth a Watch Despite its Pitfalls, Prattfalls, and Attempt to Play Around with Afterlife Questions and Expectations.Note...Natalie Wood died in a drowning accident before the Film was completed. Her appearance here would be Her Last. Her Role and Acting are nothing special but Professional.